A Guide to Hay and Forage Attachments for Tractors and Other Tool Carriers
The Tools That Are Changing How Farmers Handle Forage
Collecting hay has come a long way. Hay is dried grass or other herbaceous plants, like legumes, that are cut and stored for use as animal feed. Prior to the late 19th century, hay was harvested by hand and stored loose in hay lofts. This time- and space-consuming procedure was replaced by hand-tied bales around 1880, an innovation that enabled easier transport and storage of hay.
However, because early balers were stationary, there was little need to move hay bales very far. That changed in the 1930s, when balers were attached to tractors or horses, enabling hay baling to take place in the field and thus requiring transport of the bales to the barn. The invention of the round baler in the 1960s created the need for a way to move large bales, along with the need for an effective wrap if round bales are left outside. This is because once hay has been baled, it must be stored or wrapped to protect it from the elements. Fast forward to 2025, and we find ourselves asking the questions: How is hay harvested, baled and transported today? Using what attachments? Let’s find out.
Bale Spears
Bale spears are among the most commonly used attachments for hay handling, especially when moving round or square bales from field to storage or to livestock. These simple yet effective tools are mounted on wheel loaders, skid steers or the front or rear of compact tractors. Single spears are often used for round bales, while multi-tine spears are ideal for both square and rectangular bales and bigger round bales.
“Our three-point bale spears are for the small to medium cattle producer who is moving round bales,” says Mike Kloster, president of Worksaver (a Litchfield, Illinois-based attachment specialist). “We also offer single spear units for moving round bales for skid steers and tractors with front loaders.”
Durable construction is essential, as poor-quality spears can bend or fail under heavy use. Despite their simplicity, bale spears remain a reliable and cost-effective choice for both small farms and larger operations. Typically, they’re used by hobby farmers, small livestock operators and weekend warriors on small farms or acreages where compact equipment is enlisted to take care of livestock. Moorhead, Minnesota-based Ignite Attachments offers a nice lineup of U.S.-made hay and bale spears designed for compact equipment. This includes the 1500 and 2000 Series, which feature round, square and combo bale spear models. Travis Templeton, senior sales specialist at Ignite, says these tools are designed for “property owners, hobby farmers and small-scale livestock operations [who] need reliable tools that work hard without complication.”
Ignite’s round bale spear features a 42.75-in. forged center tine and two stabilizer spears for handling large, rolled bales. Ignite’s square bale spear uses three shorter tines across a wide frame to move rectangular bales without damaging them. Ignite’s combo spear offers versatility with removable spears to transition between round and square bale handling without needing a separate attachment. Templeton says, “Instead of buying multiple tools, one attachment handles both bale types. That cuts equipment costs and streamlines work in the field.”
Mounting Systems and Compatibility
Hay-handling attachments are typically designed for compatibility with a variety of equipment, including compact tractors, skid steers and telehandlers. Common mounting systems include three-point hitches, bucket mounts and quick-attach frames. Many modern attachments are designed with quick-hitch functionality, allowing for fast tool changes without additional tools. This flexibility saves time during operations that require switching between different types of hay-handling tasks. In addition, some attachments offer multi-functionality, letting users handle both round and square bales with a single piece of equipment — an especially useful feature for smaller operations aiming to reduce equipment costs.
Bale Wrappers
“Bale wrappers are meant to preserve the crop and start the fermentation process to create high value nutritional silage bales, which will be fed to livestock at a later date,” explains Tarek Horkan, Kubota hay tools product specialist. These attachments are especially valuable in regions with unpredictable weather or where hay must be baled before fully drying. Wrappers can be mounted on the tractor’s three-point hitch or towed behind, and some are self-powered to enhance flexibility. They help reduce storage needs by allowing bales to be stored outdoors, minimizing spoilage and maximizing forage quality. Modern wrappers often feature automated systems that load, wrap and unload bales with minimal operator input, improving efficiency and reducing labor.
“For small-acreage farms and hobby livestock owners, wrapping can be a game changer,” states Dane Mosel, marketing manager for Massey Ferguson. “If you’re dealing with unpredictable weather, limited storage space or just trying to make the most of a small hayfield, wrapping allows you to bale at higher moisture levels without the risk of mold or rot. It’s a practical way to extend the value of your forage, improve feed quality and reduce waste.”
Hay bales are wrapped to create silage or haylage, but straw bales can also be wrapped to protect them from the elements. Wrapping straw reduces waste for those using it to bed animals. It also eliminates the need for large barns or hay sheds, as bales can be safely stored in the field or along fence lines. Massey Ferguson’s TW Series bale wrappers are commonly used to wrap round bales of silage, haylage or high-moisture hay, Mosel notes. “These are bales that are baled before they’re completely dry — typically around 40 to 60 percent moisture — and need to be sealed to ferment properly and prevent spoilage.”
Baling high-moisture silage allows operators to harvest forage in a shorter window of time since baling wetter hay reduces dry downtime and gets forage off the field faster. Research has also shown that baled silage improves forage quality through the fermentation process compared with field-cured hay. Furthermore, due to harvesting at a higher moisture content, less leaf shatter occurs, and more leaves are retained during the harvest process, which further improves forage quality.
Bale wrappers can be run hydraulically or are self-powered utilizing a compact engine. Because they’re primarily used in ag applications, they are typically designed to work off the hydraulic power of a tractor and mount to a three-point hitch. Some self-powered bale wrappers are designed to be towed, following the path of the baler to reduce the wait time to begin wrapping. Massey Ferguson even offers a product that wraps bales as it goes. The MF RB.4160V Protec combines baling and wrapping in a single pass. The MF TW 130 and MF TW 160 models offer automatic or manual wrapping modes, providing the flexibility to work at your own pace.
“The self-loading arm and automatic bale unloading system make bale wrapping a one-person job,” says Mosel. “Operators can load, wrap and gently unload or tip the bale with the press of a button, all with a single machine.”
Kubota’s WR1100C computer-controlled automatic bale wrapper is equipped with a hydraulic film cutter and three-point mounted turntable wrapper. Horkan says, “This model handles round bales up to 2,650 lbs and 47 by 50 in. in size.” It offers additional support legs for free-standing wrapping. The low profile WR1400 round bale wrapper from Kubota offers manual-cable or joystick-controlled versions, a trailed turntable wrapper with a self-loading arm and widely spaced wheels. The low profile WR1600C can be controlled by computer or joystick and features “outstanding maneuverability,” Horkan says.
“Kubota currently offers trailed and stationary wrappers, meaning the operator can go around the field and wrap the bales in the field,” Horkan continues. Alternatively, the operator can leave the wrapper and tractor at the location where they want the bales to be stored and wrap the bales at that location.
Bale Grapples
Bale grapples are attachments that grip and lift bales securely, allowing for faster and safer loading and stacking. They are commonly used on tractors, skid steers and telehandlers and are capable of handling two bales simultaneously. These tools enhance jobsite efficiency by forming straight, stable stacks and eliminating the need to flip or reposition bales manually. In addition to hay and straw, grapples are sometimes used in commercial applications for handling similar bulk materials. Their ability to maintain consistent bale orientation improves both safety and transport quality.
Bale Unrollers and Spin-Offs
Bale unrollers and spin-offs are designed to efficiently distribute hay for feeding by unwinding round bales into a consistent windrow. Mounted to a tractor’s rear hitch, these tools use hydraulic or mechanical rotation to unroll the hay evenly. This method minimizes waste by allowing animals to feed more easily and selectively, reducing trampling and spoilage. Some models offer bi-directional rotation, giving the operator precise control over how much hay is dispensed. For livestock producers focused on feed efficiency, unrollers are an essential tool.
Bale Squeezes
Bale squeezes are designed to handle bundles of small square bales without damaging them. Instead of spearing the hay, these attachments clamp the bales from the sides or bottom, allowing them to be transported safely and efficiently. They are ideal for operators using smaller machines such as compact tractors or skid steers and are especially useful in situations where bales are tied into bundles. The ability to carry multiple bales in a single trip enhances productivity, particularly during peak baling and storage seasons. Their versatility makes them a go-to choice for hay producers managing small square bale systems.
Worksaver amazingly offers over 80 attachments for handling square, rectangular and round bales. This includes a skid steer rectangular bale squeeze and a rotating front loader round bale squeeze. These enable operators to safely and efficiently pick up and move tied bundles of hay. Ohio-based Norden Mfg. makes a lot of cool hay attachments, including a very cool bale squeeze designed for skid steers, forklifts and telehandlers. It’s available in three lengths to match bundle size. The Norden bale squeeze clamps the bottom layer of a stack of tied bundles, allowing easy moving or loading of the bale pack. With this tool, smaller loaders are able to operate at near-maximum capacity. This flexibility permits host machines to pick up bundles as narrow as four bales wide flat on strings or up to six bales wide. Varying lengths of forks accommodate varying bale sizes.
Bale Carriages
Bale carriages are specialized attachments that streamline the transport and stacking of large rectangular bales. Equipped with adjustable arms and spears, these attachments allow operators to carry multiple bales at once and stack them to maximum barn height. This not only shortens the time spent moving bales from field to storage but also maximizes the use of available storage space. Bale carriages are particularly beneficial for operations handling mid-size to large-scale hay production, as they reduce the number of passes needed across a field and minimize time spent building storage stacks.
Many small and hobby farms prefer hay baled in small squares because it’s easier to handle and store, and some believe there is less waste, especially when feeding small herds or flocks. The newest attachment from Worksaver is the RBH-6500 — a large rectangular bale carriage with adjustable uprights. Designed for use with skid steers, tractor front loaders, telehandlers and select wheel loader models, it has fully extendable uprights capable of lifting two or three rectangular bales. In the retracted position, it allows for easy transport and stacking of a single rectangular bale in a barn. The unit has an extended height of 84 in. and a retracted height of 50 in. It features four lower bolt-in spears with a usable length of 40.5 in. and two upper balance spears for added stability.
“By handling more than one bale at a time, removing bales from the field is fast and easy,” says Kloster. “Handling multiple bales together shortens the time required to load or unload a trailer, saving trips across the field and the storage yard. With the uprights in their lower position, the bales can be stacked to maximum height in a shed or barn. Less time is required to build storage stacks when multiple bales are stacked at a time. Being able to stack to maximum height in a shed or barn allows the operator to maximize storage space.”
Lori Lovely is a freelance writer for Compact Equipment.
Hay Handled in a Roundabout Way
In the mid-1960s, a mechanical engineer at Iowa State University named Wesley Buchele worked with graduate students to develop a mechanical baling machine that could produce a 700-lb round bale. This revolutionized hay baling because it enabled the entire process, from harvest to baling to transporting to feeding livestock, to be accomplished by just one person with a tractor — without ever touching the hay.
Today, the most common way to cut and store hay in the United States is by round baling.
And the most common way of moving round bales is by attaching a spear to a front loader tractor, skid loader or telehandler. But for all the innovation in the way hay is baled, there has been little change in hay spears over the years. There have been “no recent changes,” confirms Travis Templeton, senior sales specialist for Ignite Attachments. “These tools aren’t overcomplicated. They’re purpose-built, durable and designed for dependable day-to-day use.”
They may be simple tools, but Templeton says the build is important. Ignite uses precision-cut steel that is welded for durability. “Even the simplest tools deserve to be built right. Bale spears may not have complex components, but the quality of design and construction makes a difference. Poorly made attachments bend, break or don’t fit the machine like they should — and that costs time, money and a lot of frustration. Bale spears may be basic, but there’s value in doing basic well.”
