# Flat Bed or Drop Deck



## Troy Farmer

Those of you out there moving round bales with a tractor-trailer do you use a regular flat bed or drop deck? I move 4x5 bales and wondered if I would be too high double stacked on a regular flat bed?


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## haybaler101

66" diameter bales put me at 15' over the neck of my drop deck double stacked.


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## Tx Jim

60'' tall bales double stacked a regular flat bed will be fine in height.


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## Bruce Hopf

The deck of a flatbed trailer, is 5 feet, of the ground, and if you stack your bales, with 2 rows, one on top of the other, you would be, around 14 feet high, if not more, which most states, has a limit, of 13 feet, 6 inches.
The deck of a drop deck, is between 2, a d 3 feet, off of the ground, a d if you stack your bales, with 2 rows, one on top of the other, you should be less, than 13 feet, in height.


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## Tx Jim

Most rd bale hay haulers in my area stack the top bales in between the lower bales so height will normally clear overhead obstacles such as underpasses.


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## Smoothy

We have a drop deck the thought I had was if I ever needed to move equipment or haul a tractor or skid steer to a field you always have the option to do so. With a straight deck your limited to just hauling hay.


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## gearhartfarms82

Drop deck. Were getting 44 on a 53' trailer


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## 8350HiTech

gearhartfarms82 said:


> Drop deck. Were getting 44 on a 53' trailer


I can do 42. Where are you squeezing in two more bales? On top of the headboard?


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## Troy Farmer

My goal is to eventually get a drop deck or lowboy to serve dual purposes. But I've had a flatbed offered to me in exchange for hay. I wondered what you guys were using because I didn't want to barter for something that would be of no use. 
I didn't know if the top row of bales sitting in the cradles of the bottom row would keep me under 13-6.
From what TX Jim says sounds like I'll be ok.


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## Tx Jim

Googling flatbed height yields 47''-62'' in height. I think one would need a flatbed in the lower height range to successully haul double stacked 5' diameter rd bales


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## somedevildawg

Troy Farmer said:


> My goal is to eventually get a drop deck or lowboy to serve dual purposes. But I've had a flatbed offered to me in exchange for hay. I wondered what you guys were using because I didn't want to barter for something that would be of no use.
> I didn't know if the top row of bales sitting in the cradles of the bottom row would keep me under 13-6.
> From what TX Jim says sounds like I'll be ok.


What kinda (air/spring spread, etc) flatbed and how much hay Troy......
I've been known to trade for hay from time to time, as a matter of fact, I like to trade out for hay


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## mlappin

I haul two layers high on our straight truck, have never had height issues, it might be even a tad taller than a regular semi trailer.


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## Troy Farmer

somedevildawg said:


> What kinda (air/spring spread, etc) flatbed and how much hay Troy......
> I've been known to trade for hay from time to time, as a matter of fact, I like to trade out for hay


i

I don't know. I haven't seen it yet. All the guy told me was Fontain 40'. Needs flooring. I'm sure it's no spread and spring suspension.


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## somedevildawg

They can be had on the cheap for 40' in rough shape. Check the tires brakes and the kingpin. I paid about $1800 for a 45' in rough shape and paid too much......


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## gearhartfarms82

Hehehe. How did you know! Lol.


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## Troy Farmer

Yep Dawg I was thinking way less than that. Fellow seemed like he would be glad for someone to use it. Just don't need a yard ornament.


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## endrow

We make most of our round bales 56 inches. They sell better and our customers like that you can get more of them in a particular Barn. And no problems with the flatbed trailer as far as height.... I have seen drop Decks that would have had to low ground clearance to go in and out the field Lanes at some of our Farms. We have very little money in the two 48foot flatbeds we own.


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## Tx Jim

endrow said:


> We make most of our round bales 56 inches. They sell better and our customers like that you can get more of them in a particular Barn.


It also requires a lot less hay to make a 56'' bale so 56'' bales usually bring more $$$$ per ton


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