Cutting straw bales

[urbandekay]

Hi, I am told that people cut straw bales up with a chainsaw, sounds wrong clogging etc. but wondered if anyone has tried it?

[Peat]

Yeah its not great at all. Saw clogs up and gets blunted by grit in the bale. Much better is a reciprocating saw like an alligator saw. A strimmer is good for shaping the outside of a straw bale wall (if this is for straw bale building.)

[BTS]

Never tried it but have seen it done (think it was on grand designs straw bale walls to a house)

[urbandekay]

I should have said just wanted to cut up big bales for handling, alligator saw a bit short for that

[twistedhicap]

What size big bales if there square they are in sections due to the nature of the baker stuffer and ram so cut strings take off as many sections ! What ever you do cutting the strings with a saw will cause them to come apart

[drinksloe]

Like the above says, just cut the strings with a penknife and u can take as many leafs as u need quite easily, just watch if a big square heston baler, have heard of a few farmers being knocked over/falling off things by the force they can spring out at (in a confined hay loft)

 

If big round bales, i roll them next to a pallet, flip it onto its end and just unwind the straw into a trailer or big tote bags etc, bit of a pITA to handle but means u can easily cover the bale to keep it watertight.

U can just roll them out but then u have to pick al the straw up thats scattered everywhere.

[urbandekay]

What size big bales if there square they are in sections due to the nature of the baker stuffer and ram so cut strings take off as many sections ! What ever you do cutting the strings with a saw will cause them to come apart

 

Ok thanks, so just cut string with knife and lift out sections. Bales are app 7' by 3'

[woody paul]

Would of thought you would set them on fire with heat from exhaust .

[twistedhicap]

Ok thanks, so just cut string with knife and lift out sections. Bales are app 7' by 3'

 

 

Yes that's right just as above be carefull as they could be under quite a lot of tension depends how greasy the baler driver was

[urbandekay]

Would of thought you would set them on fire with heat from exhaust .

 

So wet here you'd have trouble lighting a gallon of petrol