# Anybody using a "squeeze" to load/deliver hay?



## TooFast4U (Aug 5, 2008)

I know they're used in some places for loading hay into semi-trailer vans, but is anybody using/considering one with a flatbed for delivering small squares without handling bales on the destination end?

I can see that might work, but it looks to me like there could still be plenty of hand labor on the loading end of things, to get hay loaded on the trailer the right way for the squeeze to unload it.


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## Riverside Cattle (Jun 4, 2008)

We load trailers with a squeeze but unload by hand (due to our barn set up). We have unloaded with the squeeze but it ended up taking longer, it was easier though. The problem is getting the squeeze arms between the bales.

How we do it: is we stack the bales two wide (36 inch bales x two make 6 ft wide trailer) and stack like cord wood. We don't do any tie bales but we do have a good bang board that we strap to so the stack rides well. The sqeeze grabs three wide and two high.

We have been doing it this way for a number of years and haven't come up with a quicker way to fill our barns. Our cycle time is right at 45 minutes for 120 bale load. It takes about 10-15 minutes for loading and 10-15 minutes for travel to and from the barn/stack and about 15-20 minutes for unloading. This is with just the two of us. We don't do much more than 10-12 loads a day as we are getting old. These are 60-65 lb bales.

The squeeze is mounted on a ASV 30 the smallest asv they make. (it is a track skid steer) it being small really limits how high we can stack but much more than 6 high and it is a pain to unload by hand.

As we get older and we add more ground we are looking at adding a grapple to do the unloading.


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## ButchAutomatic (Jun 4, 2008)

We use a retriver to haul hay back to the farm, it hauls 160 small squares and is pretty much hands free. It can also pick up stacks at farm and travel for a delivery.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

That's a Hauser, right? How do you like it? I was looking at them, but he wasn't building a 3 wide model at the time, so we made our own. I only use to haul back to the shed, but when somebody else can drive the truck, and I can pick bales, it saves A LOT of time...... I had to make ours with forks like the balewagon, since everything here goes on a pallet, or the bottom row will for certain go bad, or rot.....










Rodney


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