"Made-It-Myself" Bean Filler

"Made-It-Myself" Bean Filler PLANTERS Planters 28-1-32 Paul and Kurt Pierce, Sullivan, Ill., were looking for a cheap way to easily fill the hoppers on a bean planter using air pressure to propel the beans. The big rig they built gets the job done fast and eliminates manhandling of bean bags. To hold and transport beans, the Pierce's found an old wagon gear that was used to transport anhydrous. They also built a gravity hold box for it. "It holds 6,000 lbs. of beans in two compartments," says Paul. "A couple modifications had to be made, but it was mostly intact." The key component is a Schurtzer Dura-Flow air compressor. "It's an ancient piece of equipment, but it was a good find," says Paul. The rotary air compressor mounts on the trailer hitch and is driven off the tractor pto by a large wheel and pulley. The air is then routed to the wagon hopper where it pushes the beans up and out 25 ft. to the bean boxes. The boom that carries the beans to the boxes was also custom made. Instead of a typical dust collector cone, the Pierce's designed their own using "hardware cloth sides" on the drop box. A hydraulic jack is used to adjust the position of the boom. The Pierce's built the whole thing for $800 using parts they had around the farm. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul and Kurt Pierce, 18 Corey Ave., Sullivan, Ill. 61951 (ph 217 752-6727).

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