A non-piercing bale grab or squeeze-type handler is usually the best choice for wrapped silage bales. It supports the bale by gripping its outer surface rather than puncturing the plastic, helping preserve the airtight seal. The handler should suit the bale diameter and weight, and its arms should be smooth, correctly adjusted and operated with only enough pressure to hold the bale securely. 

Select the trailer by its gross weight, payload, drawbar load, braking system and hydraulic requirements, not simply its body volume. The tractor must be heavy and powerful enough to tow, control and stop the fully laden trailer on the intended terrain. Also check legal road limits, tyre ratings, access width and whether the tractor can supply the required hydraulic oil. 

The tractor supplies hydraulic oil to one or more rams beneath the trailer body. As the ram extends, it raises the body and allows the load to slide out through the rear or side opening; reversing the hydraulic flow lowers the body. The trailer should be tipped on firm, level ground with the discharge area clear and the tractor and trailer aligned. 

A tipping trailer is a towed trailer with a body that raises to discharge loose material. Agricultural versions are commonly used for crops, soil, manure, vegetation and general farm materials. They reduce manual unloading and allow material to be tipped at the destination, provided the load, ground conditions and tractor are suitable. 

Pallet forks are used to lift pallets, bulk bags on approved supports, timber packs, building materials, crates and other stable loads that can be safely supported on two tines. They can also assist with carefully positioned agricultural materials where the load is secure. They should not be used as a work platform, improvised lifting hook or support for unstable loose loads. 

The safe capacity is the lowest rated limit in the complete system: the fork tines, fork frame, brackets and host machine. Capacity is also affected by load centre, lift height and boom extension, so a telehandler may lift far less at reach than it can close to the ground. Always use the machine’s load chart and the attachment’s marked safe working load rather than estimating from tine size. 

Pallet forks are not universal. The fork frame must match the machine’s carriage or mounting system, such as a specific loader bracket, telehandler carriage or skid-steer interface. Confirm the machine make, model, carriage type, pin or hook measurements and required capacity before selecting the brackets. 

Fork length should support most of the load without projecting excessively beyond it, while the frame width should allow the tines to be positioned under the load’s strongest points. Common pallet loads often suit forks around 1,000–1,200 mm long, but longer or unusual loads may require a different specification. Capacity, load centre, carriage class and machine stability must be checked as well as physical size. 

A single-rotor topper is compact, simple and well suited to smaller tractors and narrower paddocks. A twin-rotor topper provides a wider cutting width and follows uneven ground more effectively across a larger span, allowing bigger areas to be covered faster. It is also heavier and normally needs more tractor power and lifting capacity.