6 Best Bale Spears For Small Tractors That Old Farmers Swear By

You’ve spent all summer making hay, and now it’s time to move those big round bales to the barn before the rain sets in. The last thing you need is an implement that makes the job harder or, worse, unsafe. Choosing the right bale spear for your compact tractor isn’t just about convenience; it’s a critical decision for efficiency and protecting your equipment.

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Choosing the Right Spear for Your Compact Tractor

A bale spear seems simple, but the wrong one can turn a quick chore into a dangerous balancing act. It’s not just about having a sharp point to stick in a bale. It’s about creating a stable, secure connection between a heavy, awkward load and the front of your tractor.

The first thing to match is the spear to your tractor’s front-end loader. Most modern compacts use a universal skid steer quick attach (SSQA) system, which makes swapping attachments easy. Older or smaller tractors might have a "pin-on" style specific to the manufacturer, so double-check what you have before you buy.

Finally, think about the bales you’re actually moving. A 4×4 round bale of dry grass hay is a world away from a 4×5 bale of wet ryegrass balage. For most hobby farmers with compact tractors, a single main spear with one or two smaller stabilizer spears below it is the perfect setup for handling bales up to about 1,500 pounds.

Titan 49" Hay Bale Spear: A Versatile Workhorse

If there’s a go-to choice for thousands of small farm owners, it’s probably a Titan. They’ve found the sweet spot between affordability and function, making them one of the most common sights on compact tractors across the country. This spear is built for the person who moves a few dozen to a hundred bales a year and needs something reliable that won’t break the bank.

The classic 49-inch main spear is long enough to get a solid purchase deep into the core of a standard 4- or 5-foot round bale, which is crucial for stability. It’s typically paired with two 17-inch stabilizer spears that prevent the bale from spinning as you drive over uneven ground. That spinning is exactly what you don’t want when you’re trying to carefully stack bales in a tight barn.

With a weight capacity often rated around 3,000 pounds, the frame is more than strong enough for anything a compact tractor can lift. It’s a workhorse that does its job without fuss. For the price, it’s hard to find a better all-around option for general-purpose hay handling.

Worksaver SS-242S: Unmatched Durability

When you see the name Worksaver, you know you’re looking at a piece of equipment built to outlast the tractor it’s attached to. This isn’t the cheapest option on the list, but it’s for the farmer who believes in buying something once and never worrying about it again. The build quality is immediately obvious in the welds, the thickness of the steel, and the overall heft.

Worksaver often uses high-quality, German-made forged steel tines that are known for their strength and resistance to bending. When you spear a frozen or incredibly dense bale, this is the kind of quality that provides peace of mind. The frame is engineered to handle stress without flexing, ensuring the load remains predictable and secure.

Is it overkill for someone moving ten bales a year? Maybe. But if you’re handling heavy, wet balage or moving hay frequently over rough terrain, the investment pays for itself. A bent spear is not only useless, but it’s also a sign of a near-failure that could have been catastrophic.

CountyLine Single Bale Spear for Sub-Compacts

If you’re running a sub-compact tractor, every pound your loader can lift is precious. The CountyLine single spear, often found at Tractor Supply, is designed with this reality in mind. Its simple, lightweight frame doesn’t eat into your tractor’s limited lift capacity, allowing more of that power to be used for the bale itself.

This implement is typically a single, robust spear on a minimal frame. It’s perfect for those smaller 4×4 round bales or large square bales that are common on hobby farms. The design is straightforward, making it easy to use and maintain.

The main tradeoff is the lack of stabilizer spears. Without them, a round bale has a greater tendency to rotate or shift, especially if you don’t hit it dead center. This requires a bit more care and slower speeds during transport, but for the owner of a smaller tractor, it’s a smart compromise to get the job done safely.

SpeeCo S05013300: Simple and Reliable Design

SpeeCo is a name that’s been around forever, and their equipment reflects a philosophy of simple, proven engineering. Their bale spears are no-frills tools designed to do one job and do it well for a very long time. You won’t find fancy features, but you will find heavy-gauge steel and strong welds where they count.

The design is often a classic triangle frame with a primary spear and two stabilizers, providing a great balance of strength and visibility. The tines are replaceable, which is a key feature for long-term ownership. If you accidentally bend a spear on a hidden rock, you can replace it without having to buy a whole new attachment.

This spear is for the practical farmer who isn’t swayed by brand names but by results. It represents a solid middle ground, offering better durability than some budget imports without the premium price of the heaviest-duty brands. It’s a reliable choice you can count on season after season.

Everything Attachments Single Spear Hay Mover

Everything Attachments has built a strong reputation by focusing specifically on the compact tractor market. They understand the equipment and the people who use it. Their hay spears are a perfect example, designed in the USA with an emphasis on matching the tool to the tractor’s capabilities.

What sets them apart is their attention to detail and material quality. They often use high-tensile American steel and focus on clean, strong welds. They also offer a wide variety of mounting options, which is a lifesaver if you have an older tractor with a non-standard pin-on loader.

This is the choice for the farmer who does their research and wants a high-quality product from a company that will stand behind it. You get a well-built tool that feels like it was designed specifically for your machine, not just adapted for it. The balance and visibility are often excellent, making it easier to line up and spear a bale on the first try.

Horst BMF2000: Heavy-Duty for Tougher Bales

When your compact tractor is on the larger end of the spectrum and you’re handling dense, heavy bales, you need a spear that won’t flinch. Horst (under the HLA Attachments brand) builds equipment that feels like it belongs on a machine twice the size. Their bale spears are overbuilt in the best way possible.

The BMF2000 series uses a heavy-walled tubular steel frame that provides incredible rigidity. This is critical when you lift a heavy bale, as any flex in the attachment can make the tractor feel unstable. The tines are top-of-the-line, designed to penetrate the tightest, wettest bales without deflection.

This spear is for the serious hobby farmer, especially one dealing with livestock and feeding balage or silage. Those bales are deceptively heavy and put immense strain on equipment. Pairing a powerful compact tractor with a light-duty spear is asking for trouble; the Horst ensures the attachment is never the weak link.

Key Factors: Spear Length, Capacity, and Mount

Choosing the right spear ultimately comes down to three things. Get these right, and you’ll have a tool that serves you well for decades.

• Mount: This is non-negotiable. It must match your loader. The Universal Skid Steer Quick Attach (SSQA) is the most common, but double-check if you have a proprietary pin-on system from John Deere, Kubota, or another brand.
• Spear Length: The main spear should penetrate at least two-thirds of the way through your typical bale for good stability. A 49" spear is a great all-around size for 4- and 5-foot bales. A shorter 39" spear might be better for smaller bales and offers more maneuverability in tight barns.
• Capacity: The rated lift capacity of the spear frame and tines should always be significantly higher than the maximum lift capacity of your tractor’s loader. This creates a safety margin, ensuring that your tractor will stall out before the implement breaks. Never put a 2,000 lb bale on a spear rated for 1,500 lbs.

Thinking through these factors will guide you to the perfect choice. The goal is to create a system where the tractor, the spear, and the bale work together as one stable unit.

Ultimately, the best bale spear is the one that safely matches the size of your tractor and the weight of your bales. It’s a simple tool, but the right one makes a hard job easy and a dangerous job safe. Invest wisely, and you’ll spend less time worrying about your equipment and more time getting the work done.