grain vacs

[wade]

I was looking for input/experiences on grain vacs. What features/options/models work or don't, etc?
Thanks!

[poorboy]

I have a walinga 7614, which is a very nice and fast vac. Only thing I don't like is that it takes 135-150 hp to run. The 7" steel suction line can be a handfull for one person to handle on initial setup, but the plastic suction hose and 2 wheeled vacuum cleaner nozzle work very well for cleaning up the bottom of the bin. Much faster than the brandt and rem vac according to my commercial trucker once you get to the bin bottom.

Very good at getting bugs out of grain if you open the air slides up all the way and put lots of curves in the suction hose.

I did not like the vac when I first got it as I felt it was as much work or more than my wheatheart bin sweep. Now I find myself using it more as it is less dusty in the bin, so you do not choke on dirt when doing peas and you are not itch when doing barley.

Hired help prefer the vac to the auger and bin sweep.

Whatever you buy make sure it is fast enough. You will not use it to its potential if you buy too slow.

On grain piles it is still much easier to use a grain auger and push the grain to the auger with a front end loader.

My grain bins are spread out 12 miles apart and my next grain vac will have its own engine drive so I can move it down the road with the pickup. Find that I am reluctant to move it far from home when it is -20 with a tractor, but I could easily run it back and forth each night if I could do road speed pulled behind a truck.

[Hopperbin]

I have a Kongskilde was the top model but I think they have a bigger one now, mine is 30 years old and still running with not much maintenance. I vacumed 40,000 bushels of wheat last year to get the bugs out and was worried about wearing it out but welded up a few places that were wearing out and good to go again. Oh if you buy a used one your must get the factory last 10 feet of 6 inch dia. hose, it stays flexible at minus 40. Expensive hose but I cannot find anything else good in cold weather.

[Muttley]

You need to decide if your looking for speed out of a full bin or if cleaning up is what your wanting to do. If you are wanting to do both you will want to go with a larger vac. New vacs will run between $16000.00 and $26000.00. Rebuilt will run $7500.00 and up. When buying rebuilt make sure of what kind of warranty and have the salesman deliver and show you how to use it and to make sure it is all running properly.

Check the Buy & Sell on this site for some vacs!!!!