Straw swath roller

DrDunc · Oct 15, 2016

In order to be able to get the tractor over 30 foot of straw to bale it, it needs a front roller press making.

The current idea is to use a roller from a fixed chamber baler (I have a broken roller in the shed).

Will it be big enough diameter to roll freely, and will it be wide enough?

It'll be mounted on the front end loader (tractor doesn't have front links), so the roller will be held at a fixed height.

Daft idea, or anybody think it will work?

Badshot · Oct 15, 2016

Think you'll need a bigger diameter, cut holes in an oil drum, Feed your bale roller through, weld in situ. Fill with concrete if needed.

Dave W · Oct 15, 2016

Chae1 · Oct 15, 2016

I find swaths are getting smaller with move to rotary combines a 30 ft swath isn't that big.

Normally tie a ton bag up underneath tractor to smooth flow between tractor hitch and drawbar pin. It also makes a big difference which way you go into swath travel same direction it was cut if I remember correctly. Crop flows much smoother.

Philip Watkins · Oct 15, 2016

Chae1 said:
..... It also makes a big difference which way you go into swath travel same direction it was cut if I remember correctly. Crop flows much smoother.

Opposite way I think.

Chae1 · Oct 15, 2016

Philip Watkins said:
Opposite way I think.

It's a strange one. I think round baler and square baler opposite directions! I know I can get up a gear with round baler if I hit swath in right direction. Pretty sure it's opposite. I know this makes no sense at all.

stuart · Oct 15, 2016

Philip Watkins said:
Opposite way I think.

You only make the mistake of going the wrong way up a 30 ft swath when there a great lump where the combines backed up once

Will 1594 · Oct 15, 2016

Fills your radiator with crap and dust. Make some bars to go under tractor. 4 X 1 inch tubes curved up at front of tractor and full length to baler drawbar So straw glides under tractor

Philip Watkins · Oct 15, 2016

Chae1 said:
It's a strange one. I think round baler and square baler opposite directions! I know I can get up a gear with round baler if I hit swath in right direction. Pretty sure it's opposite. I know this makes no sense at all.

Ah, smoother flow into the baler if you go the same way as the combine but I think a big swath goes under the tractor if you go the other way.

Jim75 · Oct 15, 2016

Do you pull a press for ploughing. Chap local has his on front linkage for baling

Chae1 · Oct 15, 2016

Something like this.

Zebbedee · Oct 15, 2016

DrDunc said:
In order to be able to get the tractor over 30 foot of straw to bale it, it needs a front roller press making.

The current idea is to use a roller from a fixed chamber baler (I have a broken roller in the shed).

Will it be big enough diameter to roll freely, and will it be wide enough?

It'll be mounted on the front end loader (tractor doesn't have front links), so the roller will be held at a fixed height.

Daft idea, or anybody think it will work?

Daft idea,,,on the loader will be useless and far too small a diameter. Have a look on agriweld site they make some smart ones or just use some wheels

fermerboy · Oct 15, 2016

Not a daft idea.
Need to be a bigger diameter roller though. About the size of an oil drum sounds about right.
Be better on front linkage but no reason it wouldn't work on the loader.
Always find going opposite way to the combine helps. That's with a walker combine, don't know about a rotary though.

Ducati899 · Oct 16, 2016

Chae1 said:
It's a strange one. I think round baler and square baler opposite directions! I know I can get up a gear with round baler if I hit swath in right direction. Pretty sure it's opposite. I know this makes no sense at all.

i always go light stubble dark swath direction with my round baler

DrDunc · Oct 16, 2016

Thanks all.

Idea is now to put a shaft through a plastic 45 gallon drum and mount it on a frame with pillow block bearings. It'll still be mounted to the front loader, so the height above ground is easily set. The drum won't need ballasted to press down the swath because the loader will create the downforce.

Height can be set with a bit of chain hanging down as a visual indicator of how far to lower the loader at the start of each row.

Looking at American and Canadian swath rollers, a plastic barrel should turn with the friction of the straw. If it doesn't then I'll tek screw on lengths of inch angle iron to the drum to act like spade lugs.

Might even make a tray on top to carry a spare roll of net.

kill · Oct 16, 2016

Would wooden blocks work as bearings like!e a ballast roller?

76masseyman · Oct 16, 2016

Dave W said:
View attachment 413880

Did have one the same as that, on front of a Fastrac, with baler on. Dumped it when I returned to the yard after two days. It made it worse !
The straw seemed to spring back up, even higher, once the roller had passed.
Use a sheet to create a smooth, but constant, press and flow under the tractor. Not really sure, why my then gaffer bought the roller, as there were three of us on Fastrac's and having no issues.

michael N123 · Oct 16, 2016

Swap header for a smaller one

Mursal · Oct 16, 2016

If you had a wheel on the side, so the drum would follow the ground rather than the tractor .............

Jim B · Oct 16, 2016

Or ballast drum and put loader into float?

Straw swath roller

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