Hustler revolutionises high-volume bale feeding with the launch of BaleXpress multi-bale feeder

Hustler Equipment has recently introduced a new addition to its line of livestock-feeding machines – BaleXpress Multi-Bale Feeder. This new feeding system aims to offer an alternative approach to handling large volumes of both round and square bales of any size – whether dry hay bales, straw, or loose fine chopped baleage – offering benefits in terms of convenience, efficiency and adaptability.

BaleXpress boasts the market’s most compact multi-bale feeder design per bale count. It features a significant reduction in length compared to equivalent-capacity competitors (typically 3-4 meters shorter). This design ensures smoother operations, effortless navigation through narrow gateways, and enhanced manoeuvrability.

Purposefully crafted to accommodate current and future bale sizes, BaleXpress introduces an ingenious adjustable side design with a low loading height. This unique feature allows bales as large as five feet by six feet to be easily arranged side by side in a single layer, offering an unmatched level of flexibility.

This design also facilitates convenient loading from either the side or the rear, while offering impressive visibility over the feeder from the cab. Brent Currie, CEO of Hustler Equipment, emphasised the company’s commitment to efficiency and operator input during the prototyping and testing phase. “One of our most significant discoveries was recognising the time wasted in current bale feeding systems, where operators had to repeatedly exit the cab during loading to unwrap bales,” Currie explained. “Every aspect was scrutinised through the lens of time-in-motion studies to identify optimal solutions.”

With only a single cab exit needed for bale unwrapping and reduced tractor movements per load, operational efficiency reaches unprecedented levels. The low design profile eliminates the need to climb onto the machinery to remove string, netting or wrap. This not only prevents field contamination but also reduces the risk of ingestion by livestock.

Integrating a chainless rear floor engineered from durable, 15-mm (0.6 in) puckboard high-density polyethylene with a 10-year warranty, and paired with a hydraulic cylinder rear pusher blade, BaleXpress eliminates operator frustrations stemming from constant chain adjustments, breakdowns, and potential blockages. “This feature also allows further efficiency gains by eliminating the plugging of awkward bales due to the ability to self-eject difficult bales,” Currie detailed.

BaleXpress features a unique tilting elevator that allows for adjustable aggression levels on the go without leaving the cab, tailored to extra tight or frozen bales, all while preserving the nutritional value of the forage. “This unique feature can more than halve feeding time on tight bales,” Currie concluded.

The user-friendly control system guarantees the precise and accurate distribution of a well-fluffed feed windrow, effectively discouraging livestock from trampling and thus reducing waste. Feed placement is strategically located outside the wheel track, preventing feed soiling. Additionally, the system offers the standard capability to feed into bunks or troughs.

The optional wireless scale system Hustler Equipment’s FeedLink™ is available on BaleXpress. Beyond the capabilities of conventional scale systems, FeedLink™ empowers operators to pre-programme their daily feeding routines and provides detailed reports for tracking feed proof-of-placement, operator performance and insights into over or underfeeding.

Available in six, eight, or ten-bale capacities, BaleXpress made its debut in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Canada, promising unmatched multi-bale feeding efficiency for large-scale farming operations.

Do you want to know more about Hustler bale feeder range? Contact us today, you’ll be glad you did!