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Roller Fork Bale Lifter Easy On Plastic
Allen Pansegrau’s big round bale lifter doesn’t mess up the plastic on silage bales. Using rolling pipes instead of grabbers, it slides over the bale, rolls underneath, and lifts, holding it tightly.
    “My nephew Tim Grauman built it in his shop, Avalanche Metal (www.avalanchemetal.com; ph 778 480-5679),” says Pansegrau. “He used heavy-duty bearings to mount the pipes to the frame. They roll free when I’m sliding them under the bale or sliding them back out after lifting it.”
    The double action on the rolling pipes is provided by a hydraulic cylinder mounted inside the frame that is designed to mount to a front-end loader. Fully extended, the rollers are about 5 ft. apart. Retracted, they are only about 2 ft. apart.
    “I can drive up to a bale and lower the rollers around the outside of the bale without touching it,” says Pansegrau. “Even if I do, the rollers won’t tear the plastic. Once underneath, I can bring them together. As the rollers tighten on the bale, they will roll a bit so the bag doesn’t tear.”
    Pansegrau gives all the credit to his nephew. “He looked at other bale grabbers, made some notes and sketches, and built it,” says Pansegrau. “His unit cost a lot less than the commercial ones cost.”
    The 4-in. steel rollers mount to bearings on the bottom of 3 by 4-in. steel tubes. Pinned at the top of the frame, the legs would otherwise hang loose at the bottom. However, the hydraulic cylinder is mounted to one leg with the ram pinned to the second. As it extends or retracts, the legs move apart or together.
    “He used heavy-duty flat steel and angle iron for the frame,” says Pansegrau. “He is good on detail too. Where the legs hang loose at the bottom of the frame, he attached heavy rubber strips. When I’m driving with it empty, the rubber cushions it if the loader bounces.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Allen Pansegrau, 425 Cornish Rd., Kelowna, B.C. Canada V1X 4R4 (ph 250 470-8612).



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2015 - Volume #39, Issue #5