# Wagon Size-Quanity of Bales



## mrcubcadet (Oct 19, 2012)

So, just starting out in hay and straw, as a teen...I am slowly accumulating wagons. Currently, I have a John Deere 953 4 ton running gear with about a 10' x 6' bed ready to be mounted on it, and I will be buying a Kory 6872 8 ton running gear with a rough bed (probably a 12' x 6', or so) tomorrow.

For size and weight capacity, what do you all haul, and with what? I am thinking about building a new 14' x 6' bed for the Deere, and nursing the Kory's bed through the season, eventually making an 18' x 6' or 20' x 6' for it.

I was hoping to get around 140x 60 lbs bales on the Korey, and at least 100x 60 lbs bales on the Deere. For 4 ton and 8 ton gears, am I thinking right? Or too heavy?


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## Lazy J (Jul 18, 2008)

Our first wagon was 8' x 14', we quickly realized it was way too small. Now we have five 8' x 20' wagons, our next ones might be 22'. I suggest getting bigger wagons and more of them.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

On 8 ton gears we use an 18 to 24 ft deck, 8 feet wide and load about 225 to 300 40-50 lb squares.

We have two old 4 ton gears with about 14 ft long by 8 ft wide decks on them, they max out at about 120-130 bales. Nearly useless to us for haying, we use them in a pinch or store wood etc that needs to move around on them. They just can't haul enough even hitched double or triple.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

A question.
Will you be stacking (flat bed) or throwing in (kicker rack/thrower on baler)? Either way, I'd be thinking 8'X16' deck minimum, even on the 4 ton gear. Flat bed or kicker rack, 100 bales would be a reasonable load,
JMHO, HTH, Dave


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## mrcubcadet (Oct 19, 2012)

Thank for the info, guys. I guess I wasn't accurate on the width of these...The current beds are probably 7' wide, but still too small.

So, say 8' x 20' on an 8-ton, and 8' x 16' on the 4 ton?...With that, should I be able to load 100 bales on an 8' x 16' bed on the 4, and 200 bales on an 8' x 20' on the 8?...We will be using a bale sweep, and loading them all horizontally, most likely.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We had several 9'x24' wagons at one time, started out as 10' wide but kept getting grief from the cops on the width so we cut 6" off each side. Still could go three wide across the wagon on the bottom row, then stack one on each edge then two across the wagon bed between the outside bales then back to three wide again and so on, made for a very stable stack.

_If _I remember correctly could get a little over 350 on the big wagons, around 275 once we put the thrower racks on.

All were on 10 and 12 ton gears that we had left over from placing 13 ton tandem running gears under our silage wagons.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

We also use a 27 ft flatdeck trailer too. I have a real preference for long wagons vs tall loads. Much more stable, less work loading, haul more hitched tandem in areas that prohibit triples.


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## mrcubcadet (Oct 19, 2012)

My main goal, now, is to eventually take these two wagons to the field, and haul out at least 300 bales at a time with them hitched together. Think that's possible?...I'm just a teenager, I've got a fairly small operation.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

You won't get that on them without hand stacking, and you'll need a longer bed on the 8 ton gear to get them all on. With a longer bed you'll be good for 300 bales.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

We build and use all 9'x20-24' beds on our wagons. They are on 8-12 ton running gears. When I use 9' wide beds, I can stack 3-36" bales on edge across them. My accumulator is a 15 bale edge, so I can put 60 bales per layer on the longer wagons and 45 bales per layer on the shorter ones. I can go up 4-5 layers on each one depending on how far I am going. You can haul between 225 to 300 bales per load if you want. If I am close to home, I only put mine 4 high. Makes it much easier to unload (you can see better) and keeps the wagons constantly coming back to the field.


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## TessiersFarm (Aug 30, 2009)

we stack 60 bales on 6x12 wagons with, I'm guessing old 2 ton running gears. I haul most of my hay on a pair of 1 ton trucks with 8' rack and 20' equipment trailers. 200 bales each easy. We do not stack too high and could get more if we tied it down but we don't. Usually just my father and I, no kicker and small tractors (50 hp 6k) so we drop them on the ground and load by hand. I try to shoot for 400 bales per mowing so we can rake, bale load and haul in 1 round with the 2 trucks. We only use the wagons if real close or when I need to leave it sit on the wagon (in the equipment shed of course). Farm I worked for did kicker wagons we had 8.5x20 on 8 ton gears and kicked 180 bales on and 9x24 on 12 ton gears and kicked 220 on, Could have stacked a few more. If you want to stack 150 bales per wagon I would say minimum 8x16. 150 bales at 60 lbs is 4 1/2 tons, add the wagon puts you over 5 tons each wagon, what you hauling them tandem with, I hope not a pickup. How do you think you are gonna stop them, sounds dangerous to me. I don't even like hauling the 9x24 very far with a pickup, no tounge weight and no brakes. Give me a good equipment trailer any day, a gooseneck is even better. I know, I did and do it all the time, that doesn't make it safe.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

We find the 1 ton will haul a full 8 ton gear fine but needs 50-60 bales on the back to control the wagon down a steep grade.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Started with 7.5 by 14' wagons on 6 ton gears. Hand stacked 70 to 120 bales. Put on 100 bales with accumulator. Now i load a 8.5 x 53' dropdeck with 60 3x3's and life is good.


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## TessiersFarm (Aug 30, 2009)

slowzuki said:


> We find the 1 ton will haul a full 8 ton gear fine but needs 50-60 bales on the back to control the wagon down a steep grade.


thats about what I find.


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## cmd (Oct 26, 2012)

I don't hand stack bales, just kick them on and on my 8X18 wagons I can get about 145 bales, I have a 9x18 with a little higher than normal sides that will take around 165+ IIRC


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## baleboy (Sep 14, 2013)

have 4 8' x 16' hay racks--can stack 140-150 bales each.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

mrcubcadet said:


> My main goal, now, is to eventually take these two wagons to the field, and haul out at least 300 bales at a time with them hitched together. Think that's possible?...I'm just a teenager, I've got a fairly small operation.


I did not see an answer to are you hand stacking or kicking? If you are hand stacking now will you be going to a kicker baler in the future? Makes a difference in what you invest in.


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

Same here bale boy, We have all 8x16. And go six high full to front 150 bales. I stack one cage wagon that I have to 175 bales, only because of that fact I stack on edge. My next wagons will be 9 by 20 or 24. When I move to an accumulator my same wagons will hold 180 bale stacked 5 high.


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

Forgot, I haul all my wagons in pairs fully loaded with no stopping issues. Super duty dual lies tho.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

You see a lot of Deere 953 gears around here under 8 x 17' racks. The extra foot of room in front is a good place to stand if you are hand stacking. the 953 jd's gears are well known to trail nice down the road. I have seen them behind pickups running down the road at the speed limit often. 150 bales will fit on it if you hand stack.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I should have noted too, on the flatter ground we double hitch 8 ton wagons without any excitement. Wouldn't want any 10% grades like that.



slowzuki said:


> We find the 1 ton will haul a full 8 ton gear fine but needs 50-60 bales on the back to control the wagon down a steep grade.


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