# Bale beds



## suhrj (Oct 23, 2008)

Does anyone out there use balebeds in thier operation?
What brand works best for you?


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## Hayguy (Jun 4, 2008)

What is a balebed?


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## suhrj (Oct 23, 2008)

A balebed is a truck bed that mounts to your pickup to transport and unroll 
large round bales for feeding. Many brands come with accesories like square bale flakers, post hole diggers, cube feeders, etc.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

suhrj said:


> Does anyone out there use balebeds in thier operation?
> What brand works best for you?


I have a Triple C HydraBed that I am very happy with.









http://www.triple-c-inc.com/

Its the HB550(HB55) model mounted on an '05 Ford F550 4x4. 
The bed length is 11' 9" which allows hauling three large round bales. The last bale hangs off the back with the bale arms out at about a 30* angle. The third bale really makes it a more efficient rig for us. I can gather bales much faster with it than any tractor. If only able to haul two bales, the tractor would be faster. Also supplementing cows on corn stalks several miles from home is fast and simple.

The front bale cannot be reached by the bale arms, but is usually easy to roll back by giving it a small jerk in reverse. Worst case situations have been remedied by using a strap and the bale arms to roll the front bale back. Extensions are also available.

The H550, being dually width of 78", bale arms are longer and allow dropping bales into most round bale feeders. Don't know if that would work as well with some 1 ton dually pickups, as the 450/550 trucks naturally sit higher. The single rear wheel model width bed is 70", with corresponingly shorter arms.

I also like the flat deck with removable side rails. Our truck does double duty as the main delivery vehicle for our seed business, and this makes loading pallets really nice. Most other brands have fixed side rails or the bale arms act as side rails which would be a real PIA.

A friend used to work for an outfit that had four bale beds on similiar 3/4 ton pickups, 2 Hyrdrabeds, 1 DewEze, 1 Brand x?. The hired men always chose the HydraBeds if given a choice. He recommended only putting bale beds on 1Ton or larger pickups. The HB550 size bed would work well on F450/F550 size medium duty trucks, but I would not recommend it for F350 size light duty pickups.

One drawback to a HyrdraBed is the lack of wireless remote control, which most other brands offer. Also they are definetly not the cheapest, but I feel their ruggedness, reliability and after sale service are worth it. Wish I could say as much for Ford Motor Company, their warrenty and after sale service is very poor.







Will be looking at a Sterling/Dodge 5500 for my next medium duty truck.

Brad
NE Nebraska


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## ChristineOne (Sep 22, 2009)

I just want to know more about bale beds..Thanks for this forum.....


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