# Calling all small square grapple users.



## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

I have had some time now to use my grapple and I have been having a few small issues with it well I guess just a learing curve. The main one is that I some times knock a string off one side of the bale and that got me thinking that maybe my bales are to loose and I need to tighten up my bales more. I have them pretty tight but i could go tighter. For you guys that are using a 8 or 10 bale grapple how tight do you make your bales? Also any tips would be greatly appreciate.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I was tightening up the tension on the baler until I broke bales using 130# knot strength twine; then I backed off two turns. I switched over to 170# knot strength twine and am going @8 turns past where I was baling. The bales a quite tight and handle SOOOOO much better with the accumulator AND grapple. They stack more solid as well. As long as your windrows are suitable to make a brick and you run decent tension, you should have no problems. I just COULD NOT make a suitable bale with the 9000/130 string; the 170 string make a helluva difference.

Mark


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

I have a Maxalitor unit and talk about rookie, that is me. Probably used it with at most 50 bales last year and if all goes well tomorrow will handle a few hundred. Sorry but no idea how tight to tell you the bales are for note the "rookie" title.

The issue(s) I found were running mine on tractor the view is not real easy to see the approach to the bale and for me found out need to drop real slow to get the alignment. Sure some of that is a learning curve. I did have some bales to come apart but think they were mostly ones I was not aligned very well with and mostly just bent the bales till string failed. I do not think the hooks were any issue on the strings and think if you are having hook to bother the strings you have a hook out of alignment. Maybe not retracted fully.

I have studied youtube a little this year sort of spring training and noticed some of those guys are really getting slow for the alignment and others are running by bales if alignment is not like they want. One thing I did learn with my first use, keep the accumulator off the ground so the bale is not being squashed while you are trying to get it into the accumulator nor being pushed into the dirt when pushing them. Hope that helps.


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

glasswrongsize said:


> I was tightening up the tension on the baler until I broke bales using 130# knot strength twine; then I backed off two turns. I switched over to 170# knot strength twine and am going @8 turns past where I was baling. The bales a quite tight and handle SOOOOO much better with the accumulator AND grapple. They stack more solid as well. As long as your windrows are suitable to make a brick and you run decent tension, you should have no problems. I just COULD NOT make a suitable bale with the 9000/130 string; the 170 string make a helluva difference.
> 
> Mark


I am making 36" bales and they weight 50lb at 13-15% moisture and bales are pretty tight but deffentley not bricks. I am also running 170 polly twine so I guess I just need to crank the tenision down and try it. I have been a little scared to tighten the bales up to much do to a few years ago I had a borrowed baler that bales good but bales would pop when you went to pick them up what a nightmare that was but that was also with sisal wich hopefully i will never need to use again.


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

Palmettokat said:


> I have a Maxalitor unit and talk about rookie, that is me. Probably used it with at most 50 bales last year and if all goes well tomorrow will handle a few hundred. Sorry but no idea how tight to tell you the bales are for note the "rookie" title.
> 
> The issue(s) I found were running mine on tractor the view is not real easy to see the approach to the bale and for me found out need to drop real slow to get the alignment. Sure some of that is a learning curve. I did have some bales to come apart but think they were mostly ones I was not aligned very well with and mostly just bent the bales till string failed. I do not think the hooks were any issue on the strings and think if you are having hook to bother the strings you have a hook out of alignment. Maybe not retracted fully.
> 
> I have studied youtube a little this year sort of spring training and noticed some of those guys are really getting slow for the alignment and others are running by bales if alignment is not like they want. One thing I did learn with my first use, keep the accumulator off the ground so the bale is not being squashed while you are trying to get it into the accumulator nor being pushed into the dirt when pushing them. Hope that helps.


Thanks and good luck tomorrow maybe we can learn the tricks together.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Here there is little difference in price in 170 pound twine and 210 pound twine.....I mean very little. So I use 210. You can make bricks with either, I have used them both. Tighten them up Ranger and I don't think you will knock any strings off.

Regards, Mike


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Are you knocking strings off any of the bales or just your tie bales?


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

8350HiTech said:


> Are you knocking strings off any of the bales or just your tie bales?


Any of them really but mainly just the bales on the outside I only had a couple do it in the middle.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Ranger518 said:


> Any of them really but mainly just the bales on the outside I only had a couple do it in the middle.


Does your grab have extra hooks on the outside?


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

8350HiTech said:


> Does your grab have extra hooks on the outside?


No they are all equal. I have some spares that I could add to it if need be.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

Ranger518 said:


> Thanks and good luck tomorrow maybe we can learn the tricks together.


Thanks and it went well. Looked at your picture.

Are you using it to "accumulate" as well and loading as "grapple"? Are you doing both with this setup?

Not sure your brand but it looks much like my Maxilator so will assume some here. For accumulating you are using the other rails and dividers. Then may be dropping off those rails and dividers for the loading and or the unloading. If you are using the other parts when accumulating I am assuming there is a middle and another outside rail like in one in the picture, then you have probably a thin piece of metal between those rails. If not some of this may not apply.

I am using mine on a full size tractor and it is not as clear a view as probably skid steer has. Yesterday I handled over 400 bales, boy did I wipe out a few! First can not stress do not be traveling too fast. Run slow as you develop your skill. I learned to turn (yes steering the rail into the bale as I was passing the front corner of the bale, not hitting the bale head on) the rail into the bale keeping it tight and giving it the most room possible to clear the metal divider. Have the accumulator say four inches off the top of the stubble and with the front it up just a little over the rear. As you are traveling no doubt the accumulator is moving up and down and the bale must be able to clear so it can slide into the accumulator. You are pushing the bales so do not let the back get high enough it is pushing the bale say center of height for you will be pushing it down and tear some of the bale off and can push the bale out of shape. Tight turns can put heavy side loads on the bales especially if the accumulator is setting on the bale. For me when I got the necessary bales into the accumulator would stop to lower the accumulator and set the hooks. Try not to push the front to bales any more than necessary as those bales are pushing the bales side ways.

If you are loading with the accumulator setup with the rails and such on it you do need to tighten the bales once you load them by pushing them with outside rail. If you are accumulating and leaving them and coming back to load with the extra rails and dividers removed be sure you are turning into them to tighten them up for loading.

What I found caused my damaged bales was not getting them in the accumulator with them ending up under the metal divider plates. I will tell you I think will look at buying one of the trailer accumulators you attached to the baler. To me that makes sense as the bales are being accumulated with no extra machine or operator and then using mine to just load the bales.

As to what string or how to set baler, have no idea. Oh, extra hooks question, have not seen any difference in your hook numbers compared to mine or most other brands. Two hooks per bale seems to be the standard.

I would suggest you also look at youtube paying very very careful attention and the way the accumulator engages the bale and watch for how they may be very carefully turning or slowing. The little differences to me made a difference. Watch your bale all the way in.

Hope this helps.


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

Palmettokat said:


> Thanks and it went well. Looked at your picture.
> Are you using it to "accumulate" as well and loading as "grapple"? Are you doing both with this setup?
> Not sure your brand but it looks much like my Maxilator so will assume some here. For accumulating you are using the other rails and dividers. Then may be dropping off those rails and dividers for the loading and or the unloading. If you are using the other parts when accumulating I am assuming there is a middle and another outside rail like in one in the picture, then you have probably a thin piece of metal between those rails. If not some of this may not apply.
> I am using mine on a full size tractor and it is not as clear a view as probably skid steer has. Yesterday I handled over 400 bales, boy did I wipe out a few! First can not stress do not be traveling too fast. Run slow as you develop your skill. I learned to turn (yes steering the rail into the bale as I was passing the front corner of the bale, not hitting the bale head on) the rail into the bale keeping it tight and giving it the most room possible to clear the metal divider. Have the accumulator say four inches off the top of the stubble and with the front it up just a little over the rear. As you are traveling no doubt the accumulator is moving up and down and the bale must be able to clear so it can slide into the accumulator. You are pushing the bales so do not let the back get high enough it is pushing the bale say center of height for you will be pushing it down and tear some of the bale off and can push the bale out of shape. Tight turns can put heavy side loads on the bales especially if the accumulator is setting on the bale. For me when I got the necessary bales into the accumulator would stop to lower the accumulator and set the hooks. Try not to push the front to bales any more than necessary as those bales are pushing the bales side ways.
> ...





Palmettokat said:


> Thanks and it went well. Looked at your picture.
> Are you using it to "accumulate" as well and loading as "grapple"? Are you doing both with this setup?
> Not sure your brand but it looks much like my Maxilator so will assume some here. For accumulating you are using the other rails and dividers. Then may be dropping off those rails and dividers for the loading and or the unloading. If you are using the other parts when accumulating I am assuming there is a middle and another outside rail like in one in the picture, then you have probably a thin piece of metal between those rails. If not some of this may not apply.
> I am using mine on a full size tractor and it is not as clear a view as probably skid steer has. Yesterday I handled over 400 bales, boy did I wipe out a few! First can not stress do not be traveling too fast. Run slow as you develop your skill. I learned to turn (yes steering the rail into the bale as I was passing the front corner of the bale, not hitting the bale head on) the rail into the bale keeping it tight and giving it the most room possible to clear the metal divider. Have the accumulator say four inches off the top of the stubble and with the front it up just a little over the rear. As you are traveling no doubt the accumulator is moving up and down and the bale must be able to clear so it can slide into the accumulator. You are pushing the bales so do not let the back get high enough it is pushing the bale say center of height for you will be pushing it down and tear some of the bale off and can push the bale out of shape. Tight turns can put heavy side loads on the bales especially if the accumulator is setting on the bale. For me when I got the necessary bales into the accumulator would stop to lower the accumulator and set the hooks. Try not to push the front to bales any more than necessary as those bales are pushing the bales side ways.
> ...


It is a home made grapple I built last year a link to the build is below. And I have a accumulator I also built that. Thanks for the tips I would also like a accumulator that pulls behind my baler just to speed things up but the accumulator I built for my loader is working great.

http://www.haytalk.com/forums/topic/58817-hay-grapple-build/


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

adjust your push bar out one or two bolt holes and don't allow the grapple touch the top of the bales until you push the the bales tight then apply down pressure and set the hooks reduced broken bales for us


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

I'm running a different accumulator and grapple than you are so I can't comment on yours. Everybody will probably have some comments like "no duh" but what I found, bales are to tight when the strings explode, not before then, and a bit of down pressure before setting the hooks is a good thing. If the group off bales isn't on flat ground a bit more down pressure may help. I figure if the bales can't handle down pressure then they are not good bales.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

Ranger518 said:


> I have had some time now to use my grapple and I have been having a few small issues with it well I guess just a learing curve. The main one is that I some times knock a string off one side of the bale and that got me thinking that maybe my bales are to loose and I need to tighten up my bales more. I have them pretty tight but i could go tighter. For you guys that are using a 8 or 10 bale grapple how tight do you make your bales? Also any tips would be greatly appreciate.


No did not read every post again, trusting my memory here. Did you mention if it was happening to a certain place in the location of the bales such as a certain row of the bales or it may happen any where in the group of the bales? If a certain location would look at the hook alignment there. One other thought especially if the cross way bales, your hooks may be rotating too much into the bales and pushing back up on the string.


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

Palmettokat said:


> No did not read every post again, trusting my memory here. Did you mention if it was happening to a certain place in the location of the bales such as a certain row of the bales or it may happen any where in the group of the bales? If a certain location would look at the hook alignment there. One other thought especially if the cross way bales, your hooks may be rotating too much into the bales and pushing back up on the string.


It was really just happening to the outside bales


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## Ranger518 (Aug 6, 2016)

So I guess I need to tighten up my tension as tight as I can get it and if it starts busting my 170 strings when it comes out of the baler loosen it up a little bit and give that a shot? I am trying to make the best looking bale I can but the main reason is to be able to use my grapple do to I am a 1 man operation.


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