Dusty Britches
Well-known member
Many years ago I bought a drag type round bale unroller from a vendor on this forum but I cannot find them anymore. They were out of Waco, TX.
Dragging it was actually a pain in the neck for me because I was constantly picking it up, it was difficult to hook into the bales so I modified it to a 3 point. It pretty much stays on the tractor when I start feeding hay in the winter until spring green up. A few people asked me about it so I thought I'd share it.
It is made from 1" box iron. The arms fold in. The hay spikes are 1" diameter and 2' long. The handle was originally designed to hold the arms in but when I converted it to a 3 point and welded supporting angle iron on the back side, I didn't properly clamp it and it warped. The bungee cord is to hold it all together. The handle is nice when I take it off, which is a manual process. The whole thing probably weighs around 60-70 pounds. I put it in the barn in the off season and store it on end. Takes up minimal space and it is easier to pick up.
I added the hitch pins to lock it open mostly so it won't slip while I back up to the bale. The pin drops into the holes that I added on the left (below) when opened. The bolt is held with a nylon lock nut and the arm has to slid in the slip joint that you see. There's a tab that slides into the back when the arms are open, but I'm not sure if it is necessary with the hitch pins.
The rebar on the pins originally formed a T but rebar is brittle and part of the T broke. I'm sure the other half will eventually break, too, and when it does, I will use a different smooth metal that can handle the pressure. Occasionally the hay will roll up funky and the pins will not push nicely into the bale and I will have to use a hammer or adjust the arm to where it doesn't go into the center but slightly off center.
Dragging it was actually a pain in the neck for me because I was constantly picking it up, it was difficult to hook into the bales so I modified it to a 3 point. It pretty much stays on the tractor when I start feeding hay in the winter until spring green up. A few people asked me about it so I thought I'd share it.
It is made from 1" box iron. The arms fold in. The hay spikes are 1" diameter and 2' long. The handle was originally designed to hold the arms in but when I converted it to a 3 point and welded supporting angle iron on the back side, I didn't properly clamp it and it warped. The bungee cord is to hold it all together. The handle is nice when I take it off, which is a manual process. The whole thing probably weighs around 60-70 pounds. I put it in the barn in the off season and store it on end. Takes up minimal space and it is easier to pick up.
I added the hitch pins to lock it open mostly so it won't slip while I back up to the bale. The pin drops into the holes that I added on the left (below) when opened. The bolt is held with a nylon lock nut and the arm has to slid in the slip joint that you see. There's a tab that slides into the back when the arms are open, but I'm not sure if it is necessary with the hitch pins.
The rebar on the pins originally formed a T but rebar is brittle and part of the T broke. I'm sure the other half will eventually break, too, and when it does, I will use a different smooth metal that can handle the pressure. Occasionally the hay will roll up funky and the pins will not push nicely into the bale and I will have to use a hammer or adjust the arm to where it doesn't go into the center but slightly off center.
