1600 bushel grain cart

[Rareearth]

Also need plan B, everything breaks down and needs contingency time.

A 850 bushel grain cart is very very inefficient, when filling tridems or supperB’s. How do you get the grain cart right full so you can load the trucks right full?
With 2 combines need 3 combine unloads
Or 3 combines unload once for each

Get a grain cart that’s easy to fill the truck full, and maybe 20 % bigger than you think you need. 1600 bu? There is always a combine at the far end of the field that is almost full, and you haven’t filled the truck yet.

Combining the field around and around versus up and down makes a huge difference. Many farms have different strategies for this.


Edit or a 2000 bu cart you dont have to fill it, unless the trucker is moving auger, getting fuel, changing tire etc

[fjlip]

That makes too much sense. And saves however much a bin on wheels costs these days. Costs to hire sure, but if a guy can find a seasonal guy?

Makes my head swim, how much money and overhead is in grain farming. It’s not for the faint of heart. And I will be the first to say, my heart is faint.

See same happening around me. Didn't seem to be that BUSY when I was 35...yes those were "good days". Number one, keep stress down, or you will be an OLD 35 in no time. Number 2 good help means year round pay. Or revolving education/costly results. Number 3 "flunky" never will touch my investments. Number 4 if you are in short/humid season area like us, DRYER pays huge, grade, timely, safer storage. Number 5 aerated BINS, several sizes.

[flea beetle]

See same happening around me. Didn't seem to be that BUSY when I was 35...yes those were "good days". Number one, keep stress down, or you will be an OLD 35 in no time. Number 2 good help means year round pay. Or revolving education/costly results. Number 3 "flunky" never will touch my investments. Number 4 if you are in short/humid season area like us, DRYER pays huge, grade, timely, safer storage. Number 5 aerated BINS, several sizes.

Found a 2nd hired guy that was awesome this spring. Gave him $30/hour. He stayed until fall and got offered $40/hour driving truck up north. Left right before harvest. Never replaced him as there was only half a crop. But next year might be different. And anybody I have found doesn’t have their class 1.

[flea beetle]

If I may.
I see this often and have done this myself time and again.
It's possible you are using what I call the "heritage effect" in your decision making process.
Those tiny bins are "paid for", "have always worked in the past" "were built by dad" "have always been here, what's wrong with them now"? Similar to the 'sunk cost effect'.
"why is that row there?" "well that's where the corrals were 40 years ago". etc.
It's also possible that at 35, you're still being largely influenced, consciously or not, by the previous generation. Thus, we become insulated from changes in technology and scale. I've succumbed and now at 57 find myself doing it to the young.

Trucks need to roll, not idle 10 -20 mins per cycle while unloading or moving auger.
That's a free truck right there.

So, if one were to apply the KISS method.
All those transportable diameter bins on hoppers have great resale value. Today.
A 25000 or bigger flat with full floor air and unloads is the cheapest storage.
Linked with an air pump in the future for the dryer.
One 16" auger, one yard tractor, and a yard flunky if necessary. Less links in the chain to fail.
You will thank yourself in 20 years. Still be using them in 30 if built right. And they will have long ago paid for themselves.

Just a respectful 2 cents from someone who's been around, seen this a number of times before, done it himself, and is trying to save you some grief.

Planning on building a couple bigger hopper bins (15,000-20,000 bushels each) by the dryer and hopefully can set up an auger from the existing 3300 bushel dry bin to a drag auger on top of the two big bins. Then can finish drying say wheat and switch to barley in the 2nd big bin and empty the wheat bin while still drying. Kind of a surge bin setup.

Aren’t the small bins still better than bags? Maybe build some bigger bins and only use the smaller ones if need be?

I like putting the canola in the small bins. A lot easier on the heart to lose 2000 bushels vs 6000-8000 if one happens to heat. Hasn’t happened, but it could. Got close a few times.

[jazz]

Nothing will give you the bang for the buck than a few extra bins in the fields. Extra storage is always a good investment. Move it to the main yard after harvest. Move your small bins out to the field, build the big ones in the yard.

We have neighbors running 5000 ac with 3 people but have bins in every field. Bins arent big, 3500s.
They set up the auger and the tandem parked and then run with the cart for two combines. Cart driver grabs a load from each combine in sequence then dumps to the tandem. Jumps out augers it in and run back out to repeat. They combine in the general direction of the bins so if the cart driver ever gets delayed such as switching bins, the combine can swing over to the nearby empty cart and dump.

I know its sacrilege if the combine has to break out and drive few hundred yards to dump but saves these guys a super B and extra man.

For me, more iron is always the last solution I will consider.

[TOM4CWB]

Planning on building a couple bigger hopper bins (15,000-20,000 bushels each) by the dryer and hopefully can set up an auger from the existing 3300 bushel dry bin to a drag auger on top of the two big bins. Then can finish drying say wheat and switch to barley in the 2nd big bin and empty the wheat bin while still drying. Kind of a surge bin setup.

Aren’t the small bins still better than bags? Maybe build some bigger bins and only use the smaller ones if need be?

I like putting the canola in the small bins. A lot easier on the heart to lose 2000 bushels vs 6000-8000 if one happens to heat. Hasn’t happened, but it could. Got close a few times.

A fall [winter spring harvest] like 2016 humbles one really fast... 25% wheat on Quonset floor... 20% canola really upsets the big bin concepts... unless big dryer into a grain centre...

A million ways to spend $$$, have fun!!!

Cheers

[flea beetle]

Nothing will give you the bang for the buck than a few extra bins in the fields. Extra storage is always a good investment. Move it to the main yard after harvest. Move your small bins out to the field, build the big ones in the yard.

We have neighbors running 5000 ac with 3 people but have bins in every field. Bins arent big, 3500s.
They set up the auger and the tandem parked and then run with the cart for two combines. Cart driver grabs a load from each combine in sequence then dumps to the tandem. Jumps out augers it in and run back out to repeat. They combine in the general direction of the bins so if the cart driver ever gets delayed such as switching bins, the combine can swing over to the nearby empty cart and dump.

I know its sacrilege if the combine has to break out and drive few hundred yards to dump but saves these guys a super B and extra man.

For me, more iron is always the last solution I will consider.

Unattended grain doesn’t disappear around your place? Have heard a few stories. Not in the immediate area, but close enough.

[flea beetle]

A fall [winter spring harvest] like 2016 humbles one really fast... 25% wheat on Quonset floor... 20% canola really upsets the big bin concepts... unless big dryer into a grain centre...

A million ways to spend $$$, have fun!!!

Cheers

That is where the bagger shines. Bag it and dry all winter. No spoiled grain.

Sucks to work all winter plowing snow and shuttling grain. But you do what you gotta do.

Grain doesn’t start freezing like a brick until 21-22% moisture. Try keep it 20% or under.

[jazz]

That is where the bagger shines. Bag it and dry all winter. No spoiled grain.

Sucks to work all winter plowing snow and shuttling grain. But you do what you gotta do.

Grain doesn’t start freezing like a brick until 21-22% moisture. Try keep it 20% or under.

More guys are moving away from bagging here. It was a big thing 5 yrs ago, but after the harvest from hell and other issues, guys want it in a bin in the yard now. We have had neighbors have big losses to spoilage and damage from wildlife skidoos etc. At $20 canola, nobody wants that out there they cant watch it and handle it quickly.

Chances of someone helping themselves to a bin are pretty rare. Nothing like that has happened here but if not sure, haul it home after harvest. Usually lots of time for that.

I watch those farm vids from europe. Everything carted home with a CVT tractor and end dumped into to a automated pit.

[flea beetle]

How long does 20% moisture grain keep on air? Don’t have any, but my experience without is you have less than a week to get at it.

I can see freezing it if it is that late in the season, but it won’t keep if 10-15 Celsius even on air will it?

[TOM4CWB]

More guys are moving away from bagging here. It was a big thing 5 yrs ago, but after the harvest from hell and other issues, guys want it in a bin in the yard now. We have had neighbors have big losses to spoilage and damage from wildlife skidoos etc. At $20 canola, nobody wants that out there they cant watch it and handle it quickly.

Chances of someone helping themselves to a bin are pretty rare. Nothing like that has happened here but if not sure, haul it home after harvest. Usually lots of time for that.

I watch those farm vids from europe. Everything carted home with a CVT tractor and end dumped into to a automated pit.

Security is a concern... at $50K per S-bee... then how to replace that pre contracted grain... not like we have it made in the shade... zero sum game... we leave this planet with exactly what we arrived with... nothing!!!

Cheers....

[shtferbrains]

Found a 2nd hired guy that was awesome this spring. Gave him $30/hour. He stayed until fall and got offered $40/hour driving truck up north. Left right before harvest. Never replaced him as there was only half a crop. But next year might be different. And anybody I have found doesn’t have their class 1.

On the labour thing you always have to consider it ongoing. It never ends.
The days of the liftime worker are long gone and the whole world is going through one of the worst times right now.
But you need people unless you plan on doing it all yourself.

I look at labour like a hockey team you have 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th line.
The superstars carry a lot of baggage and won't be there long. If you get a journeyman mechanic or welder you know that somethings screwy.
If your running with seniors players you better be looking for some replacements because they will only want short shift soon.
But when it's time to play you need people that are committed and have a good work ethic.
When one tells you they can never seem to make it for the week ends change them out Asap.
And beware of wives that call the shots.

Never stop looking even if they are on someone else's team.

[flea beetle]

On the labour thing you always have to consider it ongoing. It never ends.
The days of the liftime worker are long gone and the whole world is going through one of the worst times right now.
But you need people unless you plan on doing it all yourself.

I look at labour like a hockey team you have 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th line.
The superstars carry a lot of baggage and won't be there long. If you get a journeyman mechanic or welder you know that somethings screwy.
If your running with seniors players you better be looking for some replacements because they will only want short shift soon.
But when it's time to play you need people that are committed and have a good work ethic.
When one tells you they can never seem to make it for the week ends change them out Asap.
And beware of wives that call the shots.

Never stop looking even if they are on someone else's team.

Good way of looking at things. But sure doesn’t make my life any easier!

[megrizzly]

Harvest starts in the spring. If your neighbours are going, why are you sitting for a week? If ground conditions allow, put it in the ground as you will gain days earlier in the fall when the weather is better.

The dryer is cheap to run in august when the weather is nice and you can maintain top grain quality. You can't makeup days, so take any and all opportunities possible.

Crop choices can also spread out harvest. Is it possible to add some pulses that can be harvested earlier or some flax on the other end?

Sometimes its best just to accept a little downtime. Tell the combine guys to stop and take 20 minutes for supper. Run into far more $#&^ups and injuries when trying to run your balls off. There is such a thing as being too efficient and lots of the farms that have spent considerable capital trying to improve efficiency are on shaky ground when a blip happens.

[blackpowder]

How long does 20% moisture grain keep on air? Don’t have any, but my experience without is you have less than a week to get at it.

I can see freezing it if it is that late in the season, but it won’t keep if 10-15 Celsius even on air will it?

Drying grain with aeration can be a real misnomer. For a plethora of reasons.
However, I wouldn't dream of building any bin whatsoever without air.