6 Best Skid Steer Hay Spears For Small Farms Old Farmers Swear By

Moving round bales with a tractor’s front-end loader and a cheap set of pallet forks is a recipe for a long, frustrating day. A dedicated skid steer hay spear, on the other hand, turns a dreaded chore into a quick, efficient job. Choosing the right one saves you time, reduces hay waste, and makes the whole process safer for you and your machine.

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Choosing the Right Spear for Your Small Farm

The right hay spear isn’t just about lifting a bale; it’s about doing it safely and efficiently. The first thing to consider is the type of bale you handle. A single, long spear is perfect for penetrating the dense core of a round bale, while a setup with two or three shorter tines is better for handling large square bales without them shifting.

Pay close attention to the spear itself. You want a forged, tapered spear, not one made from simple round stock. Forged spears are heat-treated for incredible strength and can flex under extreme load without breaking. Look for spears that mount into a "Conus" sleeve, which provides a secure, tapered fit that gets tighter with use. A Conus 2 is a heavier-duty standard than a Conus 1, and it’s what you’ll find on most quality attachments.

Finally, think about your machine and your workflow. A single spear is nimble and easy to aim, but a bale can sometimes spin on it, especially on uneven ground. A double spear setup provides excellent stability, preventing rotation, but requires a more precise approach to the bale. For most small farms handling round bales up to 1,500 pounds, a heavy-duty single spear is the most versatile and forgiving option.

Titan Attachments 49" Forged Hay Bale Spear

For many farmers just getting into hay, the Titan spear is the entry point. It’s affordable, widely available, and does the fundamental job of moving a round bale from point A to point B without much fuss. It bolts right up to a universal skid steer quick attach plate and gets you working in minutes.

The core of the unit is a 49-inch forged spear rated for around 3,000 pounds, which is more than enough for typical 4×5 or 5×5 round bales. The frame is simple, usually a high-visibility design that makes it easy to see the spear tip as you approach the bale. This simplicity is its greatest strength; there are no moving parts to break and very little to maintain.

The tradeoff for the low price is in the overall construction. While the spear itself is usually solid, the frame might use thinner steel than premium brands. For someone moving a few dozen bales each season, it’s perfectly adequate. If you’re handling hundreds of bales or working in demanding conditions, you might find its limits sooner than you’d like.

Stout HD72-3B: A Grapple and Spear Combo

Sometimes, one tool for one job isn’t enough. The Stout HD72-3B, and similar brush grapple/hay spear combos, address the reality of small farm life: you need your machine to be as versatile as possible. This isn’t just a hay spear; it’s a multi-tool that can clear brush, move logs, and handle loose material.

The design incorporates one or two main hay spears into the lower jaw of a grapple. You can use the spears to handle round bales just like a dedicated attachment. But when you need to clean up a fencerow or move a pile of fallen limbs, you simply use the grapple function without ever leaving the cab to swap implements.

This versatility comes at a cost. These units are heavier, more expensive, and have hydraulic components that require maintenance. The visibility of the spear tips can also be slightly obscured by the grapple frame. However, for an operator who values efficiency and wants to minimize attachment changes, the sheer utility of a combo unit often makes it a worthwhile investment.

Worksaver SSBS-49S: The Classic Farm Standard

If you want an attachment that will likely outlast your skid steer, Worksaver is a name that comes up again and again. Their SSBS-49S single spear unit is the definition of a no-nonsense, built-for-life tool. It’s not flashy, but it’s engineered from the ground up for durability and reliability.

What sets it apart is the build quality. The steel is thick, the welds are clean and strong, and the frame is designed to protect the front of your machine. Worksaver uses high-quality, German-made forged spears that are known for their strength and longevity. This is the kind of tool you buy once and pass down.

You will pay more for a Worksaver than for a budget import brand. There’s no getting around that. But what you’re buying is peace of mind. When you’re trying to get hay in before a rainstorm, the last thing you need is a cracked weld or a bent spear. This is the choice for the farmer who sees equipment as a long-term investment, not a short-term expense.

Blue Diamond Severe Duty Single Hay Spear

Some farms are just tougher on equipment. Maybe you’re dealing with extremely dense, wet bales from a new baler, or perhaps your fields are rough and rocky. The Blue Diamond Severe Duty spear is built for exactly these conditions. It’s intentionally overbuilt to handle abuse.

The term "Severe Duty" isn’t just marketing. This attachment features a heavily reinforced frame, a walk-through design on many models for easy cab access, and a very strong spear mount. Every potential stress point has been considered and strengthened. It gives you the confidence to spear a frozen bale or handle an awkward load on a hillside without worrying if your attachment is up to the task.

This level of durability is overkill for some, but essential for others. If you’ve ever bent a spear or cracked a frame on a lesser attachment, you understand the value. It’s for the operator who pushes their equipment to its limits and needs a tool that won’t fail when it’s needed most.

Everything Attachments Single Tine Bale Spear

Sitting in a sweet spot of quality, features, and price, the Everything Attachments spear is a fantastic all-around choice. They’ve built a reputation for selling well-made, direct-to-consumer attachments that offer tremendous value. This is a big step up from entry-level models without the premium price of the most heavy-duty brands.

This spear often features top-tier components, like German-made SHW spears, known throughout the industry for their quality. The frame is typically a robust, high-visibility design with a solid upper backstop to keep the bale from rolling back onto your machine’s hydraulics. It’s a thoughtful design that balances strength with practicality.

This is the perfect spear for the serious hobby farmer who moves 100 to 200 bales a year. It’s reliable, well-built, and backed by a company known for good support. It represents a smart, calculated purchase that provides professional-grade quality without breaking the bank.

Haugen Tele-Spear for Added Stacking Reach

Barn space is always at a premium. The Haugen Tele-Spear is a specialized tool designed to solve one specific problem: stacking bales higher than a standard spear can reach. If you need to go three or even four bales high to fit all your hay under cover, this attachment is a game-changer.

The Tele-Spear features a hydraulically or manually extending boom that gives you several extra feet of lift height and forward reach. This allows you to place bales precisely on top of a tall stack or deep into the back of a barn loft. It turns previously unusable vertical space into valuable storage.

This is not an everyday spear. It is more expensive, heavier, and has more moving parts than a standard fixed spear. But for the small farmer with a big hay requirement and a small barn footprint, the ability to stack higher and tighter can be the difference between buying a new shed and making do with what you have. It’s a problem-solver.

Hay Spear Safety and Maintenance Essentials

A hay spear seems simple, but it demands respect. The single most important rule is to never allow anyone to stand near or under a raised bale. A 1,200-pound bale is unforgiving, and the spear provides only a single point of connection. Keep the load low to the ground when traveling to maintain your skid steer’s center of gravity.

When approaching a bale, aim for the center and slightly below the midline. This provides the most stable lift and reduces the chance of the bale wanting to flip forward. On slopes, always keep the bale on the uphill side of the machine, whether you are traveling up or down the hill. This prevents the machine from becoming dangerously light and unstable.

Maintenance is straightforward but vital. Before each season, check that the large nut holding the spear to its sleeve is tight. A loose spear can wobble and eventually damage the mount. Periodically inspect all the welds on the frame for any signs of stress cracks, and keep the quick-attach mechanism clean and lubricated for easy connection.

Ultimately, the best hay spear is the one that safely and reliably fits your operation’s scale. Don’t get sold on capacity you don’t need, but don’t skimp on a tool you’ll depend on when the weather is turning. A smart choice here makes one of the most fundamental farm chores faster, safer, and a whole lot less like work.