Farm fans grain dryer

[high plains drifter]

Anyone have much experience of one of these dryers.seen one for sale.might do what i want.

 

[chaffcutter]

Yes have had two, both of them went up in smoke!
Disadvantage is that you are drying a solid block of grain from the inside (plenum) outwards, the set end point is sampled about 80% through the depth of the grain, and so all of it is not dried to the same degree and the bulk has to mix and stabilise to an ‘average’ m/c.
My experience tells me that advice I was given about 50 years ago by a chap who managed a commercial silo then was quite true - to dry it properly you’ve got to keep it moving to get it all evenly dried to store well.
I had previously had two Opico machines, which after some mods by us were very good, but back then (1990s) could not be automated, so we went to the Farm Fans machine which could, very successfully until the fire. The replacement went the same way.
By then we were well over the capacity of them anyway so put in a continuous flow Allmet.

If you want to know any more detail send me a pm, happy to help.

 

[high plains drifter]

Thanks

 

[bravheart]

Afaik similar to the yellow wilder static batch driers but gas fired, the problem being dust inside the plenum chamber usually at the filling end where grain hits the mesh and dust falls through. They need cleaning out VERY regularly or spontaneous meltdown will result.

 

[chaffcutter]

Both our fires were about two feet back from the burner end, second one theloss adjusters sent a forensic fire investigator in. I think they thought it might have been deliberate. ( two? H mmmmm) He spent a whole day on it but could find no specific cause. It was quite early in harvest and had been cleaned thoroughly between crops. Total mystery to us I have to say.

Made for a lot of work, we had to put everything through an Opico we bought to tide us over.

 

[bravheart]

Both our fires were about two feet back from the burner end, second one theloss adjusters sent a forensic fire investigator in. I think they thought it might have been deliberate. ( two? H mmmmm) He spent a whole day on it but could find no specific cause. It was quite early in harvest and had been cleaned thoroughly between crops. Total mystery to us I have to say.

Made for a lot of work, we had to put everything through an Opico we bought to tide us over.

Was that the end it filled from?

 

[chaffcutter]

No, the opposite end.

 

[Spencer]

Anyone have much experience of one of these dryers.seen one for sale.might do what i want.

We’ve got three of them, what model are you looking at?

Very good drier in my opinion, made to run all day and night on their own drying corn at high moisture in the US.. They do the same for us in small grains. Will happily take 27% wheat down to 13 in one go, just need to get them set up right. The key to output is getting the wet pit and discharge augers set right so they can look after themselves.

Wouldn’t say they are prone to fire anymore than any other drier..(touch wood) just look after it!

 

[chaffcutter]

You’re probably right about that, but a local farmer had one burn out too........

Other driers certainly do burn, it’s an offputting experience though.

 

[Spencer]

You’re probably right about that, but a local farmer had one burn out too........

Other driers certainly do burn, it’s an offputting experience though.

I heard that Lexions burn...? Still a good combine no?

 

[high plains drifter]

We’ve got three of them, what model are you looking at?

Very good drier in my opinion, made to run all day and night on their own drying corn at high moisture in the US.. They do the same for us in small grains. Will happily take 27% wheat down to 13 in one go, just need to get them set up right. The key to output is getting the wet pit and discharge augers set right so they can look after themselves.

Wouldn’t say they are prone to fire anymore than any other drier..(touch wood) just look after it!

It's an AB 120A not sure how old.

 

[Spencer]

Good little dryer, we have one. It’s the smallest of the Ab series but can get through a surprising amount of work if set up correctly.. If you can, see if you can see it running to check electrics are all good..

 

[high plains drifter]

Got a very old mater now, only really use it for grain we keep for our own use. Thought the farm fans might be a step up,not take so much labour to use

 

[Spencer]

Definitely, need a couple of decent 6” load and unload augers or elevators and your away..