|
Post by kenmb on Sept 3, 2021 7:40:29 GMT -6
Would like to add a 10" auger to the farm. Right now just have a 8" wheatheart bh8-51 with Vanguard 27hp carb engine and the mover with the two small wheels spaced about 5' apart. The auger works fine and a number of truckers comment on how fast it is moving grain so I guess it is working well. I did bend the pipe that supports the two little wheels so that seems to be a weakness in the mover design. That and the bronze bushing on the intake end seems like something that should be bigger as it is a wear item.
Looking for a 10 x 46 and options close to me are Meridian, Westfield and Brandt.
Looked at a Meridian and Westfield Stx2 (it has the new tricycle style mover) and like the looks of that mover. Like the intake end of the Meridian. Westfield has a smaller gear box but gear boxes have never been an issue for me so don't know if it matters. Think I would like to stay away from the style of mover I have right now on the 8" unless I beef it up when new.
Can't get a Meridian 10x46 locally right now, can likely get my hands on one if I really need it.
Anyone know what I mean about the new Westfield unit or have experience?
How is the Meridian mover? Biggest hopper bin is 21ft diameter. But those 4 little wheels just don't seem the best way to go. Like the auger, the mover maybe not so much.
Haven't looked at a Brandt up close. Don't need a whole lot more speed. If I am doing 2800 bph with 8" then 5000bph is fine for 10". Just want a 10" that doesn't leave anything to be desired.
|
|
|
Post by Beerwiser on Sept 3, 2021 8:22:04 GMT -6
Not a fan of the brandt, at least the neighbors one. Nylon bushings for bearings on the drive shaft and a stupidly long belt from the motor to the gear box. I believe it is a 8x52. Although it has never given me grief while helping him, he doesn't have much luck with it when he has a trucker waiting. Maybe they have improved them since.
|
|
jaymo
Full Member
Posts: 169 Likes: 76
|
Post by jaymo on Sept 3, 2021 8:52:14 GMT -6
I've had a 10" Farm King for a couple years now. Works great! Only thing I'm not a huge fan of is the double joystick steering controls. Once you get used to it, it's ok but still could be better.
|
|
radar
Junior Member
Posts: 61 Likes: 33
|
Post by radar on Sept 3, 2021 8:54:32 GMT -6
We have 10X46 meridian ,Auger works good had it 6 years, Motor will fill crankcase up with gas if you forget and leave choke on just a little bit while filling trucks..Motor starts good down to about -20-25 then it just needs a tarp and a tiger torch. The 4 mover wheels were good until you have mud then they fill up and won't turn , we have a set of chains that stay with the auger..In the past we are really wet when we are drying grain and moving the auger is tough when you bend those baskets that hold the 4 little wheels ..Did I say they plug up with mud!!..We seen someone put a camera on the end ...We tried it, works great for loading the semi as you just watch the phone and drive ahead as you filling ..Auger great ,mover is hard for the wife to turn as she's trying to move it around the yard.. Just our thoughts.Hope nit helps
|
|
|
Post by meskie on Sept 3, 2021 9:07:05 GMT -6
We have had a 10x46 meridian for 3 years. It has a 35 hp vanguard on it and no complaints so far. I put a wifi camera on the end to watch while loading. You just open an app on your phone. If a custom trucker has the app he can view it also. It would be hard to go without after using it especially for bulkier crops like oats
|
|
|
Post by jcalder on Sept 3, 2021 16:02:59 GMT -6
We had a 10X36 Farm King and it was a piece of crap. Broke 4 or 5 driveshaft couplers that run to the top, just poorly built.
We have a 10X36 Westfield now and it's been good.
|
|
|
Post by Oatking on Sept 3, 2021 17:46:23 GMT -6
Ken , I bought a hd10 by 46 last year mostly because of very good reviews. I think you dont need the HD option which is the four wheel front end. I like the 37 hp vanguard engine and is quieter than my old westfield. I also like the light system and clutch with a manual reverse forward or neutral position. It also fits the handy hopper which is a pretty slick outfit for loading grain. perfect auger no complaints
|
|
|
Post by victory on Sept 3, 2021 22:58:08 GMT -6
I have driven for a local commercial trucker for a number of winters hauling farmers' grain to elevators and have seen a lot of different augers. There are obviously some augers that are better designed than others, but I have come to believe that how well and especially how quiet an auger runs has a lot to do with how well and how CAREFULLY they are put together. I've heard stories of a single guy putting together augers that should have had a second guy on site. Using a forklift by yourself to assemble stuff doesn't sound like a good plan to me. Not saying it can't be done.
My brother and his sons helped a dealer rebuild one of their augers at harvest time. Said it was one of the smoothest running augers they ever owned. When its your own there is more incentive to do it right. A guy probably can't be too picky now with all the shortages of goods out there, but I would sure want to hear an auger run before I bought it. Not keen on running them empty, but a poorly assembled auger (bent flighting, etc.) is going to cause a lot more grief than a minute of running empty.
That said the 10 X 46 Meridians run pretty nice. Probably the fastest 10" we loaded with was a 10 X 41 Westfield, an STX2 or something. A Brandt also ran well.
|
|
|
Post by totaledmygn on Sept 4, 2021 0:06:16 GMT -6
I bought an XTA 10/51 this morning. Will be loading super bees tommorrow and will report back. I hope I don't run into something with this new fangled mover.
|
|
|
Post by kenmb on Sept 4, 2021 7:10:06 GMT -6
Yeah Jeff, breaking couplers is just something that should never happen. Same with an auger that won't start in the winter. It's like things are being built and it is the third year since it was invented so we are to expect teething problems. Well no, that is not acceptable. Even efi has been around for more than a decade on small engines and I haven't seen a snowmobile fail to start because it got cold out and so the efi isn't tuned right. The carb engine here starts just fine, but that is expected, it should not be a positive feature. "hey, this is a good auger, look it starts".
I am a little cheesed about bending the tube that supports the wheels on my mover, but that is an easy fix. Some kind of reengineering is just a fact of life. It is how extensive a guy needs to go to make something perform is the issue.
So how is that 4 wheel mover Oatking? Some people don't like them and they do seem overly complicated. As far as I know, the HD is any auger that is not designated as TL. A guy could put an ekay mover and a standard Meridian but I don't move that much grain to get that far into customizing an auger.
I might give the Westfield a try. By "try", I mean I buy something and it never leaves the farm.
|
|
|
Post by meskie on Sept 4, 2021 7:46:12 GMT -6
The 4 wheel mover on our meridian is ok. I prefer the one on our old Westfield. We have never had trouble with it bending and the drives seem more powerful. The meridian has trouble spinning the tires in snow.
|
|
|
Post by kenmb on Sept 4, 2021 9:54:08 GMT -6
I heard guys say the Meridian doesn't work well in winter
Pretty sure my mover bent this winter when intake end was froze down. Didn't know at the time but pull on lever to lift intake and it suddenly jumps up. Suspect that before the intake broke free the extra stress bent the pipe, also the welds of the pipe to the main horizontal struts broke/bent. Maybe some of it happened before, but it needs a little work and it's an 8" so a 10" needs a little more strength.
Going to check on a Meridian with ekay mover.
|
|
|
Post by megrizzly on Sept 4, 2021 12:36:33 GMT -6
Rotating the bicycle handle controls the forward/reverse. If the rubber grommet allows moisture in, it can freeze up in the winter. One of mine will sometimes freeze up in winter and one doesn't. Other then that, really not much for issues and the 46' length is well balanced. The meridian mover does have lots of travel for either working on the drive chain or filling smaller bins. The 4 wheels are on a walking axle, so it rides better than the other ones. The extra weight of the 10" is beneficial in snow or soft ground as it can bull its way through. Stick with the vanguard engine as well.
|
|
|
Post by Oatking on Sept 5, 2021 9:43:52 GMT -6
I second the vanguard engine. That is my first auger motor where gas does not leak into the crankcase. The only little problem with the vanguard is my led monitor which shows rpm quit showing the bottom line of dots for the numbers, and maybe adjusting the drive belt doesnt allow for much tighting. Maybe need to take time to tighten it properly. otherwise no biggie. 10 by 46 meridian auger is hands down the best auger I had on my farm.
|
|
|
Post by SWMan on Sept 5, 2021 12:26:17 GMT -6
Not a fan of the brandt, at least the neighbors one. Nylon bushings for bearings on the drive shaft and a stupidly long belt from the motor to the gear box. I believe it is a 8x52. Although it has never given me grief while helping him, he doesn't have much luck with it when he has a trucker waiting. Maybe they have improved them since. I owned a Brandt 1040 that possibly was the worst piece of equipment I have ever owned. Now granted the 40HP Kohler on there was part of the problem, but I had top driveshaft break because it had a super thin wall tubing(not even a shaft!), gearbox failure, cable winch come loose and auger almost fell on me, wiring and switch failures and if you drove it up an incline on rough ground it would want to tip over onto the top because it wasn't properly balanced! That's off the top of my head and I have a bad memory, pretty frustrating when it was supposed to be a premium product and I paid extra for it. Since then have had a couple of Sakundiak/Meridian and they have been pretty good units. No recent experience with other brands but if you aren't loading a lot of canola I would consider a conveyor. I really like conveyors, fast and lower HP requirements as well as they clean out better.
|
|