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==== Short-haul transport and on-field handling ==== [[Image:Round hay bale at dawn02.jpg|right|thumb|A large round bale]] Due to the ability for round bales to roll away on a slope, they require specific treatment for safe transport and handling. Small round bales can typically be moved by hand or with lower-powered equipment. Due to their size and their weight, which can be a ton or more, large round bales require special transport and moving equipment. The most important tool for large round bale handling is the [[bale spear]] or spike, which is usually mounted on the back of a tractor or the front of a [[skid-steer]]. It is inserted into the approximate center of the round bale, then lifted and the bale is hauled away. Once at the destination, the bale is set down, and the spear pulled out. Careful placement of the spear in the center is needed or the bale can spin around and touch the ground while in transport, causing a loss of control. When used for wrapped bales that are to be stored further, the spear makes a hole in the wrapping that must be sealed with plastic tape to maintain a hermetic seal. Alternatively, a [[grapple fork]] may be used to lift and transport large round bales. The grapple fork is a hydraulically driven implement attached to the end of a tractor's bucket loader. When the hydraulic cylinder is extended, the fork clamps downward toward the bucket, much like a closing hand. To move a large round bale, the tractor approaches the bale from the side and places the bucket underneath the bale. The fork is then clamped down across the top of the bale, and the bucket is lifted with the bale in tow. Grab hooks installed on the bucket of a tractor are another tool used to handle round bales, and can be done by a farmer with welding skills by welding two hooks and a heavy chain to the outside top of a tractor front loader bucket.
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