I was talking with someone the other day about loading hay. He had loaded plenty by hand (as have I!) but had never heard of a grapple.
I took these pictures today while getting a load.
hay_grapple_1.jpg hay_grapple_2.jpg
The grapple on the tractor grabs 10 bales at a time. It doesn't take long to load the whole trailer this way. (I usually get 150 bales per load.) After loading my other trailers by hand for years, I bought a flatbed trailer just for loading with the grapple.
All the larger square-bale hay producers use a grapple along with an accumulator. The accumulator is a fascinating machine pulled behind the bailer - each square bail that comes out of the bailer is automatically turned and positioned into a big square with 10 bales which it then automatically sets on the ground ready to be picked up with the grapple.
The cheapest way to buy hay is right out of the field right behind the bailer. I drive out into the field and the grapple operator picks up the 10-bale squares and stacks 15 of them on the trailer. Strap down the load and it's all done, except for the paying, the driving, the unloading, the carrying, and the stacking! (And the feeding every day.) I usually haul 3-5 tons at a time. With the llamas, alpacas, mini donkeys, and horses I'll feed well over 300 bales this season, each 50-60 lbs.
I'd be happy to never load a trailer by hand again!
JKJ