Going to use 4x5 round bales to feed the horses, getting away from small square bales. Looks like there are two styles of rear hay spears, ones with the center main spear and two stabilizers, and the other has two lower long spears. I only need to pick up about 12 inches or so. Any advantage between the two?

My neighbor used to have one that just fastened to the lower 2 arms of a 3 pt hitch. The tips could ride up over rough ground but not dip down. Just 2 spears to go under the bale with a short stinger. It worked great but it disappeared when scrap got high. That was when copper was in big demand too. Cost the farmers in our county a lot of money replacing copper from irrigation wells and grain dryers. miles

I have used the rear hitch bale spear that has the one long spear, and the 2 short ones below it, for a very long time. Works just fine. I actually have two of them, one has a much larger diameter spear than the other, and that's the one I use. I also have a bale spear on my frontend loader, and it's the one long spear type as well. I've used them for a good many years, and have never had a problem. Never used one of the other kind you mentioned, so can't help you there.

The type that spears the bale is my preference. I have a "cradle" type also but it would not work on small bales and even on the 5 footers, if you are not centered, it will turn the bale instead of sliding down both sides. With the spear, you can be off center or high or low and still get the bale.

When you say you need to lift 12" What are you lifting the bale onto?

I am going to say off-hand, the spear is a better option. That's what I have and as another stated, you don't have to be perfectly centered etc.

I use the spear with two small "stabilizers" below it. Works well for lifting bales onto the hay truck as they can't spin around if you are off center. It also allows you stand them on end pretty easily.

The cradle type works much better for old wornout bales with busted strings that are going to fall apart when you spear them.

I built a feeder to hold the round bales off the ground, and covered. Simple build, the base platform is about a foot off the ground. I bought a cradle type two spear attachment. So far, it has worked fine. I can back into the bale and lift it high enough to place the bale into the feeder.

This feeder I made has open sides, and there was at least 50% wasted hay on the ground. That wasn't the plan, so I cut up one of those 16 foot long fence panels in four pieces, welded closure pieces to make then whole. Mounted one on each side, two were left verticle, two were pivoted at the bottom so the tops would lean onto the bales. I put a bungee across the top to hold the moving pieces against the bale. This has worked great! The horses can get their noses through the panel squares, but there is hardly no waste on the ground.

These fence pieces probably aren't strong enough for long term, but I can make stronger pieces in time.