Hauling grain....

[farmaholic]

Supposed to start tomorrow.... just got everything ready... try and start stuff today and load.... then start full bore tomorrow.

My apprentice said, "why do we live somewhere where the air hurts my face". LOL....

Maybe this is the price I pay from digging my heels in and not selling in fall.... Oh well, at least they are giving me a chance to get my wheat in. I will do my best.... I want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. But weather like this is hard on both man and machine.

[Oliver88]

Its not bad if you don't have a few feet of snow.....but when you get a dump of snow it turns into a lot of work. I find using a small block heaters on the augers always makes thing go smooth as well as synthetic oil.
Haven't put chains on my auger tires yet but have heard that is a cheap improvement that really improves traction.

The last few years I've made a point of moving more grain pre-December to reduce my snow clearing intervals and firing up of tractors to pull a semi.

McFarms is right though, people in general are getting softer than 10, 20, 30 years ago.

[Braveheart]

We generally haul when needed. Starting augers can be an issue but we change oil to 0w40. Just bought a magnetic block heater maybe that will help also. Try to just ignore the weather. It's out of my control.

[Braveheart]

Auger tire chains sound like a good plan.

[farmaholic]

Braveheart.... we took the battery off and put it in a warm place with the charger on it and we also just bought an magnetic heater as well. The thing got hot enough to burn my fingers.... duh, live and learn. Always put gasline antifreeze in the gas in fall before freeze up. Days/times like this I wish I was more of a hot destination type of person...

[biglentil]

Auger tire chains sound like a good plan.

Yes no kidding have to order a set hard to findem locally these days. BnB small motors sells a heated insulated tarp you throw over the motor 200 clams though.

[therealnorthernf]

chains on the auger tires, wouldn't that just make it harder to push/pull around? I find winter boots with big knobby rubber soles the best for getting the auger into the bin hole..

Stay warm and be careful

[Oliver88]

Princess Auto sells a $70 silicone pad heater, 150 W that you can apply quite successfully to a flat surface.
magnetic block/oil heaters, work great too.....not sure which one is more expensive?

Between that and synthetic oil, never an issue starting.

[fjlip]

Every engine aluminum, mag heater no stick? Lots of fun, hoist barely goes up or down some days.
Electric motors start just like summer, just stiff belts.

[Oliver88]

Every engine aluminum, mag heater no stick? Lots of fun, hoist barely goes up or down some days.
Electric motors start just like summer, just stiff belts.

I bought one of these silicone heating pads (they have various sizes) at Princess Auto, the adhesive is strong and we put it on a Kohler with a cast aluminum surface.
http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/silicone-heater-pad/A-p8641052e

Have also used one of those magnetic heaters on a different auger, just put it on oil filter and it seems to heat up oil.