Poor Man's Bale Mover

Poor man's bale mover HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 15-3-15 "It lets you unload two bales at a time without hydraulic or electric power and costs far less than other pickup-mounted bale movers," says Greg Horton, inventor of a new "poor man's bale mover". A rolling bale cradle mounts on the pickup bed. Three rollers support the carriage which is made from 3 by 5 by 1/4-in. angle iron and 2 by 2-in. steel tubing. The carriage is free to move 30 in. forward or back. Bales are loaded with a front-end loader or 3-pt. bale spear onto the cradle. To unload, you drive backward and then hit the brakes. The cradle rolls back and tips over the back edge of the pickup. You then pull the pickup forward to clear the bales. Once the bales are unloaded, you slide the cradle forward by hand back into the bed of the truck. "Other pickup-mounted bale movers cost up to $3,000 or more," says Horton. "Ours sells for $495. It works great for small farmers who don't have a lot of hay and can't afford more expensive bale movers. It fits half ton or larger pickups." The cradle is held in place by a cable that connects to one of the side rails until you're ready to unload. Two men can remove the cradle by hand from the pickup bed when not in use, or it can be removed with a front-end loader. Build-it-yourself plans are also available. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Agrifab Industries, Rt. 2, Box 188, Bolivar, Mo. 65613 (ph 417 326-7922).

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