Moving heavy things around the yard?

[kit279]

How does everyone shift their heavy stuff around the yard?

We have big round bales of hay that weigh a quarter of a ton each and now that I'm doing the yard on my own, I simply cannot shift them and have to break them open which is a bit of a pain. Looking ahead, I'm likely to have a yard next year with the same problem.

Is there something I can get to help me move them? I feel like having a teleloader type machine would be a bit much for private use and would no doubt get pinched anyway..! Is there anything else?

 

[Natalie_H]

Not sure if it would work for round bales - but at my work we use pump trucks for lifting pallets. It is basically a hand operated device on wheels that has the two prongs that go under the pallet, you then pump the handle up & down to lift the prongs, then pull it to move it around. Quite small, easy to store, but able to lift quite substantial weights. I think the only problem would be the dynamics of the round bales in terms of getting them on the prongs & balancing.

 

[jhoward]

a quad?

 

[Rhandir]

I have my big round bales stacked in a barn so I break one open and fill the haynets from there, I do have to be very careful as it's a bit of a health & safety nightmare up there. When I want them moved, as in last week when they needed re arranging so that I could get to them more easily I called a local contracter to come over and do it for me. With his gear it only took 5 minutes. I certainly wouldn't even try to shift one on my own.

 

[Thistle]

Perhaps a pallett truck would work if you placed individual round bales on each pallet, problem is how to get bale on theer in the first place.

 

[skye_and_i]

any little tractor with a loader would be good! if you got an old mf35 or dexta with a loader then it wouldn't be very desirable to nick!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MASSEY-FERGUSON-35...a2#ht_500wt_975

or if you can put them on pallets then one of these......

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PROBST-Rough-terra...2#ht_1305wt_901

 

[Bosworth]

We have a small tractor with a front loader and a bale spike. So i use the loader for shifting my muck heaps, and I use teh bale spike for my round bales. I also have a pallet lift for it which is great for shifting the pallets of bedding we have delivered and then harrows, toppers etc. it is a samll tractor so I use it for levelling the arena as well. In fact my little red tractor comes out most days of the week to do some job or other. could not be without it. Oh and when it snows, i drive it up to the stable doors and muck out into its bucket. http://www.siromer.co.uk/

 

[cariadssogreat]

My hubby is a farmer and he goes in to move large bales for a few big yards in the surroubding villages and charges by the hour - so maybe just buddy up with a local farmer? Failing that it would be as bosworth said - get yourself a small tractor with loader and spike.

 

[mainpower]

We move ours round the yard by pushing with the Disco.