Bale splitting / slicing

[Rattie]

Bale cutter, Bale splitter - All the agricultural manufacturers

www.agriexpo.online

I'm looking at buying a bale splitter for feeding out 800-1000kg (heavy and very tight) round bale silage, mostly into a feeder wagon. Just torn the conus lugs out of my bale spikes again, tried the muck fork and promptly snapped a tine!

There seems to be a lot of choice, what should we look at and what should we avoid? The Tanko bucket add on looks neat, any one using one?

Also what have people paid in the UK for them and who did you buy them from?

Many thanks.

 

[Rattie]

Sorry, think the link is from the states, but has some relevance!

 

[Hesstondriver]

quite a few have the tanco splitters near here and they seem to work well.

the tight wad in me says find a s/h shear grab!

 

[Pistonbroke]

 

[PaulNix]

quite a few have the tanco splitters near here and they seem to work well.

the tight wad in me says find a s/h shear grab!

Yep the tight arse in me is going to drag out old SH out the brambles and see how rusted out it is and try it out !

 

[mx110]

After my mate had snapped a few tines trying to shake out bales he bought a 2nd hand bale unroller, does anyone use these for loading feeder, he just puts his bales out down the barrier, chopped bales and shorter grass dont roll out quite as nice but lot less stress on the loader.

Glendale Rotospike bale feeder for sale - McLaren Tractors

Glendale Rotospike bale unroller for sale

www.mclarentractors.co.uk

i think that's like his was alot less second hand.

 

[Bill dog]

Had a keltec for a few years, and worked grand. It cuts up rather than down so the weight of the bale assists the cut, rather than hinders it.
Tanco one works a treat, but only seen it used by a neighbour, not used personally!

 

[hally]

Had a keltec for a few years, and worked grand. It cuts up rather than down so the weight of the bale assists the cut, rather than hinders it.
Tanco one works a treat, but only seen it used by a neighbour, not used personally!

Asked our dealer for a demo of the keltec, looks the best design for dropping into a feeder as the plastic doesn’t hang down as far. How successful are they for holding the plastic, wouldn’t like to lose it into the machine?

 

[clod hopper]

Impressed!

 

[Bill dog]

Tbf, I rarely filled the tub mixer with it, as I used it to feed sucklers along a feed rail with round bales, and used pit silage in the mixer for all the youngsters .
But did it occasionally, you just need to get the knack of it. Only had a total cock up twice, when the bale, and wrap fell into the mixer. That takes a bit of forking out !

 

[hally]

Tbf, I rarely filled the tub mixer with it, as I used it to feed sucklers along a feed rail with round bales, and used pit silage in the mixer for all the youngsters .
But did it occasionally, you just need to get the knack of it. Only had a total cock up twice, when the bale, and wrap fell into the mixer. That takes a bit of forking out !

I dread to think

 

[Jim75]

Just got a tanco i75 multishear. Brilliant bit of kit, saves a lot of faffing and makes feeding a pleasant job now. We used to be 4 people every 2 days putting out bales, now down to 1.5 maybe 2 people at a push. Mixture of feeding into trailers and mixer. Usually just cut them open and put next to the mixer then load them up once all plastic/net out the way to save any embarrassment

 

[hally]

Tbf, I rarely filled the tub mixer with it, as I used it to feed sucklers along a feed rail with round bales, and used pit silage in the mixer for all the youngsters .
But did it occasionally, you just need to get the knack of it. Only had a total cock up twice, when the bale, and wrap fell into the mixer. That takes a bit of forking out !

Can you pick up a few slices of straw from a heston bale to add to the mixer as they look alot more clumsy and heavy than a tanco for example ?

 

[Chimera]

Asked our dealer for a demo of the keltec, looks the best design for dropping into a feeder as the plastic doesn’t hang down as far. How successful are they for holding the plastic, wouldn’t like to lose it into the machine?

Had one here for 2 years. Will spend a good 5 months of winter opening 20 bales a day straight into the diet feeder. There is a knack to it, and works best with saggy wet 3rd cut bales. Sure beats a stanley knife!!

 

[Bill dog]

Can you pick up a few slices of straw from a heston bale to add to the mixer as they look alot more clumsy and heavy than a tanco for example ?

Never had Hestons to try on, sorry! Can’t see why not, it’s a good bit of kit . But there is a knack in getting it to work for you. Or you’ll swear a lot at it !

 

[HundyMundy]

As has been said go for the keltec upper cut type. I have a Tanco, there is a knack to using it, but I can’t open bales above the diet feeder.

 

[le bon paysan]

After my mate had snapped a few tines trying to shake out bales he bought a 2nd hand bale unroller, does anyone use these for loading feeder, he just puts his bales out down the barrier, chopped bales and shorter grass dont roll out quite as nice but lot less stress on the loader.

Glendale Rotospike bale feeder for sale - McLaren Tractors

Glendale Rotospike bale unroller for sale

www.mclarentractors.co.uk

i think that's like his was alot less second hand.

I use something similar, unroll silage ,hay and straw. Better with Swiss roll bales,belt or chain balers.

 

[betweenthelines]

Ideal if you've got thirty foot of concrete spare in front of the cattle pens!

 

[Jim75]

As has been said go for the keltec upper cut type. I have a Tanco, there is a knack to using it, but I can’t open bales above the diet feeder.

how often do you sharpen the cutting edge if at all?

 

[Dry Rot]

Just to bring you wealthy lot back down to earth, this is what the peasantry are using....

I found an advert for hay knives (remember them?) at £40, so I ordered one. It arrived brand new from the factory in Birmingham and the price in the catalogue quickly shot up to £100! I bet they didn't make much profit at £40! Anyway, if kept razor sharp it is great for slicing individual bales which are then forked out of a trailer for horses. OK, not your thing but I thought I'd mention it as I was wracking my brains how to break open a round bale before I got this!