I haven't figured out how to get the videos off my phone of the bale buster in operation so I can post them, but it has been up and running now for about three weeks. There was a bit of a learning curve for the operator, as well as tuning up on the machine itself getting speeds set, etc, but that's pretty much behind us now. As it stands now they are currently able to bust, on average, 6 big bales and hour which equates out to around 180 small bales (((about 30 small bales per big bale))). So far they can load two 53 foot trailers in a day, and managed to get 2 and a half on one good day.
As it stands they are having to all but stop the machine for every bale to cut the strings, which takes up a minute or two each time. Seems I designed it around a 4x4x8 bale, what I was told, and the bales are actually closer to 51"x51"x8'6" plus feet. In other words there's not enough room left in the 8'6" I left for them to cut the strings to actually do it the way we had planned. I'm waiting on material now to build a prep table, something we had planned from the start anyways, that will allow them to keep the bale that's on feed going while getting another ready to feed,and room for a third bale when the first one in line gets about half way through.
So, if they can get things worked out with the new setup, that will allow them to get in the neighborhood of 210 to 240 bales an hour. Based on what I've read that's pretty consistent with what can be done in the field under ideal conditions. Thing is this is all under a shed so the big bales can be picked up and brought in alot faster, with less equioment, less labor and therefore less cost involved. Once in the barn, then they can, as my customer and I were discussing today, "Make hay, even when the sun ain't shining'...and that's a good thing.
As it stands they are having to all but stop the machine for every bale to cut the strings, which takes up a minute or two each time. Seems I designed it around a 4x4x8 bale, what I was told, and the bales are actually closer to 51"x51"x8'6" plus feet. In other words there's not enough room left in the 8'6" I left for them to cut the strings to actually do it the way we had planned. I'm waiting on material now to build a prep table, something we had planned from the start anyways, that will allow them to keep the bale that's on feed going while getting another ready to feed,and room for a third bale when the first one in line gets about half way through.
So, if they can get things worked out with the new setup, that will allow them to get in the neighborhood of 210 to 240 bales an hour. Based on what I've read that's pretty consistent with what can be done in the field under ideal conditions. Thing is this is all under a shed so the big bales can be picked up and brought in alot faster, with less equioment, less labor and therefore less cost involved. Once in the barn, then they can, as my customer and I were discussing today, "Make hay, even when the sun ain't shining'...and that's a good thing.
