# Is Worksaver the only Co. that makes a hydraulic bale unroller for a FEL?



## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

My wife says she getting to the point she can't hardly unroll the bales with a pitch fork anymore, bothering too many joints. I've done a little looking around and Worksaver Spin Off is the only one I could find. Anyone know of any others? I'm not really positive if the Kubota L3940 is going to be able supply the required 8-10gpm of flow. They're pretty proud of them, the list price on the SS Mount is $2500.

http://www.worksaver.com/product/SpinOff.html

Here's how it being done now.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Enlighten me, please. After watching a video of unrolling a bale onto a pile, my first question was why does it have to be unrolled?


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

There's 5 sections, all about the same size, divided between 2 feeders like the one shown in the video. They've tried dropping numerous bales in and they will go through them at a rate that the farm can't sustain. They get 2 bales a day in the cold weather once they're off the main pastures and 1/2 to 1 bale a day when on the pastures. If 2 bales get dropped in not everyone has a place to eat. It's basically her herd and she calls the shots even though the farm is our sons. No one here is going hungry, 2 bales a day plus ground feed, (Oats, Ear Corn and 12% Pellet Protein ground and mixed) 35 gallons 3 times a week is enough to sustain their health. She's spent 13 years building the herd since the dairy shut down.

I wish they could just drop 5 bales in at a time but it just doesn't work here unless they could put up 1000 to 1200 bales per year.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Enlighten me, please. After watching a video of unrolling a bale onto a pile, my first question was why does it have to be unrolled?


Cows should work for you. Not the other way around.

I am missing how unrolling a bale in one spot saves hay vs dropping it there?


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

It's being unrolled in 5 sections. As far as working for you, you tell her that, she feels the need to be around them everyday.

"There's 5 sections, all about the same size, divided between 2 feeders like the one shown in the video. "


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Grateful11 said:


> It's being unrolled in 5 sections. As far as working for you, you tell her that, she feels the need to be around them everyday.
> 
> "There's 5 sections, all about the same size, divided between 2 feeders like the one shown in the video. "


How are we going to tell HER that?! You're the one one haytalk


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

I don't mean to sound harsh but sorry the feeding process is a non-issue, she's not going to change the unrolling. At least she's not unrolling it onto the ground like some do and wasting 20-30% of their hay. I just need to know if there's anything out there besides the Worksaver so it can be done easier.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> How are we going to tell HER that?! You're the one one haytalk


She lurks on here quite a bit.


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## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

What kind of hay, Grateful? We have used a 3 point mounted bale spear that hydraulically spins the bale to unroll it. It worked good with grass hay, but with tight alfalfa bales you really had to crank it to get it the hay off and personally I thought it 'threw' too many leaves.

Again, with grass it worked real well and was easy to stop. I don't know if that would work for your situation as I assume your wanting to lift the bale over the feeders. Our use as just out in the calving lot.

Just search for haydraulic bale spinner and you'll see. I even saw one mounted on a front end loader.

Just looked again, sorry, maybe ours is a worksaver...as it looks similiar, but I think ours is a different brand. I'll have to see.

Troy


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Grateful11 said:


> It's being unrolled in 5 sections. As far as working for you, you tell her that, she feels the need to be around them everyday.
> 
> "There's 5 sections, all about the same size, divided between 2 feeders like the one shown in the video. "


Yes. I read initial post. No. I am not trying to be a smart a $$. I would bet she knows much more than me when it comes to cattle. I am missing a piece of the puzzle or big picture as to why bale cannot be dropped?


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

NebTrac said:


> What kind of hay, Grateful? We have used a 3 point mounted bale spear that hydraulically spins the bale to unroll it. It worked good with grass hay, but with tight alfalfa bales you really had to crank it to get it the hay off and personally I thought it 'threw' too many leaves.
> 
> Again, with grass it worked real well and was easy to stop. I don't know if that would work for your situation as I assume your wanting to lift the bale over the feeders. Our use as just out in the calving lot.
> 
> ...


Oats hay and Soybean & Brown Top Millet mix hay. Yes wanting to lift up and over the stanchions.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

deadmoose said:


> Yes. I read initial post. No. I am not trying to be a smart a $$. I would bet she knows much more than me when it comes to cattle. I am missing a piece of the puzzle or big picture as to why bale cannot be dropped?


There's around 40 head of breeding stock here and they're so used to being fed at a certain time of day and they have grown to expect it. If you drop 2 bales in the feeders with stanchions that only leaves about 14-16 openings for them to get to the 2 bales. Someone is not going to be able to get to the food. This used to a dairy and there's about 4000-5000sq.ft. of concrete and the feeders are in the dry. She's not going the way of round feeders out in the pasture that stays accessible during the winter. The system works, there's very little hostility amongst the herd, most have a certain place they eat and there's very little hay wasted. With all that concrete, sheds and feeders she wanted to continue to utilize the feeders that were already here.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Grateful11 said:


> I don't mean to sound harsh but sorry the feeding process is a non-issue, she's not going to change the unrolling. At least she's not unrolling it onto the ground like some do and wasting 20-30% of their hay. I just need to know if there's anything out there besides the Worksaver so it can be done easier.


I'm sympathetic....You're fighting a loosing battle. I grew up with range cattle and view most things with four legs as "livestock". I've tried to tell my daughter she overfeeds and makes work for herself (and me sometimes), but I'm told that i "don't understand the business". I just stick to being a "grass farmer" and hanging out in my tractor where no one can bother me.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

She knows every cow just by looking at her, she doesn't even have to see the tag number to tell you her number or nickname. I don't know how she does it. She been around cows her entire life. She was driving tractors at I think 8 yo, she can drive anything.

I'm going to try and shoot a little video of the entire feeding area today, if it's not raining, looks like it could start back up at any moment.


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## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

This might be something to look at. RotoKing from MDS Manufacturing.

Troy


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Mike120 said:


> I'm sympathetic....You're fighting a loosing battle. I grew up with range cattle and view most things with four legs as "livestock". I've tried to tell my daughter she overfeeds and makes work for herself (and me sometimes), but I'm told that i "don't understand the business". I just stick to being a "grass farmer" and hanging out in my tractor where no one can bother me.


dang it, couldn't like it twice.

my wife has names for em, i just call em tbone, ribeye, chuck roast, etc.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Outside 2 section Feeder:






Inside Shed 3 section Feeder:


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

U dont need a bale unroller you just need smaller bales lol. 
Could you get a 3 point hitch one and put the mounting brackets on it for a loader?


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

deadmoose said:


> Cows should work for you. Not the other way around.
> 
> I am missing how unrolling a bale in one spot saves hay vs dropping it there?


Unroll part of one bale into every feeder... say half a bale per feeder or something.

We just roll them down a hill after giving them a toss with the FEL... then bump them with the front tires to keep them rolling til they're down to about 1.5-2 feet, then get off and roll them out the rest of the way by hand. Lets all the cows eat at once and reduces waste to nearly nothing. Spreads the manure as well and keeps the cows from working the ground up into a mire around a bale or feeder as well.

Course, that works well on the Shiner place since it's got a lot of hills... down here on the flatlands, i set the bales on an old trailer to keep them up off the ground, and move the trailer every time I set a new bale on it...

Later! OL JR


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

I would think it would be easy to make one with a bale spear. Take the nut off the back of the spear, mount a hydraulic pump on the back with appropriate sprockets and chain. I would think you could make it in a day.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

You've got some dandy cows


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## MFred (Nov 29, 2013)

I've got a wifo brand. Thought I could unroll round bales into the small square baler and rebate them. I still need to work on that use but I did use it a few time to split bales between feeders. Works okay, you really need to be perfectly centered in the bale or it'll get violent when unrolling.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MFred said:


> I've got a wifo brand. Thought I could unroll round bales into the small square baler and rebate them. I still need to work on that use but I did use it a few time to split bales between feeders. Works okay, you really need to be perfectly centered in the bale or it'll get violent when unrolling.


His wife-o is doing it now. He's looking to retire that model!


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

8350HiTech said:


> His wife-o is doing it now. He's looking to retire that model!


Just don't trade up... LOL

later! OL JR


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

We've been married to each other for a long, long time I think I'll stick with her. 

We went and looked at a 3 point at the distributor for Worksaver. The 3 point is all he had in stock, he doesn't sell direct, you have to buy through a local dealer. He said there's been sudden run on the 3 point units and has shipped out 6 in 2 weeks. He will have one assembled and on display at the Southern Farm Show in Raleigh next month. He called the factory and they have 2 in stock but my wife said she was going to sell some calves before splurging on this.

One thing that worries us a bit is the spike is huge, I'd say 2" to 2 1/2" in diameter, nothing like out forged bale spike. Our bales are so tight it's going to be a heck push force that big spike into the bales.


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## Gerald Raikes (Nov 11, 2015)

i'm probably too late but check out these options for 3ptl or front end loader hay feeding

http://hustler.rethinkingtheeveryday.com/h/i/135626111-sl350-earns-denis-kremer-1-hour-everyday

http://www.hustler-equipment.com/

we've been manufacturing Agricultural equipment since 1961

thanks

Gerald


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Dont forget equipment when googling hustler. When I was researchingy mower, had to add zero turn behind hustler to get any results. (Non flynt related).


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Grateful, what your wife needs is big square bales. 3x3 or even better 2x3. Unfortunately that is a cost prohibitive option.


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