OP
OP
I was all about the pallet idea - until Mr TC reminded me our pallet forks only fit the track loader, not the tractor.
Weed Wiper
- Thread starter TCRanch
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Good excuse to get a set of forks for the tractor!
If you have a double prong bale spear, most of them fit pallets just fine.
OP
OP
Striking out here. Well, we do but they're those heavy duty forks that go on the back (and he hates them).
bird dog
Well-known member
The double hay spear is what I use on both of my tractors. One is always on one of them to unload pallets of ....well everything. It's one of those things I couldn't do without.
Yup. I converted all of the loaders over to the double front spears, just so much handier and you can haul 2 rolls at once if need be.
Silver
Well-known member
I wouldn't pack two bales on my bale spears. Have to replace them enough as it is just packing one.
Depends on your bales. Silage bales would be a hard "No", but the majority of ours are 5x4's at about 800 lbs or so each. No big deal.
OP
OP
Only 800 lbs? We have some 5x4 that average 1200 lb. but most are 5x5 @1400 lbs. Primarily brome but some alfalfa & some junk/prairie.
OP
OP
Best of luck. We just learned to accept Johnson grass around here. It has good nutritional value if cut at the right time.
The best thing that seems to work is to keep a good plan for reseeding your good grasses.
Lee VanRoss
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Front fork is handy if one needs to fill bale wagon or rings. I did put eye bolts on a couple of bale rings to replace the bolts holding
the sections together then welded a T handle to the top so all I need to do to open a ring is pull the rebar and spread the feeder.
Works great if you have some low quality hay and move feeders quite often.
greybeard
Well-known member
Necessity truly is the mama of invention Lee..
Lee VanRoss
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intended to say I used an appropriate length of rebar and welded a T handle to the top so it would not drop through the eye-bolts.
One sholdu always chehisworck.!
One sholdu always chehisworck.!
All depends on moisture content. I try to bale most everything as dry hay, high moisture bales are a whole 'nother ballgame!
OP
OP
Okay, I stand corrected. Guy that does our custom cutting was over today and said the past couple years, the bales average 5x6 (with their new, bigazz Deere baler) and brome is avg. 1600 lbs, alfalfa 1700-1800 lbs. Clearly, I never paid much attention because I'm more focused on getting the netting cut & off without being trampled. But now it makes sense, why the bales now barely fit in the rings & spill over the top like a mushroom.
OP
OP
Resurrecting this old thread.
Weed wiper was a pretty good investment and almost all the Johnsongrass is wiped out in the brome fields. BUT areas of the Johnsongrass was so tall and thick it actually bent one of the arms. Lucky for us, we have a 16-year-old that now works for us part time and his shop class took on the project of straightening the rod and inserting tubes for strength. All good!
After 2 years, the sponges were in pretty bad shape. Was going to order replacements online but Mr TC 'bout had heart failure when the shipping was almost $300. Here's what I learned: Smuckers Manufacturing lists 30" replacement sponges at $56.99 each. But they don't have the option to order online and provides a link to online distributors. Mmmm, price jump to $66.99 and the aforementioned insane shipping fee. Hard pass. Called the dealer where we purchased the weed wiper and he'll order the sponges for $46.99. Definitely worth a short road trip!!!
@chaded, did you ever get one?
Weed wiper was a pretty good investment and almost all the Johnsongrass is wiped out in the brome fields. BUT areas of the Johnsongrass was so tall and thick it actually bent one of the arms. Lucky for us, we have a 16-year-old that now works for us part time and his shop class took on the project of straightening the rod and inserting tubes for strength. All good!
After 2 years, the sponges were in pretty bad shape. Was going to order replacements online but Mr TC 'bout had heart failure when the shipping was almost $300. Here's what I learned: Smuckers Manufacturing lists 30" replacement sponges at $56.99 each. But they don't have the option to order online and provides a link to online distributors. Mmmm, price jump to $66.99 and the aforementioned insane shipping fee. Hard pass. Called the dealer where we purchased the weed wiper and he'll order the sponges for $46.99. Definitely worth a short road trip!!!
@chaded, did you ever get one?
chaded
Well-known member
I have not. Just too many irons in the fire right now and the new hay guy is not letting the JG get very tall before he is cutting it so all is good as of now. Maybe some day though.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I bet the occaisional contact with the ground had more to do with the bending TC. When they stick out so far it does not take much uneveness in the ground to make one end dip down a fair bit.
Ken
Silver
Well-known member
Surely the hinges on the boom are designed to break away if they hit something?
OP
OP
I got nuthin'. Maybe? I'll have to take pics when we pick it up. Especially since the kid that works for us said his shop class even repainted the whole thing orange, so it would match the tractor. Oh, Lordy.
