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steigerfan
 | Posted 11/22/2023 05:46 (#10491834)
Subject: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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| Currently running a very old (like first generation) top dry. Had way too many issues this fall with it and its time to upgrade. Always liked continuous flow dryers, but starting to see more tower dryers in my area. I'm intrigued by crossflow dryers as well, but have never seen one operate nor know of any around my area. Definitely wouldnt go with another top dry. What's everyone's opinion? Thanks |
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TMR
| Posted 11/22/2023 05:58 (#10491848 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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sleepy hollow , wi | what kind of issues we sold a gsi 30x11 last year and the guy couldn't be happier ,like 1600 bu /hr at 5 points , I work on a few towers ,some portables and a lot of bin dryers, nothings trouble free , especially stirrators with people who don't understand you can't fill em full . I was looking at top dry as not too many moving parts ,fan/heaters on ground with new 1s ,storage and economical as far as drying costs . we were thinking about putting 1 up for ourselves , the building aspect sucks as far as cost , |
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steigerfan
| Posted 11/22/2023 06:06 (#10491854 - in reply to #10491848)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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| mainly control issues which I'm sure have improved since this one was installed sometime in the 80's. I lose too much time and efficiency doing batches and takes too much gas and electric to get the corn heated back up each time. Trucks get backed up, etc. Been through the stirrator bin thing before and wouldnt go back! My fan is at the top of the bin, not on the ground. So there's still climbing involved |
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hoopsfarms
| Posted 11/22/2023 06:45 (#10491910 - in reply to #10491854)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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Archbold, Ohio | Do you have wet storage? That was the biggest bottleneck with our top dry. Cost wise is under 2 cents per bushel per point of moisture removal. It’s hard to beat cost and efficiency if you can hold wet corn. |
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gbfarmer
| Posted 11/22/2023 07:01 (#10491934 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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SE MN | We have an old top dry that dried a lot of corn for us, but now I just dry enough to fill it once. In 2010 we added a continuous flow horizontal screen dryer. It was a big improvement and time saver. No more waiting for top dry to empty out and then spend 20 minutes filling it back up. Down fall to the continuous flow was I had to keep washing the screen to keep it working efficiently. In 2020 went to a mixed flow and got rid of the horizontal dryer. That has to be one of the best things we have ever done! Just love it. No more screens to wash and better quality corn coming out. As for them being messy it has less clean up at the end of the year than our screen dryer had. So quiet and much more efficient. What ever you get make sure you buy from a dealer that will give you good service. Our mixed flow is a MC Delta and has been trouble free so far. |
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RedGreenBlueWhite
| Posted 11/22/2023 07:12 (#10491952 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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Just north of I-90 in SW MN | A few questions How many bushels per hour/day do you do usually? What is your current wet corn storage? Do you have access to nat. gas and 3 phase electric? Our set up has 9k bushels of wet storage and can convert another bin for 12k more. Just depends on how much corn is flowing in(one combine vs two) Dryer will do between 2-3k/hour on 5 point removal. Combine does around 3400 bushels/hour so don't have to stay up all night babysitting dryer. Have 3 phase electric and a 26k gallon propane tank. Now to your question. Find the one that can do what you want to do in a day's time. We have a tower dryer and would not change it for anything else. |
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jdironman
| Posted 11/22/2023 08:34 (#10492107 - in reply to #10491952)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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Nw Iowa | We have a tower dryer and have been very happy with it. We are close to town and even the salesman said do not put a screenless dryer in as bees wings will blow all over. Screenless would be my first choice but make sure you can put it somewhere where you can clean around it and prevailing winds take beeswings out to a field . Not all over your house. We have a Zimmerman, so far really like it, very efficient, very quiet, very clean but do have to clean screens in a real wet cold fall. Right on the edge of town , actually town on 3 sides and have had no complaints from the neighbors |
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MN Dean
| Posted 11/22/2023 09:59 (#10492221 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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| I am pretty sure that you could nearly double capacity with a new continuous flow control on the unit you have now... |
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Iowa4thgen
| Posted 11/22/2023 10:19 (#10492239 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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Iowa | We've run a SuperB continuous flow for about 10 years. Had a little bit of a learning curve on the control, but it's always done a good job for us. |
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pigfarmer82
| Posted 11/22/2023 12:49 (#10492381 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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north central Ohio | Can you convert it to continuous flow? They are hard to beat in efficiency and capacity. Think at 10 points removed we were $.11/bu in propane or $.011 per point removed. Haven’t got electric bill yet but if hauled to market it was $.44 at 10 points plus the over shrink. Dryer seemed pretty profitable. We averaged $.80/g on propane this fall for reference point. |
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SilverClayON
| Posted 11/22/2023 18:02 (#10492660 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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SW Ontario | really like our mixed flow neco. It does make a mess of the yard but I'd rather have it there than in the bin. We took that route instead of a tower due to the cleaning issues and so far very happy we did. Likely can't go wrong with either both have their advantages. |
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AGB1640
| Posted 11/23/2023 06:41 (#10493093 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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Southeast PA | How are you going to get the grain to storage out of the dryer? How do you do it now? Like was said, you could automate your top dry much cheaper than a new dryer. Thing I don't like about continuous flow dryers is the low amount of corn flowing down downspouts. At least with a leg and top dry you can transfer at higher bph and the grain is cooler also. Screen dryers aren't fun to pressure wash, top drys aren't fun to clean the drying chamber but at least it's dry and no pressure washer needed. Not sure if I'm sold on mixed flow dryers, how do they let corn get into the burners? |
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buffinator
| Posted 12/21/2023 12:59 (#10534919 - in reply to #10491834)
Subject: RE: Looking to upgrade grain dryer | |
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Jonesboro, AR | If you're upgrading dryers check to see if USDA REAP money is available. They're up to 50% for mixed-flow dryers, site electrical upgrades to 460V 3-Phase, wet tanks, and dryer load/unload conveyors. All assuming you're in the US. |
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Posted 11/22/2023 05:46 (#10491834) 
