I purchased one last year and after a few tries, I love it. I watched Bagwell Farms video on the Maxilator Accumagrapple to teach me how to use it. He has a really good video of him using it on his skid steer. Once you get use to it you will like it.
I'm no farmer but I do buy and use small tools, we all do. Sadly many companies don't even offer paper directions, you have to go online. The seller could have given some cursory direction. Good video thanks again.
So sorry you had to struggle with that accumulator. I basically invented a similar device in the 1980's and went though the same frustrations trying to design and build the grapple. Today there is no hay grown anywhere in this area anymore, so if I had the chance to use one like yours I would be happy now. You are a smart guy as I have seen from your videos and you figured it out so the next time you use it you will be impressed. I would trade places with you anytime if I was nearby if you wanted.
You are not alone having a situation like this - we all have. But we are always in hurry as there is always something else we have to get to. But thanks for taking the time to post the video as it does help to know this.
That is the problem right! We are always up against the weather or something and we just do not take the time we need upfront. But this kinda of video is going to save a lot of time for others.
Yep ... I did the SAME thing. Wasn't making sense until looked at the out-side bars .... and thought ..... lets just remove the WHOLE thing. That's when I realized there was an EXTRA hole. The brain said this should now work. Life became beautiful from then on. Right now .... I've learned to accumulate the whole field before picking them up. Picking them up & stacking them on the trailer does require for me to remove the outside and inside dividers. Since my trailer best handles the bales in a configuration of 2x4 = (8) and not the (10). SO .... I get (3) sections of 8 per layer on the trailer. Four layers high works best. The 5th layer is a bit unstable. When the trailer is ready to take to the stack yard .... I take (1) load up with the grapple following the trailer. Unfortunately ..... my stack yard is not large enough to cris-cross the layers so they go in only one way ... the base stack is 8 bales wide. By the 7th or 8th layer high it's not the most stable of storage loading. I did find out that I have to tighten up the bales. So instead of weighing 55lbs each they now are in the 70lb range. The light bales did not work as well accumulating and grappling them. I raise grass hay. Alfalfa/grass mix or straight alfalfa works best for tightness of the bales and grappling. At age 70+ years this beats bucking bales by hand ..... IMMENSELY!!!
I can’t post a video in the comments but I had a buddy up the road running one of these and he was making great time with it. I’m thinking about getting one myself. Keep us posted how it works out for you.Thanks for sharing!
With your existing set up and equipment you should look at the kuhns system. I switched last year it’s a great system ant their customer service is the best I’ve ever seen.
maybe it would have helped if you'd laid out a bunch of old bales from last year in the early spring without the pressure of upcoming rain even if it might look a bit silly and would include getting some bales from their storage space and bringing them back afterwards :-)
totally unrelated to this, but I saw in your back catalogue you had a Massey 1734 baler in the past. I'm looking to start my own hay on a small scale and would like your opinion having used it. Most everything I come across is sales videos and finding little on forums from owners. Thank you in advance. Sounds like if you get that grapple dialed in it will make life easier.
I purchased one last year and after a few tries, I love it. I watched Bagwell Farms video on the Maxilator Accumagrapple to teach me how to use it. He has a really good video of him using it on his skid steer. Once you get use to it you will like it.
I'm no farmer but I do buy and use small tools, we all do. Sadly many companies don't even offer paper directions, you have to go online. The seller could have given some cursory direction. Good video thanks again.
So sorry you had to struggle with that accumulator. I basically invented a similar device in the 1980's and went though the same frustrations trying to design and build the grapple. Today there is no hay grown anywhere in this area anymore, so if I had the chance to use one like yours I would be happy now. You are a smart guy as I have seen from your videos and you figured it out so the next time you use it you will be impressed. I would trade places with you anytime if I was nearby if you wanted.
You are not alone having a situation like this - we all have. But we are always in hurry as there is always something else we have to get to. But thanks for taking the time to post the video as it does help to know this.
That is the problem right! We are always up against the weather or something and we just do not take the time we need upfront. But this kinda of video is going to save a lot of time for others.
Yep ... I did the SAME thing. Wasn't making sense until looked at the out-side bars .... and thought ..... lets just remove the WHOLE thing. That's when I realized there was an EXTRA hole. The brain said this should now work. Life became beautiful from then on. Right now .... I've learned to accumulate the whole field before picking them up. Picking them up & stacking them on the trailer does require for me to remove the outside and inside dividers. Since my trailer best handles the bales in a configuration of 2x4 = (8) and not the (10). SO .... I get (3) sections of 8 per layer on the trailer. Four layers high works best. The 5th layer is a bit unstable. When the trailer is ready to take to the stack yard .... I take (1) load up with the grapple following the trailer. Unfortunately ..... my stack yard is not large enough to cris-cross the layers so they go in only one way ... the base stack is 8 bales wide. By the 7th or 8th layer high it's not the most stable of storage loading.
I did find out that I have to tighten up the bales. So instead of weighing 55lbs each they now are in the 70lb range. The light bales did not work as well accumulating and grappling them. I raise grass hay. Alfalfa/grass mix or straight alfalfa works best for tightness of the bales and grappling.
At age 70+ years this beats bucking bales by hand ..... IMMENSELY!!!
I can’t post a video in the comments but I had a buddy up the road running one of these and he was making great time with it. I’m thinking about getting one myself. Keep us posted how it works out for you.Thanks for sharing!
We sure will since we hope to be using it second crop now that it is setup correctly lol
I'm actually looking at these or the WR Long version...thanks for the video and advice!
With your existing set up and equipment you should look at the kuhns system. I switched last year it’s a great system ant their customer service is the best I’ve ever seen.
maybe it would have helped if you'd laid out a bunch of old bales from last year in the early spring without the pressure of upcoming rain even if it might look a bit silly and would include getting some bales from their storage space and bringing them back afterwards :-)
totally unrelated to this, but I saw in your back catalogue you had a Massey 1734 baler in the past. I'm looking to start my own hay on a small scale and would like your opinion having used it. Most everything I come across is sales videos and finding little on forums from owners. Thank you in advance. Sounds like if you get that grapple dialed in it will make life easier.
You know what they say"If all else fails read the instructions"
We all have those days sometimes, lord knows I do!
Sorry you had to go through it all.
Hey man it happens... as long as you learned
There's no manual to just get out there and learn..