Bale trailers or transtackers!?

[Yorkshire92]

Always be interested in transtackers and to know how people justify having them.
For example I had two men two trailers and two tractors, one been a loader tractor on carting for me, they had 300 4x3's to cart in a 3 mile radius back to yard and stack out side 6 high. When I got back later that day I was amazed to see they'ed only managed to cart 222 bales alday. When I worked it out for the Hours they'ed been on they'ed lead 27 a hour!! So this got me thinking why and when asked how come they'ed only lead that amount they're response was that strapping down took 10 mins in field and 10 mins in yard to pack up "plus 5 mins for a waff every load".. so my question is how far radius from base can you cart with a transtacker before it starts costing more than trailers? Because in my eyes I could of had one man and tractor on and lead the same amount [emoji848]

 

[Nearly]

£2+ a bale to get them back to the yard?
How many bales on a trailer?
Something needs to change, possibly the men?

Strapping a load shouldn't actually take any real time if they work together and aren't playing 'that's not MY trailer'

How many bales can loader pick up at once? It needs to be full height of load to get full efficiency.

Simple things can double the workrate.

 

[Skimmer]

One straps as the other loads so they are ready for off as soon as the last blocks on back at the yard one wraps straps the other stacks.

 

[Yorkshire92]

53 at a ago they were bringing back. I think there was a lot of it's not my trailer attitude going on as once I was there with them things got stepped up a gear! Still wouldn't mind trying a transtacker to do the same lead and see what the differences were.

 

[Andrew]

Personally we like to chase everything to the side of the field but then cart back to the yard with trailers. Any more than 5 minutes per load each way on the road and trailers are more efficient, even allowing for straps and working on your own. Sounds like they thought it was a bit of a dos day.

As for justifying a chaser, round here no chaser = no straw.

 

[Yorkshire92]

Personally we like to chase everything to the side of the field but then cart back to the yard with trailers. Any more than 5 minutes per load each way on the road and trailers are more efficient, even allowing for straps and working on your own. Sounds like they thought it was a bit of a dos day.

As for justifying a chaser, round here no chaser = no straw.

Surely a chaser could do 27 a hour within 3 miles? Therefore I could just run one man and a tractor? At less of a cost?

 

[Andrew]

Depending on the road, it could do a lot more than 27/hr. However 2 trailers should be able to beat it easily.

 

[A Sales representative]

Not used a transtacker but from the compaction view point I wouldn't want trailers and telehandlers and especially not lorries running all over arable fields, why spend all the money on combine tracks

 

[Suffolk Serf]

The amount of time spent strapping led me to buy a bale trailer with hydraulic folding sides to grip the load (Staines). A 33ft trailer is more than adequate for hauling 2000 quadrants in a one man system. Loader tractor loads, two at a time, and tows trailer back to the stack, teleporter unloads four at a time.
Straw carting is now much safer, easier and less stressful than our old system with a 40ft artic.

 

[RAF]

Pay um by the bale that will shape um

 

[mo!]

The amount of time spent strapping led me to buy a bale trailer with hydraulic folding sides to grip the load (Staines). A 33ft trailer is more than adequate for hauling 2000 quadrants in a one man system. Loader tractor loads, two at a time, and tows trailer back to the stack, teleporter unloads four at a time.
Straw carting is now much safer, easier and less stressful than our old system with a 40ft artic.

I'd love a hydraulic side trailer but suspect the cost is prohibitive, could you give us a ball park figure? We currently use a 28ft artic and a 40ft rear steer artic. I doubt a 33ft rigid would get into our yard.

 

[DeeGee]

Maybe not the most efficient in the UK: but we have six or seven 20 foot trailers to take three flat 8's and can clear 1,000 small bales from field to the yard, 120 big squares or about 80 rounds without strapping any or unloading any.

Can unload next morning when the dew is still down, and have trailers ready for the next field by mid morning. Stack all small bales with the flat 8 into the shed so virtually no manual handling.

Might not suit everyone but for us it works fine with little stress or hassle.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

I'd love a hydraulic side trailer but suspect the cost is prohibitive, could you give us a ball park figure? We currently use a 28ft artic and a 40ft rear steer artic. I doubt a 33ft rigid would get into our yard.

Four years ago it was about £4k on top of the price of a standard flat bed. A bit more now I suspect.

 

[76masseyman]

Lot of chasers being used around here, but I've never seen the point in clearing to the headland, then reloading for transport to yard. We tried an Arcusin for bales out of New Holland BB980 ( think that was the model ) but was hopeless. Seemed better on large Hesston bales that have a bit more weight to them.
Trying to tip on a headland that wasn't anywhere near billiard table level was an accident waiting to happen, and very few level headlands these days !!
Bales were not tight enough together either for weather protection.
Was watching an Arcusin the other day near home, contractors machine, and after two hours.....two loads to headland.....one load fell over, even after a half load to lean against, in came telehandler and lorries. How he used to do it.
I'm sure the Arcusin is fine, and the other makes, if as we eventually got to do...

Short run to yard, tip on concrete, telehandler stacking.......Job done.

I bet bricklayers wish they could do a dozen at a time !! But imagine it.

 

[Smiffy101]

We have 3 44ft artics and a collection of 32ft flats
2 tractors carting handler in field loading
Handler in yard unloading and unstrapping
Tractor drivers strap in field
Will move about 100 120x90 an hour
25 -30mins each way
Or for short distances 1 tractor driver
If almost next to the yard just one handler to fill all the trailers then go to yard and unstack them as tractor moves them back

 

[Andrew]

A new chaser is over £80,000. With a good driver you can clear 60t per hour easily to the side of a field and make stacks that look like a telehandler made them. Thats one load every 8 minutes tot he side of a field. We run 4 balers and rarely have any bales out overnight, and the chasers are back in the yard soon after the balers.

If we carted them back to the yard with a chaser we would need about 6 chasers and staff to drive them.

This stack was just over 500 bales, took just over 4 hours and was 4 fields cleared to a central grass field. Longest haul was a mile.

Any more than 5 minutes on the road and its cheaper to tip on the headland, get the fields clear and the bales safe, then cart with trailers or a lorry.

 

[KB6930]

A bit different as I'm on rounds but we can usually shift about 50 per hour on a 3-4 mile lead with a tractor with loader on I'm assured by a family member who works for a contractor that squares are quicker and easier to load. The lad he works for has all but given up with his chaser as he can't get anyone to work it and keep them standing on an endrig.

That's how we're loading now and it's saving a fair bit of time could you do something similar for squares?

 

[mo!]

A bit different as I'm on rounds but we can usually shift about 50 per hour on a 3-4 mile lead with a tractor with loader on I'm assured by a family member who works for a contractor that squares are quicker and easier to load. The lad he works for has all but given up with his chaser as he can't get anyone to work it and keep them standing on an endrig.

That's how we're loading now and it's saving a fair bit of time could you do something similar for squares? View attachment 568766

I hope you don't go on a road like that!

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

I hope you don't go on a road like that!

Why not? Front and back Dorma with only about 6T on board, more than safe enough if straps are tight and they can't fall out...

 

[KB6930]

I hope you don't go on a road like that!

What's the difference between that and hydraulic side's ?