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Harvest 2010 is looking a bit gloomy at the moment, the weather forecast continues to look unpromising and 75% of UK wheat is still standing in the fields. However, the prospect that wheat prices may remain bullish in the short term is a welcome distraction (especially if Ukraine impose export quotas this week). Unfavourable weather conditions do not only cause panic buying on the international wheat market but they also cause panic buying on the (slightly smaller but no less important) UK second hand grain drier market.Buying second hand grain driers
This combination of dreary weather forecasts and crops standing in the field drive hurried enquiries for second hand grain driers, the sole criteria being Continue reading ‘The harvest rush on second hand mobile batch grain driers’
The first new Mecmar Super Range grain driers have just arrived in the UK. The Super Range was first manufactured by Mecmar in the 1980s and has been revived this season. It is a small capacity mobile batch grain drier with a simple and robust design that retains the high level of specification featured on the entire Mecmar range.The Mecmar Super Range has been re-designed and put back into production to meet the demand of two key customers in the UK:
The Mecmar Super Range features a drier with a 7 tonne capacity and a larger machine with a 10 tonne capacity. The range is generally suitable for farms drying up to and around Continue reading ‘New Mecmar Super Range mobile batch grain driers arrive in the UK’
I recently came across a book called Drying and Storing Combinable Crops by K. A. McLean, it was published in 1980. A small section (one and half pages in fact) is dedicated to mobile batch grain driers. It is a fantastic indicator of the changes in the UK market in the last 30 years. It also offers some very good advice that is still as true today as it was back then. I will briefly reflect on some of the more interesting points it raises.When the book was written Mecmar was starting to produce their first prototype machines and the UK market was dominated by the likes of Continue reading ‘How mobile batch grain driers have changed’
I will start my second post on fuel economy by reiterating the most important point in my previous post. Comparing the cost per litre of different fuels is not a direct indication of which is the most economical. In my last post I focused on the operational cost of different fuels. It demonstrated a startling difference in fuel costs. In this second post I will try to demonstrate how the most economical fuel for your farm may be deduced.The selection of the most economical fuel must consider capital costs as well as operational costs. Capital costs include such things as Continue reading ‘Fuel selection for mobile batch grain driers – Part 2′
The first will look at the operational cost of drying with different fuels and the second will illustrate the influence of capital expenditure on fuel economics.
The question of fuel economy for mobile batch grain driers has no definitive answer as no two situations are ever the same. So I will attempt to highlight the variables and issues to provide some guidance on how to select the most economical fuel for your farm.
The important point that must be raised when considering fuel economy is, comparison of the cost per litre of different fuels gives no direct indication of which fuel is most economical. This is because Continue reading ‘Fuel selection for mobile batch grain driers – Part 1′
The F 60 has a batch capacity of 60 tonnes (based on wheat at 20% mc and 74 kg/hal). The model pictured is PTO driven with a Riello industrial oil burner. It incorporates Mecmar’s standard specification including Continue reading ‘Mecmar complete testing of the new F 60 batch grain drier’
Before getting close up to the machine, on first impressions, what condition does the grain drier appear to be in? Is it stored inside or outside? Is it cleaned out or filthy? Has someone driven the telescopic over the intake hopper? Continue reading ‘Buying a second hand grain drier’
Mecmar grain driers come with the option of a Modulating Propane Gas burner. These burners require a constant supply of LPG via bulk gas tanks. Due to the tightening of regulations, careful thought needs to be given to the installation and site requirements for the gas tanks when designing a grain drying and storage system. Bulk storage tanks generally come in three capacities 1200l, 2000l or 4000l. Occasionally, capacity may be measured in tonnes in which case, tanks may be 0.6, 1 or 2 tonnes. When siting the tanks it is important to bear in mind Continue reading ‘On-farm gas storage for mobile batch grain driers’
We have just returned from exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show and as always it was a fantastic event. I think it must be the leading agricultural show in the UK, fully encompassing all aspects of rural life. For the exhibitor, the Royal Highland Showground is an absolute luxury, especially after the mayhem of Cereals this year (why they insist on having such a significant event in a field while Stoneleigh sits empty is beyond me).However, at the RHS this year we exhibited an 18 tonne electric, automatic, mobile batch grain drier. This season has seen a continuing trend Continue reading ‘Mobile batch grain drier automation, the big issue at RHS 2010′
