Mixing a slurry tower

[porthmarsh]

Looking for some advice please.
We are about to install a 44 metre by 5 metre
High slurry tower. 1.6m gal. Covered. High DM slurry. Bedded On sawdust.
We are trying to decide on mixing:
air bubbler? Unsure on reliability and loss of N.
large tractor mounted stirrer?
3 x 18 kw internal tank mounted stirrers?

the tractor mounted is by far the cheapest but can we effectively stir a pit that size from one access point?
the elec stirrers look great but very expensive and long term maintenance costs ££

Anyone have any experience stirring a tower that size please and anyone that has had elec mounted stirrers in for some time?

Many thanks

 

[dinderleat]

@mixit stirrer would be ideal and would manage a store that size

 

[PI Stsker]

Slurry tower your limited on what you can do, especially if it’s covered and only got one or two holes in the top to poke a mixer down in to.

in my experience the air bubbler system (normally defunct when you see them on farm) is a waste of time. Works well, ish, for a couple years then blocks up / breaks with no real way of fixing it. If it were me I’d put two big electric paddle mixers in there on a pole that’s easy to winch them up and down to service and change how deep they mix. Problem with the PTO ones through the side wall won’t mix a crust In until the level is much much lower, where as electric ones you can move up and down to mix what you what to mix.

we have a telehandler mounted mixer too that we got very cheap at a farm sale, that’s a very good job to be fair, and ofcorse can be used on multiple towers/lagoons. Just slower than the electric mixers.

 

[Tasteless]

We have a 1.2m gallon concrete store from agri tank. we have two tractor stirring points in the tower that go slightly clockwise and are opposite each other. It's near enough overkill at full capacity, and most definitely when not full.

 

[Bangoverthebar]

Get a tractor agitator thats mounted through the wall of the door. All the rage here in ireland. Simple reliable.ww

 

[PI Stsker]

Get a tractor agitator thats mounted through the wall of the door. All the rage here in ireland. Simple reliable.ww

The thing we found with PTO mixers in the side wall is they mix the bottom up lovely but if you have any crust it dosnt mix it in until the level in the tank has dropped to the level of the mixers. Hence going to electric that are on a pole that we can winch up and down to mix where/what we want. The pto ones also start leaking after afew years of service and need some attention to the bearings/seals.

 

[Conrod96]

The thing we found with PTO mixers in the side wall is they mix the bottom up lovely but if you have any crust it dosnt mix it in until the level in the tank has dropped to the level of the mixers. Hence going to electric that are on a pole that we can winch up and down to mix where/what we want. The pto ones also start leaking after afew years of service and need some attention to the bearings/seals.

Our PTO mixers have done 20 years now and the bearings have just went in them we’ve never any bother with them breaking the crust but there is stuff being pumped into them from the top every other week during the winter though

 

[PI Stsker]

Our PTO mixers have done 20 years now and the bearings have just went in them we’ve never any bother with them breaking the crust but there is stuff being pumped into them from the top every other week during the winter though

Bearings/seals would last about 2years on ours tops. Did them 3 times before getting bored of that hassle and went to electric.
Crust wise we found it would mix up lovely everything under the crust until the crust was level with the mixer then it would mix it in and you’d have hell getting the last bit out as it was so thick and full of debris. now with the electric ones we have one set down lower and one set up higher that mixes the crust in from the start which we then winch down with the level as it’s emptied.
Also much easier and cheaper to flick a switch and have no maintenance than it is to have to grease bearings put PTO shafts on burn diesel have a spare tractor to put on the mixer etc.

 

[The Son]

Mixit, messed around with lots of other stirrers that took a lot of time and not much action before contacting them, stirring is now a simple, quick job. contact them before you build the tank for advice, they are very helpful, and knowledgeable.

 

[killie_cowboy]

We have 2 towers, both 3 rings high, both of which have the side steerers which are absolutely useless unless it's less than half full and the bearings go in no time. Have an over-the-top Mixit stirrer which is the dogs danglies.

 

[Mart.benfro]

Had a tower for 30 years ( uncovered)
Started off with side pto stirrer but was a real pita. Bearings last 2 years & the propeller head 5. If a new head isn’t welded on exactly central it eat bearings & potentially break all the bolts , allowing all the slurry to pour out!!!
Also repairs can only done when empty.

As others above say u cannot beat a mix it stirrer, its farmer designed & a sturdy unit. Ours is 15 years old & will go on at least the same again.

There’s a knack to stirring , otherwise you’re just wasting time & diesel.
you also need to able to move it around the tower to get best use , so not sure how it would be with a cover , also need to be able to see what you’re doing!

no experience with aerators or electric stirrers but avoid anything that needs the store to be empty to repair or service.

M.

 

[bobajob]

You’re probably going to need water to make it easier pumped back out and spread and to help with mixing. Nobody likes storing rainwater unnecessarily but there is a happy medium!

 

[PI Stsker]

You’re probably going to need water to make it easier pumped back out and spread and to help with mixing. Nobody likes storing rainwater unnecessarily but there is a happy medium!

Unfortunately you either need rain water or a seperator, can’t get away with neither. Allot of people will come unstuck eventually with out either.

 

[michael N123]

If you’ve a big telehandler you can put a whisk on one

 

[frederick]

Looking for some advice please.
We are about to install a 44 metre by 5 metre
High slurry tower. 1.6m gal. Covered. High DM slurry. Bedded On sawdust.
We are trying to decide on mixing:
air bubbler? Unsure on reliability and loss of N.
large tractor mounted stirrer?
3 x 18 kw internal tank mounted stirrers?

the tractor mounted is by far the cheapest but can we effectively stir a pit that size from one access point?
the elec stirrers look great but very expensive and long term maintenance costs ££

Anyone have any experience stirring a tower that size please and anyone that has had elec mounted stirrers in for some time?

Many thanks

Don't want to be pessimistic but really don't think it's going to work. You've got the roof to keep water out but think your going to have to add 25% water or more to mix.
Think separation will be the only answer.

We have a 37m by 5m. We have one PTO stirrer. The sediment had to be cleaned out to put the roof on. There wasn't a lot but the stirrer wasn't touching 2/3 of the store. Stirrer was taking all of 120hp.I could only put one in because of it's site. I think you will need at least 4 tractor or electric stirrers through the side. Is it a metal tower. Storth do a panel that allows full mixer replacement without going into the tower.

Over the top through a cover really risky.

I'm budgeting on taking the cover off to clean out every 10years it will be a real pain.

If I was you I would budget on taking the cover off after 5 years and the grant has expired and not putting it back on 44m will be a really big Job and need at least a 100ton crane.

Separate it and a lot of problems will disappear.

Out of interest how much is your store. My one was 135k plus 45k cover. Metal or concrete. Presume your in the 3-400k territory.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Do you guys really need covers for slurry stores these days? Ye Gods.

 

[frederick]

Do you guys really need covers for slurry stores these days? Ye Gods.

You do if you want the grant.

A 5000 cube covered store if it was an uncovered earthbank lagoon it has to store another 2000 cube of rainfall which all has to be spread at a cost and your not spreading anything with any value.

 

[Blue.]

I had a floating cover on my lagoon,after five years I gave up and cut it off,even if I’d have bought a caged stirrer it wouldn’t have worked,the only water going in my store is rain and I still struggle pumping it.

 

[porthmarsh]

Unfortunately you either need rain water or a seperator, can’t get away with neither. Allot of people will come unstuck eventually with out either.

Yes I think that is a worry. We are robotic milking so hoping all washings etc will help…

 

[porthmarsh]

Don't want to be pessimistic but really don't think it's going to work. You've got the roof to keep water out but think your going to have to add 25% water or more to mix.
Think separation will be the only answer.

We have a 37m by 5m. We have one PTO stirrer. The sediment had to be cleaned out to put the roof on. There wasn't a lot but the stirrer wasn't touching 2/3 of the store. Stirrer was taking all of 120hp.I could only put one in because of it's site. I think you will need at least 4 tractor or electric stirrers through the side. Is it a metal tower. Storth do a panel that allows full mixer replacement without going into the tower.

Over the top through a cover really risky.

I'm budgeting on taking the cover off to clean out every 10years it will be a real pain.

If I was you I would budget on taking the cover off after 5 years and the grant has expired and not putting it back on 44m will be a really big Job and need at least a 100ton crane.

Separate it and a lot of problems will disappear.

Out of interest how much is your store. My one was 135k plus 45k cover. Metal or concrete. Presume your in the 3-400k territory.

Concrete tower. £ yes lower end of that territory all in.
That is useful to know thanks. At the moment we are thinking a 200hp extended mixit stirrer. 4xelec stirrers are £60k plus cable and install…think they would be great for the first few years…then a nightmare …

we can get to top of tank to mix so wouldn’t be over the top…do you mean risky because of catching the cover?

we have parlour cubicles washings going to tank with option to add more surface area if needed. Separator would be good but not for a few years.