Red Forks Bale Bumpers

[loomixguy]

Manufactured by Western Welding in Cordell, OK. Anybody have any experience with these? Your bed isn't all junked up, they come with box corner/tail light protectors, and they aren't horribly expensive. Thinking pretty seriously about getting one. Looks like just the ticket for moving the occasional bale without the expense of an arm bed. The Boss seems determined that we have one pickup with a box, but we need to move a few bales from time to time.

 

[Brad S]

Bale sizes have obsoleted the electric motor driven movers. I hear they are better then they used to be though. Hydraulics driven off the engine work so much better when bales get heavy. Depreciation, interest, & repairs don't amount to much on a hydrabed by the third pickup you mount it on.

 

[loomixguy]

The only way I could justify a hydra bed would be to buy a pickup that already had one on it. I'd be 90 before I ever wore it out. And if I made it to 90, I sure as hell wouldn't want to still be moving bales. My guess is the bale bumper would do all I needed to do, and could be mounted on a different pickup as well. We'll see.

 

[AC Diesel]

I have one of these on my flatbed.
http://washburncompany.com/bale%20hay%20spear%20pickup%207.JPG

I feed cows with it every day in the winter for a couple years and have been very happy with it. It might not be as handy as what you are looking at but it's probably a little cheaper, I gave 1100 for mine. I call it my poor man's hydra bed!
http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=72858&p=669953#p669953

 

[PPRM]

I have one of these on my flatbed.
http://washburncompany.com/bale%20hay%20spear%20pickup%207.JPG

I feed cows with it every day in the winter for a couple years and have been very happy with it. It might not be as handy as what you are looking at but it's probably a little cheaper, I gave 1100 for mine. I call it my poor man's hydra bed!
http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=72858&p=669953#p669953

How heavy are the bales you are carrying around? Can it lift high enough to get it into a round bale feeder?

 

[AC Diesel]

My bales average 16 to 1650lbs and the unit would easily pick up a ton. It won't lift high enough to fill a bale feeder. I set the bale on the ground and unroll it with the grill guard.

 

[loomixguy]

I'm pretty sure what I'm looking at is real similar to what you've got, AC, only everything is in the bumper & under the pickup box. When the spears aren't inserted, the pickup looks stock, with nothing cluttering up the box. I liked that aspect of it. I was quoted $2300 installed, complete & ready to go to work. I'm heading down to NW Louisiana in a month or so, and would swing by there on the way home. Not really out of the way, since 281 goes through Cordell and my house is right on 281 as well. I'm still debating, but my gut is telling me to do it.

 

[AC Diesel]

I think you'll like it just fine, I know mine has been real handy.

 

[loomixguy]

I bet you're right. ;-)