Quick answer: Match the arm size and opening to your bales, make sure the clamp is rated for your heaviest bales, and choose the clamp force and rotation your material needs.
What a bale clamp does
A bale clamp uses large flat arms to grip, lift and stack baled material without pallets. It handles cotton, paper, textiles, scrap and recyclables quickly and keeps stacks tight in storage and trailers.
What to look at when choosing a bale clamp
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Bale size | The arms must open wide enough for your bales and be tall enough to grip them securely. |
| Bale type | Cotton, waste paper, textiles and scrap bales behave differently. Dense bales need more clamp force. |
| Arm style | Arm size and surface affect grip and how many bales you can carry at once. |
| Rotation | Rotating bale clamps let you turn bales for stacking or loading. Decide if you need it. |
| Capacity | The clamp must handle your heaviest bale or bale pair, and your forklift must carry it with the attachment. |
Common bale clamp applications
- Recycling centers and MRFs. Moving and stacking baled recyclables.
- Cotton and textile warehouses. Handling cotton and fiber bales.
- Paper recycling. Loading baled cardboard and paper.
Check your forklift first
- Hydraulics. Most bale clamps need one or more auxiliary hydraulic functions on the forklift.
- Carriage class. The attachment must match your forklift’s carriage class and mounting.
- Capacity. Every attachment reduces the forklift’s usable capacity, and the truck’s capacity plate should reflect the attachment. Your forklift dealer can confirm this.
Not sure what fits? Send your forklift make, model and capacity with your bale clamp rental request and we will match the right unit.
Rent first, then decide
If you are still deciding on size or style, rent one and test it on your own loads. Our rent vs. buy guide explains when renting makes more sense than buying. Forklift dealers can rent at dealer pricing through the AttachCo Dealer Rental Program.
Frequently asked questions
Bale clamp or carton clamp?
Bale clamps have bigger, stronger arms built for dense, heavy bales. Carton clamps have pads for boxed goods.
Can one bale clamp handle different bale sizes?
Often, within its arm opening range. Send your bale dimensions and weight and we will match a unit.
Can you ship a bale clamp to my facility?
Yes, anywhere in the continental U.S., usually in 1 to 2 days.
Need a bale clamp?
AttachCo rents reconditioned bale clamps that ship the same day or within 1 to 2 days, anywhere in the continental U.S., through your forklift dealer.