hay wagon rack

moday · Aug 12, 2016

Should a hay wagon rack be 90 to the bed of the wagon or slanted back at some angle? I often seem them sloped back and I'm not sure if that is intentional. I'm rebuilding an old JD wagon and I hope to use the old rack but it was 90 degree to the deck if I remember. I had to modify the main timbers so need to modify the rack so now is the time to modify if advised. I'm new at this so thanks!

moday

MikeinKy · Aug 12, 2016

I have them both ways. If I build one, I try to have a little slant to the back, it seems to help keep the hay on. It really doesn't seem to make much difference.

flying belgian · Aug 12, 2016

I assume you mean the back and I intentionally build mine slanted back quite aggressively. So as you're stacking, you're load is always leaning back. The guys stacking on the rack will appreciate it. I bolt a 4X4 along both outside edges too. That will keep the load tipping in. Again, the guys on the rack will appreciate it.

Leroy · Aug 12, 2016

Never had any tilted back. Most of what I have seen that is tilted back you can look closely and see where there should be mantiance done to the bed.

Bill VA · Aug 13, 2016

I've got one wagon with the back stop slanted back and another one straight. Slanted makes a lot of sense to me, but what we've found is the number one thing to make bales stack and stay put is - just make bricks, tight, square, solid bales and they seem to lock in place. Puff ball bales make for trouble as they aren't dense enough to support the weight of bales stacked on top and part of the stack can then fall over.

Moonlite37 · Aug 13, 2016

Mine were held in place by pockets on the back and although planned to be at a right angle to the floor but over time started leaning back.

495man · Aug 13, 2016

If wooden rack, build it 90 degrees, it will lean back on it's own bad enough as time passes without helping it first.

Dick L · Aug 13, 2016

I have never used a back standard on my hay wagons. Easier to unload where you have to back in a bank barn to unload. It is all about learning how to stack bales on the wagon so they stay on. Dad used then when he first bought a baler in the early 1950's when switching from loose hay. After hay the standards were always taken off and leaned at the back of the barn and the box sides put on for grain. After a couple years the standards were let set at the back of the barn and the bales were loaded without them. I never bothered having standards when I stared doing hay on my own. My Grand Son does about 2500 acres of hay now and when doing small squares does not use standards. He backs about four loads with over 100 bales each in my warehouse for my horses without standards. Most of the 2500 acres are done in 8 foot bales now. Two weeks ago when he baled the 44 acres of alfalfa on my farm he baled 130 acres in total.

Cory Schmidt · Aug 13, 2016

We put a lean back in ours, but we also pile right to front edge, rolling down field, so every inch towards the back helps, especially on hills. We found if the rack is too straight(plus all the twisting and shifting), when you get to the front of the load the piles start to actually tip forward(bottoms are tight top shifts apart more), or you run out of room faster(leave gap at bottom of each stack to compensate for top trying to lean). If stacked right with good bales a nice load can be made even with out a back rack.

One other thing to consider when making a rack is height. Figure how many layers of bales you want(we go 5, usually) then make the rack just that high or a smidge either way. To short top of pile has no support(unless stacked different), to high is just a waste of materials.

hay wagon rack

moday

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MikeinKy

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flying belgian

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Leroy

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Bill VA

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Moonlite37

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495man

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Dick L

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Cory Schmidt

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