# How to get baler onto a flatbed trailer



## DaveW (Sep 12, 2015)

I have a chance to buy a New Holland 269W baler in great shape for a great price--only hitch, I need to trailer it some 400 miles. The owner says its 98 inches wide (tires) and 16 feet long. I have an option of renting a 16 ft or a 20 ft trailer. Seems like it should work on the 16 ft?

The trailer does not tilt, and its bed is about 2 feet above the ground (forgot to measure--maybe even a tad more). The owner has a tractor and front-end loader, but I'm not sure how we would go about getting this thing on the trailer. Should we use a sturdy ramp to pull it up? If I make a ramp out of a couple sheets of thick plywood, that would be only 8 feet long, thus a pretty steep slope... If I unhook the truck and we put the tractor at the head of the trailer and use chains from the raised bucket and back the tractor up, would this work to pull it up? Or, we could use a hand winch or two from the raised bucket to the baler?

Also, it seems the balance point should be roughly over the baler's axle (a bit forward no doubt). What should I do at the front and read ends of the baler--brace them up on something before cranking down the straps/chains?

Or is it a flat-out crazy idea to try to trailer this thing for 400 miles?

Any advice would be most helpful.

Dave W.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Maybe the seller has a hole/ditch you can back the trailer into to get the deck at ground level.

How are you going to unload it?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Bonfire said:


> Maybe the seller has a hole/ditch you can back the trailer into to get the deck at ground level.
> 
> How are you going to unload it?


Hole, ditch, road bank, anything that's about trailer height. Then even if ramps are necessary, you'll be using them on the flat rather than with incline. Makes loading much more comfortable.

If the man lives on the flattest spot on earth and you have to use ramps, 8' is plenty to not bottom out a baler if you use a loader with a pin hole in the bucket to push it on. (A tractor with a lift link drawbar will work in a pinch but I much prefer looking ahead when pushing something onto a trailer instead of looking over my shoulder while backing an implement up improvised ramps.

Chaining. Bind the hitch/tongue tight to the trailer deck. Do not use the jack. Chain the axles. Let the chute end up in the air without anything. Also pay attention to shields. They have a tendency to fly off. At least they do on NH 320s at PA turnpike speed. Not that I would know...


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Alternately, if the seller has a neighbor/buddy/blackmail candidate from whom he can borrow a second loader tractor, it's not that hard to chain the baler to both loaders, pick it entirely off the ground, and back the trailer under it. This works wonders for unloading too if you have more access to loaders than you do loading docks or ramps.

Re: ramps. 
Plywood will get someone injured. Don't use anything less than 2x12s, and I mean real ones. Not planed framing lumber. Can you get real ramps with either rental?


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## DaveW (Sep 12, 2015)

Thanks, Bonfire and 8530HiTech--great ideas, all. I'm getting a much better feel for the operation.

I'll check and see if I can get some real ramps with the trailer.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

One more thing, if the baler has a wagon hitch, it's the first thing that will bump at the trailer deck when pushing up ramps. (It's about the only thing, really). They aren't hard to remove. Consider doing so.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

Okay different, but maybe the same. I've hauled combines on flatbeds. The combine was wider than the trailer so we drove it up on four

ramps similar to car ramps for oil changes. Then we backed the trailer under the combine with the wheels hanging on either side of the trailer. Maybe a narrow trailer, ramps under the wheels and the loader holding the tongue up? The more I think about it maybe this should be a plan some distance after plan "B".


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I will second the mention not to chain it down on the trailer jack.

I would also nail some scotch boards behind and in front of the tires. I would use the longer trailer. Better to have too much than not enough. You need the weight forward of the axels, or at least over the front axel. No need to risk the trailer trying to pass you or having to readjust the weight at a truck stop.


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## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

Way i hauled mine 348 deere was two loaders

Forks under tires and a chain on 1 of the loaders to hold front up lift and back trailer under baler. Set the whole baller on blocks for support chain down and fly down the road. There pretty easy to haul and load. Happy travels.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

I loaded my NH super 69 many many moons ago with a JD 510 backhoe. Best advice is to take your time and use yer head.


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## DaveW (Sep 12, 2015)

Thanks to all for your advice. I got the NH 269W baler home from south of Salem, Oregon to Boise in grand style.

The farmer had a small creek/swale that we put the trailer wheels into, and with the steel ramps that came with the rental trailer (20 feet, heavy as a battleship), he backed the baler right onto the bed, using his tractor--it was almost level, just a slight incline.

We then used my floor jack to jack the baler up a tad, and slipped two 12 inch wooden blocks I built, under the axle (which sits 10 inches above the ground). Then chained it down tight, front and back. I then toe-nailed the wooden blocks into the wooden trailer bed, and added some more cam-lock straps to the sides here and there, and it rode happy as a baby all the way home.

Now I'm getting familiar with the baler, cleaning it up. Thanks again!


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