A
Anonymous
What's the best way to put a spear on a bucket? I was thinking just drill the hole and bolt it on. That way its removable. I don't need one often, mainly in the winter. The large bails around here weigh maybe 800lbs
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High Cotton
Well-known member
IMO you will regret it later. Every loader bucket I have seen that has or had a spear in past is bent all to he'll. But if you decide to do it anyway. The ones I have seen were bolted to the bucket.
OP
OP
Anonymous
Even if the material to bolt it to was 3/8"?
1982vett
Well-known member
yep!hooknline":9xpxae9r said:
That spear out front is a huge lever exerting all its power to a small lip area of your bucket. Re-enforce that lip end to end of the bucket with some half inch angle or channel iron and maybe it won't bend and break.
OP
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Anonymous
I may just weld some box tubing behind the lip, and bolt to that instead. Thàt way it won't interfere with the bucket and still support the weight
High Cotton
Well-known member
It will bend the center of the bucket down. You will need to run what ever brace you use all the way to each side of the bucket. The reason those things stink is because it puts all of the leverage just before the cutting edge. Can you weld?
It just reread your post. Next question, is your loader a pin on bucket or a quick attach?
It just reread your post. Next question, is your loader a pin on bucket or a quick attach?
OP
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Anonymous
Just enough to make things stick good. Not pretty, but a grinder fixes all the ugly stuff.
High Cotton
Well-known member
If you have a pin on style it will be easy to build one. If it's a quick attach it's still doable but not as easily. You need .250 wall 2" square tubing. You will need some .250 plate for some tabs. Measure your bucket and replicate the mounting on a square frame. Drill or blow a hole. Weld in a piece of pipe for the spear to slide in to. Then screw the nut on the back of the spear. The source you a few feet of solid rod for the bottom 2 spears. If you have some time. It will save you money in the end. Google some images to get some ideas.
Angus Cowman
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one way you can attach a bale spike to the front bucket is to get a 3pt spear and weld some tabs on the top of the bucket and a couple tabs on the inside bottom of the bucket and then pin your spike on
it will help distrubute the pull to the top and get the leverage off of the cutting edge and is alot less likely to bend your bucket
I have used 3x3X3/8 angle for the tabs and it works pretty well
I don't use this set up but have built several for friends and neighbors that don't have QA buckets and spikes
it will help distrubute the pull to the top and get the leverage off of the cutting edge and is alot less likely to bend your bucket
I have used 3x3X3/8 angle for the tabs and it works pretty well
I don't use this set up but have built several for friends and neighbors that don't have QA buckets and spikes
OP
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Anonymous
I thought about that too AC. Mine isn't QA, so I had thought about retro fitting some hardware for a pinned setup
myakka145
Well-known member
I have a bucket mount spear I bought from Tractor Supply.Like you I move mostly bales under 1000 lbs.
I have moved hundreds of bales and I have not bent up the bucket. A neighbor has a unitthat mounts with a takeup chain which mounts to the top of the bucket and he has had no bending either.
I have moved hundreds of bales and I have not bent up the bucket. A neighbor has a unitthat mounts with a takeup chain which mounts to the top of the bucket and he has had no bending either.
If you pick up underneath the bale (2 spears) and tilt it back so you aren't traveling with the weight of the bale hanging off the front but instead it is being carried by the bucket I don't think you will have any problems. I feed hay and corn silage and I can switch between handling bales and loading silage in 30 seconds..
I bought a couple of spears from Agri-Supply and cut a groove in the top through to the mounting hole already on the spears. Then I welded a pin between existing gusset plates on the bucket and a piece of angle iron that I added just wide enough to fit spear. That way the pin is fixed at both ends (didn't do that with first try and ended up bending/breaking pins.) To put the spear on you have to tilt it up 60 degrees or more, slid the groove onto the pin and then the spear just drops down between the gusset and angle. You just have to get the pin at the right height - and I did have to grind some of the bottom "corner" of the spear to accomodate tilting it down into working position. Spears are stored on the loader frame so they are always with me. I've done this for I'm guessing the last 4 winters and haven't bent up the bucket yet. Like I said I have 2 spears so I can tilt the bucket and slide them underneath the bale - probably not as stable as spearing into the bale but I haven't been close to having one fall off yet. I'm not saying it's the best; I switch back to a regular spear when I am done feeding silage but I haven't seen anything as fast and still strong.
I bought a couple of spears from Agri-Supply and cut a groove in the top through to the mounting hole already on the spears. Then I welded a pin between existing gusset plates on the bucket and a piece of angle iron that I added just wide enough to fit spear. That way the pin is fixed at both ends (didn't do that with first try and ended up bending/breaking pins.) To put the spear on you have to tilt it up 60 degrees or more, slid the groove onto the pin and then the spear just drops down between the gusset and angle. You just have to get the pin at the right height - and I did have to grind some of the bottom "corner" of the spear to accomodate tilting it down into working position. Spears are stored on the loader frame so they are always with me. I've done this for I'm guessing the last 4 winters and haven't bent up the bucket yet. Like I said I have 2 spears so I can tilt the bucket and slide them underneath the bale - probably not as stable as spearing into the bale but I haven't been close to having one fall off yet. I'm not saying it's the best; I switch back to a regular spear when I am done feeding silage but I haven't seen anything as fast and still strong.
pdfangus
Well-known member
myakka145":2c8gs656 said:
i HAVE ONE THAT i PUT ON WITH A CHAIN AND IT HAS A SCREW TIGHTENER.
the spear has a piece of channel that goes over the lip of the bucket and the chain goes under the bucket and over the top to hook up and tighten. I always put a four foot length of 4 by six post on the top of the bucket and chain it down good and tight.
I moved several hundred bales per year every year with it over rough ground taking the hay to the barn and never damaged anything. I had a spear on the bucket and a spear on the three point and carried two bales at a time. I am pretty sure most bales were in the 800 to 900 lb range. we weighed a few.
I did exactly what AC said. It's been on for seven years and moved a lot of hay. I just moved thirty rolls yesterday. I just pull the pin and It's un attached and my bucket is ready for whatever. Fast and simple to use.
OP
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Anonymous
Thanks guys. Ill probably just pick one of the chain on ones from TS..just easier
baleflipper
Well-known member
google baleflipper,you will throw rocks at a tractor and front loader after using one.
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Anonymous
Baleflipper, I tried to watch the video but can't from my phone and don't have high speed at the house.
I ended up ordering a set of pallet forks for the bucket
I need them anyway for a piece of equipment I use from time to time. They clamp on the bucket. I put one on the bucket and stabbed a bale to lift it and it worked well. So, my bale spear is a pallet fork
I ended up ordering a set of pallet forks for the bucket
I need them anyway for a piece of equipment I use from time to time. They clamp on the bucket. I put one on the bucket and stabbed a bale to lift it and it worked well. So, my bale spear is a pallet fork
