Small Bale Trailer Size.

tancoman

Member
I'm in the process of the refurbishment of a small bale trailer for personal use. It will be used for both round and small hay bales. Also may be used for haylage, one row on the floor.
Would 18 ft. long by 8ft. 4in wide be ok. The reason for that width is that 3 by 3 ft small bales can be put across trailer. Thanks.
 
Location
southwest
You need to ask someone over 50 how to stack a load of small bales-if you put them all the same way, the load will fall off!

Should go: 2 bales across, then one at right angles. next layer one at right angles then two across. One layer hold the layer below it in place. 7' 3" will be plenty wide enough-and less of a hazard on the road!
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
Bottom layer on our trailers was always one lengthways down the middle and two at right angles either side. Then alternating layers of the lengthways bales at each side and two at right angles.

Trailer length needs to be selected carefully, as the length of small bales is invariably more than than the 3 foot that two bales side by side are. Thus if you're not careful you have a pig of a job getting the lengthways bales to fit on. If you want to have what I would term a '6 long' trailer, ie one that can fit six bales lengthways down the bed reasonably easily, then you probably need a bed length of at least 19".

I've just been out and measured some of my old wagons that were built in the era of small bales, and the 6 long ones are between 19 and 20 feet long and the one that is 7 long is 22 feet long.

If you are building it for rounds (presumably 4 feet ones?) and small bales then a 19-20' long trailer should fit both reasonably well.
 

Ali_Maxxum

Member
Location
Chepstow, Wales
Our tipper with bale extension is 18ft, bottom layer on the bed we have one length ways right up the middle, then either side of that bale we have them across the bed to edge of the bed either side of the lengthways bale, then the next layer we have bales going length was down the edge of the bed and the next 2 across the bed tying the bottom layer, then alternate that all the way, 2 full layers above the dripples and a tying layer 4 bales wide, length ways, front to back..... really should draw a diagram. 234 on a load.

Round bales however you will only get 4 down the bed with a bit of room to spare on the back still so they wont be tight but will do job. You'd need to go to 22ft (as our bale trailer is 22ft) to get 5 down the bed but then there's a huge difference in manoeuvrability between the 2!
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
This is one of my old trailers, its a great dual purpose round/small bale trailer.
IMG_4705.JPG


The ladder is for small bales and can be removed for rounds, and the bumper bars front and back hold five x 4' rounds in place perfectly.
IMG_4706.JPG
 

tancoman

Member
You need to ask someone over 50 how to stack a load of small bales-if you put them all the same way, the load will fall off!

Should go: 2 bales across, then one at right angles. next layer one at right angles then two across. One layer hold the layer below it in place. 7' 3" will be plenty wide enough-and less of a hazard on the road!
I don't need to ask anyone how to build a load of small bales. Been doing it for over 50 years now. 3 across will be no hazard on the road.
 

tancoman

Member
Bottom layer on our trailers was always one lengthways down the middle and two at right angles either side. Then alternating layers of the lengthways bales at each side and two at right angles.

Trailer length needs to be selected carefully, as the length of small bales is invariably more than than the 3 foot that two bales side by side are. Thus if you're not careful you have a pig of a job getting the lengthways bales to fit on. If you want to have what I would term a '6 long' trailer, ie one that can fit six bales lengthways down the bed reasonably easily, then you probably need a bed length of at least 19".

I've just been out and measured some of my old wagons that were built in the era of small bales, and the 6 long ones are between 19 and 20 feet long and the one that is 7 long is 22 feet long.

If you are building it for rounds (presumably 4 feet ones?) and small bales then a 19-20' long trailer should fit both reasonably well.
I am ok with the width, but I don't really want to go to 19ft long
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
I am ok with the width, but I don't really want to go to 19ft long

Well unless you make your small bales really short, the person stacking the trailer is going to curse you for not making it just a bit longer every time they struggle to get 6 bales to fit lengthwise. I remember well as a kid stacking trailers for my father and there were several wagons you had to select the shortest bales out of every flat 8 to put on the sides, and even then it was a struggle to make them fit.
 

dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
on my old purpose built small bale trailer the floor is tilted up on both sides towards the centre. you put them lengthways down the middle then stack as normal either side. very stable and also works well with rounds.
 

tancoman

Member
Well unless you make your small bales really short, the person stacking the trailer is going to curse you for not making it just a bit longer every time they struggle to get 6 bales to fit lengthwise. I remember well as a kid stacking trailers for my father and there were several wagons you had to select the shortest bales out of every flat 8 to put on the sides, and even then it was a struggle to make them fit.
I don't ever stack length ways, always 3 across, front rack and back rack. 2 across last row and then 2 straps. Thankfully have never lost a load. Short draw, and only 6 to 700 small bales per year.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
I make and deliver quite a bit of small bale hay.
My 16’ Ifor Williams trailer hold 20 bales/layer (2x10)
My main trailer for collecting off the field is 20’ long to get 3 flat8 packets on per layer. The front rave is leant over so that each layer slightly overlaps the one below is, therefor no rear rave needed. Once loaded, all I need to do is rope the back on in a criss-cross pattern and the bales will never fall off.
A rope is far faster to put on and take off than Ratchet straps.
93DC6F65-FE1E-4706-B758-45AA314242D7.jpeg

B0B7E1D4-388C-49B0-8FEA-1294DFDCF9A2.jpeg
 
Last edited:

C.J

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Devon
It all depends on bale size - Welger rounds are 1.22m whereas JD rounds are 1.18m and then they spread a bit when out of the chamber.Same with small squares - some bales (IH and Jones) are 19" wide whereas Welger are 20 " wide with NH940 in between.

So really you want your trailer to be a multiple of 40" for small bales so you have a whole number of bales per layer.

200 inches or 16' 8" works well for 25 small bales/layer or 4 x 50" round bales

Width wise , 8 foot floor with a raised lip of angle , flat or 4x2 box section down each side , to stop things slidding off.

20 foot long works well with flat 8s - 3 grab fulls down each side but you will need a sloping rear lade to get 5 rounds on.
 

nails

Member
Location
East Dorset
Bottom layer on our trailers was always one lengthways down the middle and two at right angles either side. Then alternating layers of the lengthways bales at each side and two at right angles.

Trailer length needs to be selected carefully, as the length of small bales is invariably more than than the 3 foot that two bales side by side are. Thus if you're not careful you have a pig of a job getting the lengthways bales to fit on. If you want to have what I would term a '6 long' trailer, ie one that can fit six bales lengthways down the bed reasonably easily, then you probably need a bed length of at least 19".

I've just been out and measured some of my old wagons that were built in the era of small bales, and the 6 long ones are between 19 and 20 feet long and the one that is 7 long is 22 feet long.

If you are building it for rounds (presumably 4 feet ones?) and small bales then a 19-20' long trailer should fit both reasonably well.
Bottom layer on our trailers was always one lengthways down the middle and two at right angles either side. Then alternating layers of the lengthways bales at each side and two at right angles.
Yup that is how we stacked on trailers and lorries, sometimes bottom layer on edge, always cut side out for show. Pitched thousands on to Thames Trader lorries pre flat 8
 

daveydiesel1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co antrim
You need to ask someone over 50 how to stack a load of small bales-if you put them all the same way, the load will fall off!

Should go: 2 bales across, then one at right angles. next layer one at right angles then two across. One layer hold the layer below it in place. 7' 3" will be plenty wide enough-and less of a hazard on the road!
We always start the load 1 at each side then 1 down the middle then next row 2 across 1 down the side next row the 1 at the side will be on the opposite side and so on
 

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