Drier hoppers/Feeding batch driers

Haggis

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Alcester
We have a 48t opico drier which we currently load with a hopper which holds about 15t. Because of the size of the hopper we are unable to run the drier in full automatic mode, meaning we are losing capacity as the drier stops after every load.

I have been trying to come up with a way of feeding the drier to allow us to run the drier in auto mode, so the drier can load itself.

I have seen various setups with big twin hoppers and longer augers, however this option looks quite an expensive upgrade.

I was wondering if taking an old potato bulker and putting greedy boards on it so it would hold enough to fill the drier through the existing loading auger would work?

Has anyone else done anything similar, or come up with any good ways of feeding big batch driers?
 

KB6930

Member
Location
Borders
Seen an auld tattie bulker at a farm sale recently that had been used for that but it was only a 20 ton drier it had been feeding looked like a good idea tho. Some friends of mine have a 40 ton mecmar and they have it outside a shed with a conveyor in the floor feeding it so they're just tipping in a bay think that's a great way to do it.
 

bravheart

Member
Location
scottish borders
That's a big batch!

Did wonder about bulker for our drier but the ones I saw had those removable boards on the conveyor(while ago now), maybe the tattie ones don't need the boards but you would be adding a fair bit extra weight on the belt.
Trench conveyor in the ground with some sides would be the best way to go, especially if you want more than one batch.
 

e3120

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Seen an auld tattie bulker at a farm sale recently that had been used for that but it was only a 20 ton drier it had been feeding looked like a good idea tho. Some friends of mine have a 40 ton mecmar and they have it outside a shed with a conveyor in the floor feeding it so they're just tipping in a bay think that's a great way to do it.
I was thinking of that same bulker - did it make 300 quid or so? Was described as fully auto but still needed filling. Conveyor in floor is the right idea. With a bit of care, trailers could just tip direct onto it with no further bucketing (machine, man, diesel) other than a bit of tidying up now and again.
 

KB6930

Member
Location
Borders
I was thinking of that same bulker - did it make 300 quid or so? Was described as fully auto but still needed filling. Conveyor in floor is the right idea. With a bit of care, trailers could just tip direct onto it with no further bucketing (machine, man, diesel) other than a bit of tidying up now and again.
Didn't make much anyway I know who's got it he did say someone was interested in buying it off him but no sure if it's sold or not it's still parked in his yard anyway.
 

Robert

Member
Location
South East
We have a 48t opico drier which we currently load with a hopper which holds about 15t. Because of the size of the hopper we are unable to run the drier in full automatic mode, meaning we are losing capacity as the drier stops after every load.

I have been trying to come up with a way of feeding the drier to allow us to run the drier in auto mode, so the drier can load itself.

I have seen various setups with big twin hoppers and longer augers, however this option looks quite an expensive upgrade.

I was wondering if taking an old potato bulker and putting greedy boards on it so it would hold enough to fill the drier through the existing loading auger would work?

Has anyone else done anything similar, or come up with any good ways of feeding big batch driers?

@Haggis - Did you ever get anywhere with this? Need some inspiration for a 20t set up but something more transportable than a conventional 3x3 or 4x4 hopper appeals. Thanks
 

Haggis

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Alcester
@Haggis - Did you ever get anywhere with this? Need some inspiration for a 20t set up but something more transportable than a conventional 3x3 or 4x4 hopper appeals. Thanks


Yes, I found a potato bulker going spare with no chassis. We built a chassis under it and added 4ft onto the sides. It will now hold about 60t.

We also put what is basically a float switch in over the driers hopper which switches the belt on and off.

It has made our drying operation much more efficient, the drier doesn’t end up waiting for someone to load it. We also find we do another load in the evening as no one needs to hang about to load it. It’s probably worth about 30% extra output each day.

She’s not pretty though!
 

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Robert

Member
Location
South East
Yes, I found a potato bulker going spare with no chassis. We built a chassis under it and added 4ft onto the sides. It will now hold about 60t.

We also put what is basically a float switch in over the driers hopper which switches the belt on and off.

It has made our drying operation much more efficient, the drier doesn’t end up waiting for someone to load it. We also find we do another load in the evening as no one needs to hang about to load it. It’s probably worth about 30% extra output each day.

She’s not pretty though!

Fantastic - thanks very much
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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