Old Semi Trailer Converted 800-bu. Stationary Grain Hopper

Old Semi Trailer Converted 800-bu. Stationary Grain Hopper GRAIN HANDLING Miscellaneous 23-5-35 I converted an old semi trailer into an 800-bu. stationary grain hopper that stands at the edge of the field. I bought a used 38-ft. long Hawkeye hopper bottom semi trailer and mounted a pair of 8-in. dia. unloading augers side by side at the back. The augers unload the trailer's rear hopper and are chain-driven at the top off a driveshaft that runs along the side of the trailer to a pto shaft that hooks up to a tractor pto. A single 8-in. dia. auger mounts inside the trailer and is used to move grain from the front hopper to the rear hopper. The auger is operated by a driveshaft that's driven off a chain at the top of the unloading augers. I dump grain into the trailer with my combine. Then a truck from the local elevator comes out to unload while I go back to the field. It takes about 15 minutes to unload the trailer. I added a home-built dolly onto the front of the trailer so I can use a tractor to pull the trailer on the highway from one farm to the next. I farm by myself so this setup really saves time. The elevator charges only 5 to 6 cents per bu. to haul grain to town which is less than I'd have to spend to operate my own trucks. (Steve Soldner, Waterloo, Wis.)

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