Just curious as to the weight of loads of straw, as they seem to usually have a fair size motor on the job. Do they max out their weight on straw ?
Straw bales are pretty light when dry, aprox 45lb until they get wet, then you know you have some weight on.
Odd days:
Just curious as to the weight of loads of straw, as they seem to usually have a fair size motor on the job. Do they max out their weight on straw ?
A difficult question, dependant on moisture and compression, we reckoned on 18 - 25 kg for bike racing,
Big Bales can be many sizes, straw weighs different dependant on whether it is barley or wheat, believe me the farmer will know exactly how much his bales weigh and will want paying exactly that price. 
30 square 8’s, maybe 18/20 tonne
a 8 foot by 3 foot by 4 foot bale of straw weighs around 450 kg. Obviously different bale sizes weigh differently . In the UK straw is sold by the ton so you will be weighing in and out so the farmer knows the weight he has sold .
So on a standard 45 foot flat trailer you should get 44 8x4x3 's on at 450kgs = 19.8 tons of straw
Thanks for replying. It was that I had noticed a few straw motors on the road recently. I guess it’s people buying last year’s harvest straw before the new season starts. It made me wonder what sort of weight it is a load. Never done it so had no idea. Thanks.
Friend of mine in Ayrshire does straw almost exclusively, and makes a handsome living at it.
Purpose built drawbar (dangler) outfit, 25t loads are common.
I am in Perthshire and often see wagon and drag outfits on this work. They have a roof rack type thing to take bales on the cab roof as well. I sometimes think that the loads should be sheeted!! as quite a lot is left in the slip stream.
The last time I loaded straw in April 2010 from the place next to the Sleaford weighbridge got pulled into the weighbridge and weighed, two rows of big bales and one row of normal size bales on a standard flat trailer with a 6x2 Scania it weighed 39ton. The straw was sodden and full of water, the VOSA man said that they pulled me as they were curious about the weight as it had been raining for about 6 weeks he was a bit surprised at the weight and said “The next man out of there with a step frame could be in a bit of bother”. So guess the weight depends more on the weather than the straw.
Mazzer2:
The last time I loaded straw in April 2010 from the place next to the Sleaford weighbridge got pulled into the weighbridge and weighed, two rows of big bales and one row of normal size bales on a standard flat trailer with a 6x2 Scania it weighed 39ton. The straw was sodden and full of water, the VOSA man said that they pulled me as they were curious about the weight as it had been raining for about 6 weeks he was a bit surprised at the weight and said “The next man out of there with a step frame could be in a bit of bother”. So guess the weight depends more on the weather than the straw.
You don’t want wet straw, or hay ever.
Apart from being heavy, it can kill horses, spontaneously catch fire and cause farmers lung from the mould spores
I’m surprised our resident fridge mentor/hay and straw expert hasn’t been on here to give us his expertise on hay transportation
Too busy spouting his BS on another subject.
pierrot 14:
I’m surprised our resident fridge mentor/hay and straw expert hasn’t been on here to give us his expertise on hay transportationToo busy spouting his BS on another subject.
First to reply.
Wrong as usual, straw bales weigh considerably more than 45lb when dry, unless you’re carrying 2 string bales - like the stuff you buy from pets at home. Conventional bales are more like 450kg!! There’s virtually no air gaps in the bales as they’re packed quite dense and dry, they may get wet on the outside but even after months in a field still be tinder dry in the middle.
mardybum:
Wrong as usual, straw bales weigh considerably more than 45lb when dry, unless you’re carrying 2 string bales - like the stuff you buy from pets at home. Conventional bales are more like 450kg!! There’s virtually no air gaps in the bales as they’re packed quite dense and dry, they may get wet on the outside but even after months in a field still be tinder dry in the middle.
Got to be honest, I have no idea of the weight of a bale of straw, same as I have no idea of the weight of anything that I carry as a specific weight without the use of a weigh bridge. Farmers do know it though and will load you up accordingly. Depending on moisture wetness density etc they do vary considerably. I have done straw in the past and when its dry it is a pretty light load. Who cares what a bale weighs, you will not be overloaded with a full load at worse conditions.