What is the smallest tractor that can lift a round bale?

[Gloria]

Hi our little 25hp John Deere has worked well for our 15 acres but we are in a stage that we really need a bigger tractor. The biggest problem with our current tractor is that it is just too small to lift a round bale.

This tractor will be need to be big enough to lift and transport a round bale but small enough that we can use it to groom our arena (so no monster farm tractors).

I know tons of people here have tractors. What do you have? Which ones do you like? And how much do you expect to pay for a tractor like I described? Thanks a bunch!

[shawneeAcres]

We have a small MAssey Ferguson, I have to look to see the model number, but I think it was the smallest 4WD they made when we bought it. It easily transports/lifts round bales with a three point hitch spike, we also dug every single post hole on our farm with it (LOTS!). I would like a slightly bigger one but it does the job and we use it to drag our arena with no problem

[mares tails]

It depends on the bale weight :)

[jcotton]

How heavy are the round bales?
For example if your round bales are tightly rolled and on the large size, possibly weighing 1200-1500 pounds. You would need a tractor of 60 Hp minimum and with counter weight.
If your round bales are 800-1000 pounds, smaller in size. You could get by with a tractor of 45Hp and still needing counter weight.

By counter weighting the tractor, if the round bale is in the front, the tractor needs to have balast in the rear and vice versa of you may flip or roll the tractor --be in a very dangerous, precarious situation.

Better to have more tractor power than not enough.

[Bluey]

How big a bale and how high do you want to lift it?
Our 2420JD was supposed to lift 3000 lbs on the 3 point hitch, which it may have done, but it would not lift a 1500# bale on a spear in front more than 4' high.
We have a tractor now, 6420JD, 65 HP, that will safely lift a bale as high as we need, but it is really too much tractor if you don't have much else for it to do.

Remember that power on the back will not be the same than in front, at the end of some attachment.

[Gloria]

Hi our round bales are around 1000lb, so I guess we will need one that is between 45hp and 60hp? Are tractors of these sizes awkward to operate? I mean, are they too large to maneuver well enough to drag a groomer in the arena? We currently have a 90hp farm tractor that belongs to my parent-in-law. It does a good job of moving the round bales but man, that thing is humungous and cumbersome... There is no way that thing can move around in our arena...

[Gloria]

How big a bale and how high do you want to lift it?
Our 2420JD was supposed to lift 3000 lbs on the 3 point hitch, which it may have done, but it would not lift a 1500# bale on a spear in front more than 4' high.
We have a tractor now, 6420JD, 65 HP, that will safely lift a bale as high as we need, but it is really too much tractor if you don't have much else for it to do.

Remember that power on the back will not be the same than in front, at the end of some attachment.


The farmer we buy the round bales from bale them to be around 1000lb but there is an off chance that we might get bigger ones (very very off chance though). As to height, we need to stack them to make two layers (4'~5'?) and then of course remove them to deliver to the pasture.

So are you saying that a given tractor has more weight lift capacity if it is done from the three points at the back, instead of the spear at the front?

[baysngreys]

Make a skid for the round bale and then you can just drag them into place.
Use 2 4"X6" pressure treated posts the length of a bale (+/- 5'), cut front end at an angle so they look like the gliders on a sleigh. Attach them with a couple or 3 cross beams (4"X4" or 2"X6"), close enough that the bale wont fall through.
Drill a hole in the front of each of the "gliders", run a nice thick rope (or chain) thru and VOILA, you can now drag the bale (with truck, tractor, whatever) to where you need it. Skid keeps bale off the ground too.

My bale guy made 6 for a customer so he can deliver enough bales for 2 months and she can move them.
A lot cheaper than a new tractor!

[LostFarmer]

So are you saying that a given tractor has more weight lift capacity if it is done from the three points at the back, instead of the spear at the front?
That is exactly correct. It is about levers. The distance is greater on the front. Look at the lifting specs on any tractor in question and go from that. Another option is to rent a loader from a rental place when you stack the hay. To take it down you can then knock them down and pick them back up to feed. You can rent many days for the price of a bigger tractor. A bigger tractor is a pain in and around the arena. LF

[Bluey]

The farmer we buy the round bales from bale them to be around 1000lb but there is an off chance that we might get bigger ones (very very off chance though). As to height, we need to stack them to make two layers (4'~5'?) and then of course remove them to deliver to the pasture.

So are you saying that a given tractor has more weight lift capacity if it is done from the three points at the back, instead of the spear at the front?

Yes, you can get a tractor rated for 1500#, but that will be if you lift something that heavy from the 3 point hitch, like a post set in the ground.
Lifting with the bucket in front, you may only get 1/2 to 2/3 that much power to lift.

They make very neat compact tractors and skidsteers today that will lift a bale as high as you want and are small machines.

I think that the Bobcat skidloader A300 turbo will lift a big bale high up and is not hardly larger than a mower.

My 65 four wheel drive tractor will do fine grooming an indoor ring, although a smaller one would definitely be more handy in very tight places.

[DiablosHalo]

I have a 40hp New Holland tractor and lift round bales (800lb) and mid-square bales (700lb) every week with it. I have forks on the bucket and lift them both that way.
Spring, summer, and fall I have the mower on the back of the tractor as a counterweight but not in the winter.
I always keep the bucket right above ground level when moving the bales. I do stack the squares two high so I lift the forks 4+' in the air when I'm stacking. I do everything slowly though so not to flip over or sideways! I just moved 6 big squares into the barn last night and was fine.
:)

[jimc]

actually have you seen the "Stick Wagon"? Their website sticks but the product looks great. Move round bales with an ATV or any size tractor!

http://www.stickwagon.com/

[Tom King]

I bought some 5x5's that my 70 hp is right at capacity for lifting. With the front end spear you can drop one in something and stack them. With a 3 pt. lift spear, all you can do is move one around that's already close to the ground.

I have a 3 pt. spear available cheap.

[HunttoLive]

You real need to check the specs for lifting capacity. They are often given as at the pivot pt (at the tractor body) or at 24" (for rear 3-pt) or center bucket for the FEL.

For example, if you look at a New Holland TC 20. It is a 35 HP tractor. It has 3 pt lift capacity of 1635 lbs at 24" and over 2000 lbs at the pivot point. My rule of thumb is to not use the maxed out number because if you hit a bump while hauling you'll put a lot more pressure on the hydraulics.

So for TC 20 I would not lift more than 1300 on the 3 pt. That gives me some margin of error.

You'll see a variety of published lift capacities for tractors in the same HP class.

[Kate66]

Get a hay spike that you can pull behind your truck. Once you have worked out how to reverse them because they are a little quirky, they are great. Then you don't have to mess with worrying about the size of your tractor. You just hitch this onto your truck hitch, wind the handle down so the spikes are on the ground, drive at great speed in reverse so that the spikes go underneath the hay bale and then wind the winch to pick up the bale. Drive it to the appropriate location, undo the winch and drive away and the bale is left on the ground. It's pretty easy - I can do it on my own.

[Gloria]

Kate,

Are you talking about something like the Stick Wagon jimc is walking about? That looks interesting. I will ask DD to take a look at it.:D

As to bigger tractor... Apart from more expensive, I am also concerened that it would tear up our arena footing... Is that a concern? or am I just being paranoid?:cool:

[SGray]

like this?
http://www.hayspear.com/c=qtUMdjJQ2hdNCo2NdMAYpwYAv/product/BSPUWINCH/Pickup-truck-hay-bale-spear-mover-hand-winch.html

[Kate66]

Hmmm, it looks like a combination of the StickWagon thing and the SGray post. It's on wheels, like the Stick Wagon one, but doesn't have a spike that goes through the bale, it has 2 spikes that go under the bale. It has the same pneumatic winch. It's on wheels, so you attach to your bumper pull rather than the SGray one which attaches to the truck itself.

So - let me see if I can describe this better. You loosen the winch so that the 2 spikes are flat on the ground. You reverse it so that the 2 spikes go underneath the bale. You then manually winch the spikes up until they are at about a 45 degree angle to the ground and the bale lies on top of the spikes and resting against a vertical pole. I have seen folks driving down the road at great speed with these things, but personally, although I think it's great for moving a bale around the farm and even a few miles down the road, I wouldn't trust it for speed!

The bizarre thing is - I can't find a photo of the damn thing on the internet. Let me see if I can take a photo later.

It's really good and easy to use.

YAY - found it!!! http://www.lgportables.com/HAY%20BUGGY.jpg
http://www.azleffa.org/Portals/709/Photos/haybuggy20082.jpg

[SGray]

cost?
presumably would be between the other two
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Pickup truck economical hay bale spear mover hand winch
Our Price: $495.00

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stickwagon
$1,995 or $1,695

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[Kate66]

Not sure on the cost. We got it from a guy down the road who didn't need it anymore. I would search the local craigslist for something like this. These things are very basic and there's not much that can go wrong. If it's a bit rusty (like ours) it works just as well as a new one. Could possibly get a local welder to make one - it's very simple.

[Gloria]

Ah a lot of great ideas here. Thank you guys:D I will get hubby to take a look at them:):):)