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He Moves Big Bales With Axle & ATV
Dave Challen handles big round hay bales with ease by turning them into giant wheels. Shoving a steel rod through the center of the bale creates an axle. Chains or cables from the ends of the rod to his ATV let him roll the bale where he wants it to go.
    “It’s more economical to buy hay in big round bales, but without a tractor, I needed to figure out a way to move them into place,” says Challen. “With the steel rod in the bale, I can roll it to a feeder and into the feeder and then pull the feeder and bale upright.”
    Challen uses 1 1/2-in. dia. steel drill rod for the bale-axle. In the summer, he tows the bale. With less traction in winter, he winches the bale after chaining the ATV hitch to a fence post as an anchor.
    Before loading the bale into the feeder, he cuts the bale wrap, which unravels as the bale nears the feeder. He turns the feeder on its side and runs the chain from the ATV through the feeder bottom and then to the bale. Once the bale has been pulled into the feeder, the chain is repositioned over the top of the feeder and Challen pulls the bale filled feeder upright.
    “I’ve been feeding bales this way since fall of 2015, and it has really simplified chores,” says Challen.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Challen, P.O. Box 10306, Thunder Bay, Ont. Canada P7B 6T8 (info@birchsyrup.ca).


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2017 - Volume #41, Issue #2