quick attach bale spear help...

[mrjohnniesue]

Looking for a little help with buying a quick attach bale spear for a Kubota........
I have a 3-pt. hook up now.......but need one for the fel to stack round bales on and off of a trailer.....

any brand reccomendations??? or other things to look for??.........King Kutter makes one but not sure how it will hold up..

thanks for any help or experiences you all have had....

Johnny

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Welcome to the Board!

We have 2 Kubota's. One 30 HP and one 54 HP. Both with front end loaders.

FYI: Hay spears on the back of a tractor with a 3 point hitch will not raise a bale high enough to take off a trailer (given usual trailer bed heights) much less stack bales. Secondly, even with a front end loader on a Kubota (under 75 to 100 HP) you will need a good ballast on the back, such as a brush hog or other implement in the 600 to 800 lb range to move an average size round bale.

We unload 1200 to 1400 round bales off of a semi with our 54 HP Kubota with no problem. [Our 30 HP Kubota could "barely" lift a 1200 lb off the ground, much less raise it up to trailer height].

The small Kubota's are notorious for getting dangerous when lifting something with a front end loader too high and will risk turning over. They will also "tripod" (run on 3 wheels) when changing directions.

Based on our experiences, our 54 HP is "our" minimum for moving and stacking round bales. A "small" Kubota (not less than 30 HP, considering wheel base, etc.) could be considered "safe" to unload and stack "small" round bales (say under 500 lbs.) if one is careful and are on level ground and keep the front end loader close to ground when turning.


Hope this helps...

 

[kenny thomas]

Do you have a Kubota loader? Mine is Kubota and it is about 6" longer that many of the other brands. This is good for lifting higher but also makes the rear end very light. It is on a 8540 and as Running Arrow Bill notes it still gets off the ground sometimes. Especially if lifting over 2000lb.
That said, if it has a skid steer quick attach find a good used spear of any brand.

 

[kerley]

I have the same thing to deal with and someimes it gets scarey
TOM

 

[Nowland Farms]

As said, If your Kubota Loader has the Skid Steer type attachments then you should be able to find a good spear. I wanted a Kubota speer from my 7040 but they were $500 - $600 at the Kubota dealership so I passed on it and continued my looking. A couple of weeks later the dealership called and said that Kubota was running a special and had marked them down for a short period to around $350. I picked one up.

Check ebay, craigslist or equipment auctions. I have also bought a used set of Bradco folks for my tractor off ebay for less than 1/2 the cost of new. They fit and work great.

 

[SRBeef]

As stated above, tractor hp is not as important handling hay as is the weight of the tractor. For big round bales, often over 1200 lb and trying to lift them high I would definitely look at filling both rear wheels with fluid or using a weight box on the back or lifting a bale on the three point spear before using the loader spear. Stability is the problem with smaller tractors loading bales. I use a 95 hp tractor and even then I need to have a bale on the back spear in many situations. For a smaller tractor I would definitely use fluid in the tires if handling 5x6 bales especially. Good luck. Be safe. Jim

 

[Fred Belknap]

Just a thought. Several years ago when I first got a loader I bought a spear that bolts on the bucket. The only problem was the spear wouldn't go into a bale. It was to blunt, I sanded and filed and still wouldn't work. It came from Tractor Supply, maybe King cutter. I ended up getting a set of forks. They are a lot more useful.
edit: It is a King Kutter II


Fred

 

[mrjohnniesue]

Thanks so much for all of the information............I should have mentioned that the q/a spears I'm looking at would go on a Kubota 4330 .....with a #853 fel.........not a really big tractor......but I would not be running with the bales....just loading and unloading them from a trailer....I'll carry them to the ring with the 3 pt. spear...plenty of hills on our ranch..

I plan to "fill" the rear tires and leave them filled if I get one of these for the front end loader ...........and even keep the box blade on to counter balance if necessary...

I've experienced the old "pucker" feeling a couple of times with just dirt or supplies in the bucket.....it's no fun...

I like the Taylor Way Field General model......but like someone following up on my post said.......it's a little pricey
@ $550.........I would love to pay less....so would my partner (aka wife) in this little venture

thanks again for all the help...

Johnny

 

[bbirder]

This is the one I use on a 50hp kubota. I also have 3 pt forks and keep a bale on there for counterweight when using the loader. It helps to carry 2 bales at a time for feeding and stacking. Can get touchy when raising the loader up high. Don't try traveling or turning with your load up. If you're careful it works well. Not sure if your machine is large enough tho!
http://www.custompotrack.com/product/BS ... spear.html

 

[Ty@SummitFarms]

:banana: I bought a skid steer mount plate for $100 and a 3pt spear on sale for $145. I then welded the plate on the the spear. $250 investment.

 

[dieselbeef]

i bought mine offa e bay yrs ago..it slides onto the btm of the bucket and a chain holds it on so ya dont hafta cut a hole in the bucket..it works great...i cant remember who makes it tho...

 

[dieselbeef]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bale-Spear-Attachme ... 519a4dbdd6

kinda like this one

 

[baleflipper]

Before using a small tractor of any make to load round bales check the load rating of the front end. Many people get hurt or killed every year trying to load big rounds with a small tractor. All tractors have a load rating for the front end as well as the three point. Over loading the front end can shorten its life as well as yours.
I have been loading big rounds since 1973, I have seen spindles break ,front axle tubes break and tires blow out. please check the ratings on your tractors front end.

 

[bird dog]

You can make a good counterweight very easy with a few pieces of flat iron and a plastic tub like a protein lick comes in. If you have an old scrap 3 point implement you can salvage those parts. I made mine with 1/2 x 2 flat. Shape it like a T with two pieces coming up to attach to the top link and one piece going across with a angle clip on the end with a hole for the draw pin which sticks out the side. Build it where it is about half way from top to bottom in the tub Add 5 or 6 bags of concrete and a few other scraps of metal for strength and you have it. I like using one like this because it will fit up tight against the back of the tractor and lessen the chance of me backing into something when I am putting bales in the barn. Mine weighs about 600 lbs.

 

[gabby]

I made a spear socket so I can easily slip the spear in and out.

Mounting it to the top lip of the bucket allows you to tilt the bale way back over the radiator for better weight distribution.