A bale opener for stripping fiber flocks from fiber bales, including a stripping tower arranged on a running gear or a bogie and having a stripping arm. The stripping arm is mounted in a height-adjustable mount in a guide on the stripping tower. A lifting gear is provided for the height adjustment of the stripping arm, wherein the lifting gear is mounted on the stripping arm and on the stripping tower, and the lifting gear has at least one load cell.