Tis the Season: Why Producers Add a Hydraulic Hay Bale Handler at Year-End
When the first week of December rolls around, a lot of hay and pasture producers are in the same spot:
Calves have been sold.
Winter feeding is staring you in the face.
You are looking at the books and deciding where those end-of-year dollars should go.
That’s exactly where Bobby was when he shot these quick walk-through videos in early December. Multiple Hydraulic Hay Bale Handlers were loaded up and headed to hay and pasture customers who wanted winter feeding to be safer and simpler for themselves, their families, and their hired help.
In the videos below, Bobby shows what those handlers look like as they go out the door, how they work, and why so many operators choose to invest in a bale handler instead of sending more of that money to Uncle Sam.
Always talk with your tax professional about how equipment purchases fit your specific tax situation.
End-of-Year Equipment Dollars at Work
A lot of our hay and pasture customers follow a similar pattern every year
Sell calves in the fall
Pay down some bills
Then look for one or two investments that will make the next feeding season easier and safer
For many of them, the Hydraulic Hay Bale Handler is that “next step” piece of equipment. It does three big jobs at once:
Makes winter feeding faster and more efficient
Lets more than one person safely move and unroll bales
Helps reduce waste by unrolling hay instead of leaving it in a big pile
Bale Handlers Heading Out This December
In this video, Bobby walks you around one of our GrassWorks Hydraulic Hay Bale Handlers as several units are lined up to ship out.
Key points he covers:
These particular units are all going to hay and pasture operators who have just sold calves and are getting ready for winter feeding.
The handler is totally self-contained, so you can pull it with a wide range of tow vehicles:
- ATV or four-wheeler
- UTV / side-by-side
- Jeep or small pickup
- Compact tractor or larger tractor
The axle is adjustable, which allows us to increase or decrease tongue weight and balance the load for different tow vehicles and terrain.
The unit in the video is an older demo unit that has spent years going up and down the road to trade shows—proof of the durability built into the frame and running gear.
Transcript:
Hello folks, this is Bobby with Grassworks Manufacturing. I just want to take a quick video of a handful of units that are on their way out here at the end of the year. This is the first week in December of 2025.
Hay Bale Handler Units for Hay and Pasture Guys
These are all going to hay and pasture guys. They have sold some pretty valuable calves over the last year to 18 months, and we’ve got a lot of guys that are spending some money here at the end of the year. This is a picture of our Grassworks hay bale handler.
The Grassworks Hay Bale Handler
This unit is designed to be pulled with anything. It is totally self-contained. You can pull it with a four-wheeler, pull it with a Jeep, pull it with a tractor, pickup, side-by-side, or Kubota RTV. We got customers pulling it with anything.
It has adjustable axles, so we can increase or decrease our tongue weight. It is fully hydraulic and fully functional. This particular unit is “old trusty rusty”. It’s been around for two or three years. We’ve used it at trade shows, dragging it around the country. It’s probably got 30,000 miles on it just on trailers going to trade shows.
How the Bale Handler Works
But just to give you a quick function, you basically have an up and a down feature. You would basically back the unit up to a bale, bring the arms out, and back up to a bale. Back up and center yourself as best you can. Back up, squeeze the bales, raise it up, and then take it to the field.
Then you could unroll that unit by simply lowering it to the ground as you drive through the field. A lot of our clients are buying our units to unroll bales. It is totally self-contained.
Contact Grassworks Manufacturing
Grassworks Manufacturing. You can see here on our end plate, Grassworks hay bale handler. There’s our website. Our phone number is 888-809-4737. Give us a call; we’re here for you. We’ll do all we can to work with you and earn your business. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to a phone call.
How the Hydraulic Hay Bale Handler Works
Transcript:
Good afternoon folks, it’s Bobby with GrassWorks Manufacturing. Just a few pictures of some units that are fixing to be shipped out. This is Friday afternoon, the first week of December of 2025.
Hay Bale Handlers and Safety Focus
I just wanted to show you a couple of our hay bale handlers that are going out. We are getting a lot of phone calls with guys that are starting to feed right now, and they are zeroing in on the safety aspect of our equipment. Folks, we’re farmers just like you are.
I design these units so that my children, my wife, or my less-than-experienced hired help could use our equipment. I don’t have to worry about them getting hurt. It is totally self-contained, built for durability. This is a multi-generational tool, absolutely focusing on safety. We’ve got a machine where you’re not dealing with cables. You’re not dealing with driving in pins, centering the bales, straps, and winches and all that. These things are built absolutely for durability and safety.
Operation and Features
Literally from the tow vehicle, you can adjust the unit. You would absolutely back up to the bale and open the arms up, back up to the bale, kind of get centered, squeeze the bale, and then very simply raise the unit up. Raise the bale off the ground, haul it to the field.
It’s totally self-contained from the tow vehicle. You’ve got a wiring harness that goes with every one of our units. It’s going to plug in over here on the side of the box, or you’ve got an option of a wireless remote. That is a huge option that the guys are really liking—those who are willing to spend a little bit of money on a good wireless system. That’s just a creature comfort.
Contact Information
Just wanted to take a quick video. GrassWorks Manufacturing. You can get to our website at grassworksmfg.com. Our phone number is pretty simple, 888-809-4737, or easier for me to remember: GrassWorks Manufacturing. Our phone number is 888-80-WIPER.
Good afternoon folks, it’s Bobby with GrassWorks Manufacturing. Just a few pictures of some units that are fixing to be shipped out. This is Friday afternoon, the first week of December of 2025.
Hay Bale Handlers and Safety Focus
I just wanted to show you a couple of our hay bale handlers that are going out. We are getting a lot of phone calls with guys that are starting to feed right now, and they are zeroing in on the safety aspect of our equipment. Folks, we’re farmers just like you are.
I design these units so that my children, my wife, or my less-than-experienced hired help could use our equipment. I don’t have to worry about them getting hurt. It is totally self-contained, built for durability. This is a multi-generational tool, absolutely focusing on safety. We’ve got a machine where you’re not dealing with cables. You’re not dealing with driving in pins, centering the bales, straps, and winches and all that. These things are built absolutely for durability and safety.
Operation and Features
Literally from the tow vehicle, you can adjust the unit. You would absolutely back up to the bale and open the arms up, back up to the bale, kind of get centered, squeeze the bale, and then very simply raise the unit up. Raise the bale off the ground, haul it to the field.
It’s totally self-contained from the tow vehicle. You’ve got a wiring harness that goes with every one of our units. It’s going to plug in over here on the side of the box, or you’ve got an option of a wireless remote. That is a huge option that the guys are really liking—those who are willing to spend a little bit of money on a good wireless system. That’s just a creature comfort.
Contact Information
Just wanted to take a quick video. GrassWorks Manufacturing. You can get to our website at grassworksmfg.com. Our phone number is pretty simple, 888-809-4737, or easier for me to remember: GrassWorks Manufacturing. Our phone number is 888-80-WIPER.
In the second clip, Bobby focuses on how the handler operates and why he designed it the way he did.
Highlights from the video:
These bale handlers are designed by working farmers who are feeding cattle and handling hay every day.
Bobby designs them so that his kids, his wife, and less-experienced help can run the machine without worrying about getting hurt.
The unit is totally self-contained from the tow vehicle:
-
- Hydraulic system is mounted on the handler
- You control it with a wired switch box mounted in the cab or on the fender or an optional wireless remote
- Back up to the bale.
- Use the controls to open the arms.
- Squeeze the bale and lift it off the ground.
- Haul it where it needs to go.
- Lower the bale to unroll in a controlled strip for your cattle.
What Makes This Bale Handler Different?
There are a lot of ways to move a round bale. Bobby built this equipment to solve the problems he kept seeing in the field.
Run It With What You Already Drive
The GrassWorks Hydraulic Hay Bale Handler is designed to hook up behind the equipment you already own:
-
- ATV or UTV
- Side-by-side or Kubota RTV
- Jeep or pickup
- Tractor – compact, utility, or larger
You are not locked into a single tow vehicle. If one machine goes down, you can still feed.
Self-Contained Hydraulics
Instead of relying on tractor remotes and hoses, the hydraulic system is built into the handler itself. That means:
-
- Simple hookups
- Less chance of tangled hoses
A consistent feel no matter which vehicle you are using to pull it
Safety-First Design
Bobby says it plainly in the video: these units are built so his children, his wife, or his less-experienced help can run them without wrestling chains, pins, straps, or winches.
The handler:
-
- Grabs and lifts the bale with controlled hydraulic arms
- Keeps the bale contained during transport
- Lets the operator stay in the seat or in a safe position while feeding
Built for Durability and Generations of Use
We know this is an investment. The goal is for it to be a multi-generational tool:
-
- Heavy steel frame and tongue
- Proven over thousands of miles of highway and gravel going to trade shows and cattle operations
Serviceable components you can maintain over the long haul
Unroll to Reduce Waste
Many of our customers choose this unit specifically because they want to unroll bales instead of feeding in a stationary ring:
-
- Cattle spread out along the line and eat instead of trampling a big pile
- You can move the feeding line to fresh ground
- Less concentrated mud and manure in one spot
Is the Bale Handler a Fit for Your Operation?
Every place is different, but here are a few quick questions that help producers decide.
What can I pull it with?
Four-wheeler or ATV
Side-by-side / UTV
Small truck or jeep
Tractor
If you are unsure about your specific machine or terrain, our team can talk through weight, tongue load, and hills with you.
Do I need special hydraulics?
The unit is self-contained, which means:
You do not need a fancy tractor hydraulic setup.
You simply power the bale handler’s hydraulic system and run it from the wired switch box or optional wireless remote.
We can walk you through what is required for your exact tow vehicle.
Why unroll hay instead of feeding in one spot?
Producers who unroll bales typically see:
Less hay trampled into mud and wasted
Cattle spread out along the line, which can cut down on pushing and crowding
More flexibility in where you feed, which helps you manage ground conditions and manure distribution
Ready to Talk Bale Handling?
If you are looking at equipment before the year wraps up and want winter feeding to be safer and simpler, we are glad to help.
Call Now
We can:
Talk through your pastures, terrain, and towing equipment
Help you decide if the Hydraulic Hay Bale Handler is the right fit
Answer questions about options like wireless remotes and axle configuration
Next steps:
GrassWorks Manufacturing is here to help you pick the right equipment for your operation—and make this feeding season a little easier on you, your family, and your cattle.