Essential Tips to Improve the Efficiency of Grain Storage Systems

Source: bloomberg.com

Grain storage plays a significant role in modern agricultural farming, so getting your storage solution right will lessen your workload, improve your efficiency and reduce crop loss in one go. There are several different grain storage solutions you can employ in grain storage, so choosing the right one for your operation is your key to success.

The moment your crop is ready to be harvested, you have several options available to you to store your grain. Many choose to use grain augers to feed their grain storage systems, as they allow grain gathering from floor height upward. Combined with a grain storage system, you have an efficient tool in keeping your crop fresh and taken care of in a timely manner.

Popular Grain Storage Solutions

One of the most popular grain storage solutions is the traditional grain bin that stores various quantities of grain. Traditionally, these bins allow many tons of grain to be stored in a strong circular grain silo that allows for easy filling, access, and disposal into a transportation vehicle down the line.

Source: openmarkets.cmegroup.com

Modern grain storage solutions take into account all of the pit-falls of storing large quantities of grain in a single place, such as tackling the issue of bugs and pests, as well as crop loss due to heat and moisture. Modern grain storage bins tackle these problems head on with innovations such as increased side wall strength and ventilation shafts.

Source: wikipedia.org

The ventilation shaft reaches from the bottom to the top of the bin, containing ventilation holes that allow the hot air and moisture in the middle of the grain mound to be dispersed through a flue at the top of the storage container itself. This eliminates the need for grain storage rotation and reduces the amount of crop loss for long term grain storage.

Temporary Grain Storage Solutions

Another popular grain storage technique to use when there is a surplus of the crop, or crops need to be stored for short periods of time, such as awaiting transportation. Differing from a permanent structure, these temporary grain storage solutions offer portability, as well as easy management and use. As simple as the large rings that contain the crop are, temporary grain storage rings allow fast assembly and disassembly, offering a powerful tool for farmers during harvest.

Source: advantec.com.au

Improve Farming Efficiency

One of the best grain storage tips is to use the combination of these elements to swiftly deal with your crop much faster than previously possible. The combination of the portable grain auger and the grain storage bin allow a highly mobile solution to your grain transportation requirements, allowing you to work alone or as a small team to complete your grain storage tasks in a single swoop.

Source: azimagess.com

Increasing your efficiency on the farm is one of the biggest ways to save money as well as your precious time, leaving you to concentrate on other tasks, as well as getting your grain to sale earlier than possible before. This increase in efficiency allows your crop to reach the point of sale in perfect condition, with a total grain storage solution paying for itself in saved time and crop losses in the long run.

The Best Trailer Tow Hitch Money Can Buy

Choosing the right trailer tow hitch for your vehicle is not only important for the type of vehicle and trailer you have, but also to ensure the safety of the connection and the drivability of your vehicle. Choosing the right hitch depends on many different factors, including your vehicle’s classification, trailer size and trailer weight. 

There are two popular types of towing hitch that are used the most in everyday situations, the basic trailer tow hitch and the air safe hitch, but many other specific towing hitches used for commercial or industrial fields are coming onto the market with special abilities such as the fifth wheel or flatbed hitch.

Basic Functions of a Hitch

In basic terms, a trailer hitch is a strong piece of equipment that attaches directly to a vehicle in order to tow a trailer or a load. The hitch is the device that provides the connection to the trailer from the towing vehicle itself. Considered a permanent installation, there are a few different forms of trailer hitch, depending on manufacturer, but many tend to have the same varied system of standardised mounts. 

Classification of Tow Hitch

These trailer tow hitches are placed into the different classification based on a number of factors. One of the most important factors is the weight of the trailer or the load you want to tow. In a complete system, you have to calculate the maximum trailer load weight you can safely tow by checking the towing ratings of your hitch ball, ball mount and hitch itself for the lowest figure. 

As the maximum tow rating should be based on the weakest figure of the three, safety is your number one priority. The different hitch classes in place are as follows:

Class 3 Hitch

• Tow up to 2.7 tonne (gross trailer weight)
• Cargo box
• Bike rack
• Motorcycle
• Jet Ski

The Hitch Class 3 Supports Vehicle Classification Such As: 

• Sub-Compact
• Car
• SUV/ Van
• Light Ute
• Heavy Duty Ute

Class 4 Hitch

• Tow up to 4.5 tonne
• Small Caravan
• Small Boat
• 2 x Quad bike / Motorbike

The Hitch Class 4 supports all of the previous vehicles, discounting the sub-compact vehicle classification.

Class 5 Hitch

• Tow up to 6.35 tonne
• Medium sized caravan or trailer
• Larger sized boat or fishing boat
• Small farming machinery

The class 5 hitch is usually kept for use with vans and SUVs, light Utes and heavy duty Utes.

Class 6 Hitch

• Tow up 9 tonne
• Large trailer
• Large boat or fishing boat
• Light aircraft
• Light to medium farming machinery
• Some heavy machinery
• Light industrial machinery

The Class 6 Hitch is usually reserved for heavy duty utility vehicles, light trucks, high-performance SUVs and off-roaders with extreme pulling power and not the average car. 

Achieve a Smooth Ride

As a hitch is connected to the rear of the vehicle, the more weight that is added, the more your vehicle has to pull. Given the large weight on the rear of the vehicle, this can often hinder ride quality and ride smoothness to a degree that those little bumps in the road can prove quite painful and in some cases dangerous to a heavy load setup.

In these cases, the airsafe hitch is a great innovation in the trailer moving industry and provides a dampening effect to a trailer, to smooth out all of those bumps in the road. The system works by placing the hitch ball or pin system itself onto a bed of compressed air, which is like having an extra layer of suspension between you and your trailer. 

Improve Safety of Your Load

This system works so well and is easy to install and attach that many trailer hitch users are now switching to this system. Simply install the air hitch and use compressed air to attain the correct trailer height and you are ready to go. Not only does it improve on ride smoothness, it also improves safety when it comes to maneuvering your vehicle and trailer combo. 

When it comes to trailer towing, nothing is more important than safety. Getting your trailer hitch installed correctly by a professional will ensure that you have a solid and secure connection to your trailer. Knowing the weight of your trailer when empty is an important step in keeping you safe and carefully distributing the weight of your loads and securing them safely to the trailer is the final step in your trailer pulling safety checks that will ensure you have a smooth and safe journey.

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