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redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 19:19 (#4178024)
Subject: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Southern IL.

Need pit and scale at current location, but not enough room for both. Has anyone ever put pit in and mounted on 4 large load cells on bottom of frame work of pit, say 1200 bushel pit. I know it would be dump, weigh, then convey. If high capacity conveyer (9,000 bu/hr)is just shut off long enough to weigh it should still unload between trucks quickly. I figured surface grate would rest on concrete surrounding walls and be seperate from pit frame work and have funneled edges that overlapped ,but didn't touch the rest of pit. Would this work or has anyone tried it? Thanks.

wesslmnn

Posted 11/14/2014 19:28 (#4178051 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Southern Illinois

Sounds plausible. Biggest concern for me would be access to replace load cells when they go bad. Unless you oversize the surrounding concrete or somehow build access to them from within the pit. Also, I can't imagine all the grain dust, fines, grain etc would help from a lifespan perspective.

redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 19:37 (#4178068 - in reply to #4178051)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Southern IL.

Yes, access to outer lower area around pit would be done from side entrance for maintenance and cleaning. There would also be a place for grate removal and ladder already pre-installed in pit for inside dump care. Just seems a lot of money and space could be saved compared to actual 70 ft truck scales. Thousands of bushels are weighed every year on grain carts with either a 3, 4 or 5 pt weigh bar system at nothing near the cost of platform scales. Vibration from trucks driving over would be isolated because surface grate it seperate. That should help with life of load cells.

Edited by redfarmer72 11/14/2014 19:45

bogboy

Posted 11/14/2014 19:35 (#4178064 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEEn9gbR-dY

AVP_Matt

Posted 11/14/2014 19:53 (#4178112 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Hennepin, IL

I believe Ron NE ILL has something that would work similar. If I remember right it was basically a platform scale that sat over the pit with a grate in it. Maybe he'll chime in with some pics.

paul the original

Posted 11/14/2014 20:05 (#4178146 - in reply to #4178112)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

southern MN

I've seen that a few times, that way you have the scale for weighing hay, etc. seems a little limiting and awkward to weigh each pit full, when you could just have a grate in the scale?

Paul

NEILFarmer

Posted 11/14/2014 20:06 (#4178148 - in reply to #4178112)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Morris, IL

I think i kind of like Ron's scale system best for what your thinking of Phil. I believe/think Dunteman's run something like you speak of. You tube link above, i don't know much about it beside seeing their trucks in Morris now and then. Maybe if everything is automatic and such or if someone stays at farm to keep things strait it would work. I worry about who zeros everything out and makes sure your doing it right. What happens when you want to dump two trucks back to back? You would have to make sure nobody dumps until pit is empty.

Scale like Ron has is more dumpy proof, not sure who drives your truck/trucks but I like things as simple as possible because they are not always rocket sciencetists if you know what i mean. We always have family running truck, normally myself or grandfather but we scale at cart. And as simple as cart scales are my great uncle's have heck of time with them.

redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 20:20 (#4178174 - in reply to #4178148)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Southern IL.

I dump 99% of trailers. Mostly short trips. We have 12row machine ,4 semis and 1000 bu cart with scales now. Just trying to eliminate need for 3rd person. Have had scales on every one of our grain carts since 1987 so very familiar with their use.

Edited by redfarmer72 11/15/2014 06:43

NEILFarmer

Posted 11/14/2014 20:27 (#4178190 - in reply to #4178174)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Morris, IL

I think you do pretty good to dump that many trucks a year, we can't hardly keep 7720 moving with one semi and one cart, 3 people but when things works combine never stops and nobody sits much. Up to 5 miles that works. Sounds like you could make a pit scale work pretty good. Zero, dump, record, and set to unload while your gone.

How did that hitch work out for you Phil?

redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 20:07 (#4178150 - in reply to #4178112)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Southern IL.

We have end dump and hopper trailers both is why I was
trying to weigh material, not trucks. Because trucks are different lengths also.

NEILFarmer

Posted 11/14/2014 20:10 (#4178159 - in reply to #4178150)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Morris, IL

Are you keeping track for shares or just all full share crop? If it's all your crop we've been using our cart scale. It's not perfect but close enough to know what we got and where and be within 1%. We do landlords and just keep it separate, empty everything before and after. Would like to just add another bin for their crop and another for more of ours while were at it. Oh guy can dream can't he.

BLTFARMS

Posted 11/14/2014 20:04 (#4178145 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Elizabethtown, ky

What about putting a 12x12 axle scale on one side of the pit, and a 30' truck scale of the other side, connect them where they read together. You've already got to have enough length to get a truck in there. So you can pull in and weight with the back hopper over pit. Dump, back up, dump and pull up and weigh again.

If you go with the pit scale, use a pit big enough to hold 1/2 a truck, that would make it a little easier on the driver.

redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 20:11 (#4178162 - in reply to #4178145)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

Southern IL.

Forgot to say approach and exit to dump area limits the length of available scale line up for trucks with out jockeying truck and trailers around .

Edited by redfarmer72 11/14/2014 20:22

SOILcattleman

Posted 11/14/2014 20:37 (#4178211 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: Not exactly what you are looking for,

West Salem, Illinois

but same concept. Look at the weigh scales/load out at your nearest grain terminal. It is simply three hopper tanks stacked on top of each other. They have hydraulic operated gates at the bottom of each. The top unit is a holding chamber and will not open until the second hopper is cleared and the door is shut. The second and generally the largest hopper is a weigh scale. The third and final hopper is another holding vessel to contain the grain that is dumped from the weigh hopper before it can be run into the out bound vessel.

The ones I have operated weigh drafts in the neighborhood of 16,000 lbs but can be as high as 20,000 lbs. These were used to load rail cars of a finished weight of 195,000 to 220,000 lbs of product. It generally took 4 to 5 minutes per car to load all three hoppers and be moved on to the next car.

With all that being said if you were to approach a larger mill right in your area I would almost assure you that your idea could be built at what the cost would be??? For the dust suppression in your pit/scale area I'm wondering if a dust system or positive air pressure in your pit/tunnel would not solve this and create a clean environment. One thing to think about is this pit area could be somewhere around 20 feet deep. At this depth and having some pretty major electrical/scale components down there water would be my main concern.

redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 20:46 (#4178234 - in reply to #4178211)
Subject: RE: Not exactly what you are looking for,

Southern IL.

Our grain system is on a hill that is 80 to 100ft higher than surrounding elevations. I am hoping we don't have a drainage problem at that elevation.

MRK

Posted 11/14/2014 21:06 (#4178279 - in reply to #4178234)
Subject: RE: Not exactly what you are looking for,

How would the conveyor itself be attached to the pit? With out some sort of slide gate opening and closing every time or the conveyor totally attached to the scaled pit with weigh bars i dont see how youd get a accurate reading. Id look into a in motion scale drive over scale. They had one at the farm progress show.

redfarmer72

Posted 11/14/2014 21:16 (#4178305 - in reply to #4178279)
Subject: RE: Not exactly what you are looking for,

Southern IL.

I was still pondering the gap in conveyors to stop weighing interference.

MRK

Posted 11/14/2014 21:30 (#4178340 - in reply to #4178305)
Subject: RE: Not exactly what you are looking for,

It can be done but i think by the time you do all the extra engineering and what not. Youll be money and time ahead to throw in one of these. http://www.agweigh.com/anhydrous-truck-scales.

billybob

Posted 11/14/2014 20:54 (#4178253 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: Ag Rex elvator in Superior, NE is that way. nt

68340

hillfarmer

Posted 11/15/2014 04:42 (#4178542 - in reply to #4178253)
Subject: RE: Ag Rex elvator in Superior, NE is that way. nt

It will not make a fast dump
just a pain to separate every bu

Ron..NE ILL..10/48

Posted 11/15/2014 05:15 (#4178556 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

Chebanse, IL.....

We had this Rice Lake scale installed in 2010. Works great for us. Has dump-thru grate on it, pit is below the scale. Photos below. Rice Lake custom builds scales to your needs.

Semi pulls on the scale & stops w/front hopper centered over pit. All wheels are on scale deck (deck is 80', I believe). Driver exits truck & records loaded weight. Front hopper is dumped. When front hopper is empty, driver moves truck ahead so rear hopper is centered over pit grate (we use a light/horn detector system to mark "stop" spots) and all wheels are still on scale. Driver (or attendant) dumps rear hopper. Without moving truck again, the e.w. is recorded. Driver exits w/empty truck. So, only 1 move is required after truck arrives on scale loaded.

It works well & I'd not make any major changes in the system. The scale grates have a rubber flap "funnel" that directs corn into pit, so there is actually no scale portion or corn that touches the pit. Even though the pit could be full, the truck scale weight is correct...they don't touch. We weigh every bushel of corn that goes thru our dryer. With our system, whoever is dumping truck controls all unload functions (except moving truck ahead....working on that idea!), from the confines of the scale house. The red light you see above the windows of the scale house are an external weight read-out. Scale has printer system inside the scale house.

Dougw

Posted 11/15/2014 06:43 (#4178639 - in reply to #4178556)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

SC Mn

What kind of electric auger is that filling your holding bin? I'm looking to upgrade dump area and would like to go electric instead of PTO. What is the capacity?

Anybody priced one of the moving load scales(weighs one axle at a time)? Installation seems like it would simple and requires little space.

TIA

45Deere9670

Posted 11/15/2014 09:31 (#4178910 - in reply to #4178639)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

St. Joseph, Champaign County, IL

Looks like a Hutchinson Grain Pump to me.

http://www.hutchinson-mayrath.com/pdfs/HutchChainandPaddle%20Catalo...

Chad H

Posted 11/15/2014 11:58 (#4179121 - in reply to #4178910)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

NE SD

Its actually a Mass-ter Mover.

45Deere9670

Posted 11/15/2014 20:41 (#4179915 - in reply to #4179121)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

St. Joseph, Champaign County, IL

Aren't the Mass-Ter Movers rectangular in cross section? Those are definitely round tubes in the pictures, thus it's a Grain Pump!.

Ron..NE ILL..10/48

Posted 11/16/2014 05:14 (#4180314 - in reply to #4179915)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

Chebanse, IL.....

Sorry for not responding sooner. It's a Hutchison 10" pump.

Dougw

Posted 11/16/2014 06:59 (#4180394 - in reply to #4180314)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

SC Mn

How many horse motor does it take to run in your setup? According to the literature it only requires .3hp/ft at a 45 degree? Sounds sweet to me, need to upgrade my 12" hutch auger soon. Just got 3 phase so ready to make some changes.

How spendy are these bad boys?

TIA

Dennis SEND

Posted 11/15/2014 10:27 (#4178994 - in reply to #4178639)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea? Ours...Pics

Chad H

Posted 11/15/2014 12:13 (#4179143 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

NE SD

A platform scale over a pit would be best. I highly recommend setting it up so you can put a building over it. If you don't want it to be so crazy deep you can go with a longer shallow pit and a two conveyors in an "L" configuration.

Brawnylad

Posted 11/15/2014 12:23 (#4179149 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

good hope ohio

http://www.hutchinson-mayrath.com/pdfs/Catalog-Sections/Dual%20Hopp... mount on scales and not need pit.

somewhereinkansas

Posted 11/16/2014 16:12 (#4181460 - in reply to #4178024)
Subject: RE: Grain Dump Pit/Scale Idea?

north central Kansas

One of the terminals I haul to weighs in pit. It works very well there. I have never been under there but it doesn't seem that hard to put a pit on a frame with load cells in a concrete cellar.

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