Just wondering about buying a well used loader tractor to deal with 1200t of straw. At the minute we use a mix of telehandlers towing bale trailers (not good on gearboxes) and tractors and bale trailers. It’s all a bit of a phaff and doesn’t fit in well with other jobs so I’m wondering about just setting one guy on just to cart 1200t on his own. Longest run is 2 miles from the storage point. It’s full size Heston bales and would be with a 34ft drawbar bale trailer running on oil brakes. What’s a nice loader tractor that could lift 3 Hestons and works like a telehandler does with the brake pedal holding it off for precise control when loading trailers?
Handling 1200t of straw
- Thread starter Highashgrange
- Start date
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Why not just buy a bale chaser?
- Location
- Northumberland
Or get a contractor in with one.
davidroberts30
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
Be a 200hp vario tractor
- Location
- Very Southern NSW Australia
I don't know what your hills are like but if a telehandler is pulling the trailers they can't be massive. I would find something 150hp plus with a good set weight. Sounds like you won't a Vario/CVT/IVT trans which to me for a sole loader tractor is overrated(don't get me wrong we have an AC tractor and it's nice). We use 6 pot New hollands and I don't leave the highest take of gear (first gear in the highest range on our tractors) when I'm moving bales. I think you really limit what you buy if you won't a Vario/CVT/IVT because it really only very late model machines that have those with loaders secondhand from what i have seen.
- Location
- Pinnaroo. South Australia
Assuming he is from the uk there will be plenty of cvt type transmission tractors available up to 20 yrs old.
Australia been very slow on cvt uptake but even here I’ve been using jd with ivt since 2004
As said good tractor and loader
As said DB 1490 + Weeks 3 ton trailer with 4' bale extension.
Suffolk Serf
Member
- Location
- Bury/Thetford
I suppose it depends on the time available. Chaser is an excellent but expensive option if time/labour is short.
We move about 4 to 500 t with a 100hp loader tractor that justifies its existence year round on livestock duties and a 33ft hydraulic side bale trailer. Teleporter available usually for unloading. Two of us share the job after essential pig work is done, for several years I did it on my own. The job never seems that onerous, some hauls are up to 5 miles.
I suppose my advice is make the most of kit that you already have and is already justified.
We move about 4 to 500 t with a 100hp loader tractor that justifies its existence year round on livestock duties and a 33ft hydraulic side bale trailer. Teleporter available usually for unloading. Two of us share the job after essential pig work is done, for several years I did it on my own. The job never seems that onerous, some hauls are up to 5 miles.
I suppose my advice is make the most of kit that you already have and is already justified.
- Location
- Wiltshire
Next door to me have a Heath chaser and in your position @Highashgrange that is what I would do. 1200t is a fair heap.
The cheaper alternative is what I do. I have a bale squeeze, stack all the bales in pairs 7 high 6 string quadrants in my case. Squeeze reverses to the stack, and picks them up. More manoeuvrable than a big trailer. No straps to waste time and 2 miles is no distance.
1 man and not massive tractor and loader could do it easily
Bg
The cheaper alternative is what I do. I have a bale squeeze, stack all the bales in pairs 7 high 6 string quadrants in my case. Squeeze reverses to the stack, and picks them up. More manoeuvrable than a big trailer. No straps to waste time and 2 miles is no distance.
1 man and not massive tractor and loader could do it easily
Bg
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
Heath chaser. Will be quickest way of doing it for one person, and a lot less tedious especially if you go on the road (no getting out to do straps / lights / brakes).
Speedstar
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
An Arcusin chaser will move more bales in day than a Heath
Three Heston's will be, what, the thick end of 3 tonnes? You'll need fair lump of a loader tractor to handle that.
You couldn't put on a rear counterweight to load either, because it would be in the way to pick up the trailer. Suppose you could carry the ballast with the loader even you're towing and hook on and off when lifting bales, but water ballasted year tyres would be far simpler.
If you're used to left foot braking, rev the tits off and drive it like you stole it forklift manoeuvring, you'll need a Vario tractor. Just drive it with one foot on the floor pedal, tractor does the rest. Left foot never needs to move. You'll find a tractor big and clumsy compared to a forklift. They aren't even in the field and you've adapted to how to drive them.
But after all that's said, make life easy for yourself, and get a bale chaser
You couldn't put on a rear counterweight to load either, because it would be in the way to pick up the trailer. Suppose you could carry the ballast with the loader even you're towing and hook on and off when lifting bales, but water ballasted year tyres would be far simpler.
If you're used to left foot braking, rev the tits off and drive it like you stole it forklift manoeuvring, you'll need a Vario tractor. Just drive it with one foot on the floor pedal, tractor does the rest. Left foot never needs to move. You'll find a tractor big and clumsy compared to a forklift. They aren't even in the field and you've adapted to how to drive them.
But after all that's said, make life easy for yourself, and get a bale chaser
- Location
- Very Southern NSW Australia
I follow the UK second-hand tractor market looking for high spec cvt's to bring home. There is definitely more CVT's around not as many with loaders though.
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
Lots of factors affect output.
However Arcusin also has more to go wrong and lower parts availability. Combined with the smaller tyre equipment they have just about died out in East Anglia.
- Location
- Pinnaroo. South Australia
Easy enough to put a loader on.
I used to follow the euro market also but not worth it anymore I reckon.