Irelands Farms Limited look after 1700 hectares split between their base at Grange Farm near Sleaford and 6 contract farms within a 13 mile radius. Mark Ireland talks to us about his relationship with Bailey, which started 25 years ago when the business purchased 2 Beeteaper trailers that are still hard at work today.

You run Bailey Beeteapers, what was behind your decision to order them?

We were running an ageing fleet of trailers; none of which were ideal for carting beet. Back then Beeteaper trailers were fairly new to the market, we thought we should have a look at them. In 2000 we bought two 18 tonne Beeteapers through Sharmans Agricultural, they were our first Bailey trailers. In 2020 we added a third 18 tonne Bailey Beeteaper to the fleet.

Did you specify any options, if so which and why? 

Flotation tyres and air brakes were a priority.  We also had a secondary drawbar for pulling trailers in tandem.

Is there an option / feature that you couldn’t do without? 

Definitely flotation tyres, they work extremely well in the field during the winter months and hardly leave a mark. I would also say LED lights and the extra lights at the top of the rear door, they ensure we are very visible on the road.

What duties are the trailers being used to support?

Carting beet throughout September to March. During harvest of combinable crops – wheat, barley, oilseed rape and beans we use 2 and sometimes all 3 trailers as we’re working flat out on long days.

What do you look for in a trailer?

We’re working within a radius of approximately 13 miles from base, travelling on A and B roads, therefore, we need trailers that give us confidence on the road. Reliability is key to the smooth running of our operation and we want a durability, we put our machinery through its paces.

How do you find the performance of the sprung drawbar in relation to the ride in the tractor? 

Unless you’ve used a trailer with a standard drawbar, you don’t appreciate the smoothness of ride that a sprung drawbar brings. I wouldn’t consider a trailer without a sprung drawbar now.

How does the higher opening door help with heaping, scraping and levelling beat? 

We hadn’t realised what a difference this door would make prior to using one. Previously we used a teleporter on the beet clamp, which now happens very rarely. More often than not, well organised tipping negates any further pushing up before loading. In effect we’ve saved time by losing an operation, which also reduces potential damage to the crop.

How much easier do the extra lights make when reversing up to a heap at night?

We had the extra reversing lights fitted when our original 2 Beeteaper trailers were refurbished by Bailey in 2015. We were so impressed that we specified them on our later trailer. These lights make tipping at night so much easier, whether we’re backing up to a heap of beet or into the stores during cereal harvest, visibility is much clearer and therefore safer for the operator.

Do you run any other Bailey trailers; can you tell us what they are?  

We also run a 14 tonne Bailey flatbed trailer. This trailer is used to cart fertiliser, seeds and bales, it’s a real workhorse around the farm. Like our Beeteapers, this trailer is very well made, it’s 10 years old and has stood the test of time fantastically well.

How would you rate the back-up from Bailey? 

Absolutely first class. We are only 3 miles from the factory, it has been easy for us to address the few breakdowns over very many years. I like the fact that at the same time that Bailey has invested in fabrication, they have also invested in the parts side of the business.  Bailey build a trailer that will last for years and are prepared to back it throughout its long working life.

Can you sum up what owning Bailey trailers means to your business?  

Introducing Bailey trailers to our business over 25 years ago has made a real difference to the reliability of our farm haulage operations. The trailers are very well matched to the latest tractors; therefore, we know we’re safe on the roads and we’re not leaving a big footprint in the field. Bailey trailers are fantastic products, from an operational and financial perspective they speak for themselves.

About Bailey Beeteaper trailers

Our Beeteaper range is designed especially for transporting and heaping beet and features a unique tipping angle of approximately 60°. We fit longer side arms and rams, which enables the rear door to open higher when compared to conventional trailers. This extra clearance permits the heaping, scraping and levelling of beet to a height of around 9’. Although Beeteapers are designed primarily for beet, they are just as dependable when transporting grain and other crops.

Read more about our Beeteaper trailers here ››

At J H Baxter & Sons Ltd, farming and agricultural contracting have been at the heart of the business since 1958. Director Andrew Baxter shares how Bailey Trailers, from bale trailers with hydraulic clamps to Beeteaper models, play a vital role in keeping operations safe, efficient and reliable, while helping the business meet the demands of modern agriculture.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and the business?
I’m Andrew Baxter of J H Baxter and Sons Ltd, we’re based in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. I’m a director of the business alongside my brother Adrian. The business was started by my Father in 1958. We’re agricultural contractors and hauliers, we also have our own farm.

On the farm we grow wheat, barley and sugar beet. We also rent out some of the better land for parsnips, onions and potatoes. The largest aspect of our agricultural business is straw. We supply straw for multiple uses, for example: carrot covering, power stations and cattle farmers across the country.

What challenges do you face?
The same as many people in UK agriculture – intensity of farming, ever changing weather patterns and price pressure, to name but a few.

What do you look for in a trailer?
Reliability is the first word that springs to mind. We often travel up to 25 miles away from base. We need to know that we can go out and do a good day’s work without any issues. Additionally, I would say that value for money is very important to us.

How long have you run Bailey trailers?
It must be about 30 years now. Our first Bailey was an old 10-tonne dumper trailer, which was pretty indestructible. That dump trailer carted cattle muck, chicken muck, general waste and sugar beet week after week after week. It was a brilliant piece of kit. So, when we were looking for another trailer, there was only one place to go.

Which Bailey trailers do you run and what are they used for?
We’re currently running 2 bale trailers with hydraulic clamps on the straw side of the business. We run a fleet of 6 beeteaper trailers, which haul sugar beet, muck and waste. They are fitted with grain hatches and front windows; which gives us the option to use them for our grain harvest.

We also have a low loader trailer, which is very handy for moving seed corn around the farm. It’s fitted with a heavy-duty electrical winch. Should a machine become stuck a long way from home, it can easily be retrieved. This trailer was called into action only the other day, we had to recover a broken-down tractor from a farm several miles away.

What difference has running bale trailers with hydraulic clamps made to your work?
Straw is such a big part of our business; we’re supplying to a straw-fired power station locally. We wanted these loads to be delivered safely and securely.

Both bale trailers are 35 feet long triaxle models, which is an ideal length for us. Typically, eight-foot bales, which may vary slightly in length, fit along perfectly. The hydraulic pressure applied by the clamps is perfect for protecting the load and making it very safe to travel. An idea that has been well thought through, as you would expect from Bailey Trailers.

When you look at a typical harvesting day, we could be out for 12 hours or even longer. The ability to just pull your spool valves up each time to raise or lower the sides makes such a difference. The reduction in time over strapping is obvious. However, driver fatigue and in particular safety is also much improved.

In terms of savings, we’ve reduced some jobs by at least 2 loads a day. This makes a big difference to our labour and fuel costs. Because we can carry loads 3 high, we are able to load straight from the fields and into the stacks in multiples of three. The whole operation is now far more efficient.

How do you find the performance of the sprung drawbar in relation to the ride in the tractor?
Feedback from drivers is very positive. Coupling the sprung draw bar to the cab and front axle suspensions provides a much smoother ride. Working 12 hours plus in a day, it’s this kind of comfort that helps the operator to achieve maximum output.

Are there any other particular features that have impressed you?
When we are working in poor light conditions or in the dark, the lights are excellent. The undercarriage is also very stable on all Bailey trailers. We’re particularly impressed with the rear steering axle on the bale trailers, for tight turns and difficult access points this really helps the driver. A very good idea.

How would you rate the back-up from Bailey?
Excellent. We’ve got a very good relationship with the Bailey family; they look after us. When we speak to other farmers and growers, they say the same.

In your opinion what sets Bailey apart?
An excellent product, safe, reliable, durable, efficient and good value for money.

Can you sum up what owning Bailey trailers means to your business?
In our experience of running agricultural machinery, you generally find that top brands come into their own. This is certainly the case when you run a fleet of Bailey trailers.

Bale clamps – frequently asked questions

What clamp lengths are available?
You can specify 850mm, 1700mm, 2380mm or 3060mm.

What height can you load with the clamps?
You can load bales to a height of three Hesston’s with our twin bale clamps.

Can you activate the clamps on one side only?
Yes, both sides are powered independently, you can select either nearside or offside for loading.

How long does it take for the clamps to open and close?
It takes approximately 10-15 seconds for a single clamp and between 15 – 20 seconds for twin clamps.

For more information on our bale trailers and hydraulic clamping system, click here ››

S E Hill Ltd are a specialist ground works and earthworks business based in Lincolnshire. Typically, the company carries out ditching, roadways and trackways, excavating lagoons, forestry and tree shearing and building equestrian arenas. Owner Steve Hill talks about his relationship with Bailey.

What challenges do you face?
The biggest one would be working through the winter. We have to think more carefully about what we’re doing and where. It’s a nightmare when it’s wet.

However, with careful planning we can still get the job done. If we’re on soft ground you’ve got to avoid getting stuck. Our latest trailer has the larger flotation tyres, they’ve certainly made a difference.

What do you look for in a trailer?
It’s got to be a good, strong trailer that’s not going to fall to bits in five or ten years. We put our machinery through its paces, reliability is paramount.

How long have you run Bailey Trailers?
I think it was around 2017 when we bought our first Bailey trailer.

What Bailey trailers do you run?
We run a 20 tonne Contract Tipper and a 22 tonne Beavertail Low Loader.

What kind of work do you use the trailers for?
The Low Loader is used for transporting machinery to sites. We carry a host of materials in the Contract Tipper from soil, stone and gravel, to trees. On one occasion we carted some chicken feed. It’s even had a Bobcat in it.

What do you like about a Bailey trailer?
I’d say the size and strength. Also, very good brakes and suspension. They do everything we want from a trailer and they are very reliable.

Because they are so well built, you can get a bit more in than you would with other trailers. The Contract Tipper is fitted with the Front to Back Sheet, it’s a really good option, works on the hydraulics, folds over in seconds.

I like the paint finish. Both our trailers have the new anti-chip paint on the headboards, which is really good, if you get stuff flick off the wheels it’s not going to chip the paint. I also like the Bailey green.

In your opinion what sets Bailey apart?
Although I haven’t owned any other makes other than Bailey, I have used other trailers. I would say that a Bailey trailer is more stable when you’ve got a load on board, they seem to pull better, particularly when you’re on the road.

How would you rate the parts and service from Bailey?
It’s easy as they’re right on my doorstep. If I need a part, they’ve always got one in stock, I don’t have to wait for anything. We grease the trailers regularly and that’s about it, I’ve never had one that’s needed the brakes changing on it, they’ve always been really good.

How would you sum up running Bailey Trailers?
I’m happy with my Bailey’s, I have no reason to go anywhere else. They are a good asset at the end of the day, always going to be worth something as they hold their value extremely well.

For more information on our Construction range

P J Stent Ltd are sugar beet contractors based in Beccles, Suffolk. The business harvests beet for about 45 customers throughout Norfolk and Suffolk. In addition, P J Stent carry out precision drilling of vining peas for a local business, as well as growing their own wheat, sugar beet and spring barley. Owner Paul Stent tells us why the business relies on Bailey trailers.

You run Bailey Beeteapers, what was behind your decision to order them?
Bailey has a good reputation. We needed something that was up to the job, Beeteapers are specialist trailers for hauling beet, they fit the bill. We currently run 2 Beeteapers a 20 tonne and an 18 tonne.

Did you specify any options, if so which and why?
A fold down drawbar with hydraulic fittings, which allows us to tow one trailer behind another. Hydraulic brakes, reversing lights on front mudflaps and reversing lights on the tailgate. Greasers on the side arms of the tailgate, this means we don’t have to climb into the trailers to grease.

Is there an option / feature that you couldn’t do without?
I would say the extra lights. We find them invaluable, especially as we’re making most heaps in darkness during wintertime, they make life a lot easier.

What duties are the trailers being used to support?
The trailers are used throughout the winter on sugar beet. During the summer, we hire them out to a couple of local farms for the grain harvest.

What do you look for in a trailer?
Strength, reliability and a good residual value. We can’t find anything that will do the job better than a Bailey Beeteaper.

How do you find the performance of the sprung drawbar in relation to the ride in the tractor?
I think the sprung drawbar on a Bailey is excellent. The balance is spot on. We’re running two different lengths of trailer, they both ride very well.

How does the higher opening door help with heaping, scraping and levelling beet?
You can make a picture-perfect heap. This helps during winter, it stops frost from getting in, the beet will sit in the heap quite comfortably for several weeks.

Do you run any other Bailey trailers; can you tell us what they are?
We run a 15-tonne Low Loader and two 2,000 litre Fuel Bowsers.

How long have you run Bailey trailers?
We’ve run Bailey trailers for over 20 years. Initially, we hired a 12 tonne Agri Dumper, which was an excellent trailer. As the job got bigger, we moved to Beeteapers as we needed bigger trailers.

How would you rate the back-up from Bailey?
We very rarely get a problem with the trailers. On the rare occasion we’ve needed back up, any issues have been sorted out straightaway. Parts are usually here the next day.

Can you sum up what owning Bailey trailers means to your business?
Reliability is key to our job; we need to be productive to keep our customers’ happy. I cannot see where else we would get the reliability in a trailer that we are used to. I’ve never considered anything else. Bailey as a company is a joy to work with.

“It makes everyone happy when they see it. You won’t see many more pink ones in North Yorkshire. Everyone knows who you are.”

Says Charles Waudby, ‘The Man with the Pink Trailer’. In December 2023 we raffled a one -off pink TB15 and raised over £36,000 for Breast Cancer Now. Charles was the lucky winner.

It is said by some that Yorkshire is ‘God’s own County’. On a beautiful August day in North Yorkshire, it was difficult to disagree as we joined Charles and his family on the farm and in the field.

We hear about how it felt to win the trailer, then seeing it for the first time at on our stand at LAMMA. Charles also talks about the attention he receives and what he likes about a Bailey trailer.

As Charles might say… Happy Days!

For more information on TB trailers and our range see our Products page.

For more information on Breast Cancer Now go to: https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/

William Sawbridge & Sons Ltd are farmers and contractors located in North Buckinghamshire. The business predominantly grows 2,500 acres of milling wheat for commercial use, plus a mixture of flowers, pollen and nectar through an SFI Scheme. Additionally, in the region of 1,200 acres of contract farming is undertaken across Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

The company has recently taken delivery of three new 18tonne TB trailers. At the end of a busy day in the combine, we caught up with William Sawbridge for his thoughts so far…

You’ve recently put three 18-ton TB trailers on the run, what was behind your decision?
We were running 3 trailers from another manufacturer up until earlier this year. During harvest last year we experienced a series of issues with tyre technology, which resulted in us having to buy 5 new tyres in a very short space of time. That’s a considerable amount of money. When we approached the manufacturer to resolve the issue, we were less than satisfied with their response.

We’ve run a Bailey flat trailer for a number of years and been very happy with it. I mentioned my dilemma to a farming acquaintance who relies on a fleet Bailey trailers. He had nothing but praise for the trailers and the back-up. I called Michael Bailey and arranged to visit the factory.

During my visit, I met Michael and many of the Bailey family, including Tom Bailey the founder. It was obvious they had invested in machines; I thought the factory was tip top. They work hard, from the paint sprayers to the guys that are producing the sheets of metal to build the trailer walls. They are my kind of people; it was an easy decision to make.

Did you specify any options, if so, which and why?
We chose rollover sheets; I believe that moving forwards this is a must. Grain socks on the back, when we dress our own seed we have to have a sock on the back. The rest is basically standard, everything that should be on a trailer is already on a Bailey.

What duties of the trailers being used to support?
They are supporting two combines to get all the wheat off the field and into the shed as quickly and safely as possible. We will also use them when we’re drilling. Because we’ve got the rollover sheets, we can put the pallets of seed in the trailer. This means we can haul the trailer down the field, at the end of the day deploy the sheet, which protects everything until the following day.

What do you look for in a trailer?
Stability, easy braking, it runs true to the road, no rocking and rolling.

How do you find the performance of the sprung drawbar in relation to the ride it gives in the tractor?
They run so true that the guys don’t even know the trailer is on the back. If you look at the tractors, they all sit on the drawbars dead level, all four wheels on the ground.

Is there any particular feature that has impressed you?
The trailer’s ability to stick to the road. Everything that Michael Bailey said they’d do, they’ve done, I’m extremely pleased. I only wish we’d made this decision a few years ago.

You also run a Bailey flat trailer, what are you using it for?
I think we bought it about eight to nine years ago. We’re liquid fertilizer based and we’ve put a 10,000 litre tank on it. On the road and in the field it’s stable and runs true.

Can you sum up what running Bailey trailers means to your business?
So far this season we’ve hauled about 4,000 tons of wheat with our Bailey trailers, there’s no wheat in the village. In previous years, almost every day, we were going round with the road brush and the load-all to brush and pick the wheat off the road.

The one thing about the farming industry is families deal with families. It’s about trust – being honest and having confidence in your products. My time with the Bailey family was enough to convince me that in the unlikely event something goes wrong, they’ve got my back. There’s a passion for farming at Bailey, you can’t put a price on that.

When farms across Wales, Cumbria and North Yorkshire were affected by extreme snowfall in 2013, Lincolnshire arable farmer Andrew Ward felt compelled to help them. From Andrew’s intervention Forage Aid was born.

Forage Aid exists to mobilise the agricultural community to help farmers during times of need due to severe weather conditions. In most cases, Forage Aid supply forage and bedding donated by farmers across the UK.

Andrew Ward runs Bailey trailers on his farm, he has a long-standing relationship with the Bailey family. During the snowfall of 2013 Andrew approached Michael Bailey for our help to move straw. We were only too delighted to get involved and hauled loads to Wales using our fleet of trucks.

Since then, our trailers and haulage trucks have seen action for Forage Aid in South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Somerset. We supplied a couple of flat trailers to help move bales onto livestock farms during the flood disaster of 2014 which devastated the Somerset levels.

For Michael Bailey helping Forage Aid is a matter of principle: “The UK farming community is a close-knit bunch, no farmer likes to see another in real hardship because of a natural disaster. When Andrew first approached us back in 2013, we were keen to do our bit.

“We’re deeply rooted in farming; go back a couple of generations our family farmed the fields in Lincolnshire. Giving something back is important to us, if a call comes in from Forage Aid, we’re ready to help where we can.”

For more information on Forage Aid: https://forageaid.org.uk

Ed Bourne farms on the Digby Fen between Lincoln and Sleaford, and has been running a new Bailey bale trailer with hydraulic clamps since Spring 2023, saving his business valuable time and making his work more efficient…

Can you tell us where you are, what you farm and how long you’ve farmed in the area?
We farm on Digby Fen between Lincoln and Sleaford.

What challenges do you face?
Our greatest challenge is time, we have very short windows in which to clear customers’ straw. I would say another challenge is the state of the roads, they are very uneven where we are.

What do you look for in a trailer?
It would have to be reliability and residual value.

Do you find the hydraulic bale clamps easy to use?
The hydraulic clamps that Bailey builds are very easy to use.

What difference have hydraulic bale clamps made to your days?
They have made a massive difference; we’ve saved in excess of 30 minutes per load.

Have you seen any cost benefits from using hydraulic bale clamps?
The time we have saved has made us more efficient.

How would you describe the build quality of a Bailey trailer?
The quality of the build, the welds and the paint finish is very good.

How long have you run Bailey trailers?
We have run our Bailey for 6 months.

How do you rate the back up from Bailey?
We haven’t needed any back up, it’s worked really well.

How would you sum up running Bailey trailers?
When I enquired about the product Michael Bailey gave me some good advice. We’re only 6 months into running our Bailey trailer, but so far we’ve been very impressed.

Willie Lean runs an agricultural and groundworks contracting business situated between Inverness and Nairn. The business runs a 24 tonne tri-axle Bailey Contract Tipper (CT24) to haul anything from grain and muck to top and sub soils. Their CT24 is fitted with an onboard “Cropweigh” weighing system, which has more than paid for itself as Willie explains…

“When we ordered the trailer and asked for the weighing system I wasn’t sure whether we’d done the right thing, it added a fair amount to the price of the trailer. I needn’t have worried though as the system paid for itself inside the first few months.

“Before we used this trailer we would be asked to quote to haul a certain tonnage and many times the actual weight carted was greater than what we had quoted for. It was difficult to go back to the customer without a figure, the Onboard Weighing System has changed that dramatically. We now know exactly what weight we are hauling and can show the customer from readings taken on our phones via the app. If we have hauled what we’ve quoted for and there’s more to do we can renegotiate the job.

“Our ability to share real time data with our customers works both ways as they can see from the Weighing System just what the fields are doing in terms of yield when we’re in them. We can also access the data from the PC on the farm to produce accurate daily reports.

“Once you’ve got an Onboard Weighing System on your trailer you’d never have another one without it. We’ve ordered a new 20 tonne Bailey TB trailer primarily for our grain work and this will have the same Weighing System on it. It’s a fantastic piece of kit.”

D&B Farming are an arable and contracting business situated in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. We caught up with James Burton of D&B during harvest 2021 for our latest ‘Top Tip’ interview. James explains what he looks for in a trailer and why his business relies on Bailey trailers to get the job done.

Paint Finish
“The quality of the paint finish is brilliant. We do a lot of maize carting which leaves starch on the paint. We use a lot of chemicals to get the starch off, which is hard to remove, but the paint has always stayed the same.”

Pipe Holder
“We really like the swan neck pipe holder, it keeps the pipes away from the tractor lift arms, keeps everything nice and tidy and generally safer.”

Locking Rear Door
“We find the locking rear door very useful. Because accidents do happen, operators can pull the wrong spool, it just eliminates all of that and keeps the crop in the trailer.”

Arched Front Window
“The arched front window for the tractor operator is very good, it gives that higher point in the middle so you can keep seeing the crop being filled into the trailer down to the sides.”