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Self-Adjusting Grain Spreader
The Self Adjusting Agnew Grain Spreader spreads grain across the bin, no matter the flow rate or direction of the incoming grain. After more than 20 years and with a network of around 85 dealers, the original model is a fixture in grain bins across the Great Plains.
“When my wife and I bought the business from my dad in 2017, we wanted to find out more about our customers,” says Dennis Agnew. “We began asking them if there were things they struggled with on the original design.”
The original design had a short throat that directed grain down surrounding chutes and out across the bin. The floor of the throat, with its openings to the chutes, could be preset for a specific flow rate, but then remained static.
Feedback was generally positive with reports of saving about 25 percent on drying time and cost when using the spreaders. The spreaders had been in use for decades without a problem or repair. However, there were some frustrations.
“They told us the spreader didn’t respond well to variable grain flows,” says Agnew. “The grain had to be carefully centered or the spreader would send it off to one side of the bin. Also, if an auger came in at an angle, the grain went off to the opposite side.”
The Agnews responded with changes to the design that they tested in their own bins. After thinking about what might work and multiple prototypes, they came up with the new design.
They created a self-containing spreader throat with an adjustable floor. The floor is held in a closed position by springs with a specific amount of resistance. As the throat captures and holds the initial flow of grain, the weight on the floor counters the springs. It lowers, exposing openings that feed the chutes with grain. As grain begins to flow evenly down all the chutes at once, it cascades around the bin. As the incoming flow decreases, the springs gradually return the floor to the closed position.
Centering the grain is no longer a problem, nor is uneven flow. The angle problem was also solved. Once the grain has backed up in the throat, where it comes from and how fast it comes doesn’t matter. It sends a constant amount of grain down all the chutes while retaining a base amount in the container.
“We introduced it at the 2020 Big Iron Show, and we got a lot of positive unsolicited feedback,” says Agnew. “A lot of people want to get rid of power spreaders, and ours works. Once people buy one, if they have more bins, they buy more spreaders.”
The new Self Adjusting Agnew Grain Spreader is available in two models. The AG50SA is priced at $1,300 for 200 to 5,000-bu. per hr. flow and 28 to 48-ft. bins. The AG150SA is priced at $1,600 and designed for grain flows of 400 to 15,000-bu. per hr. flow and 28 to 65-ft. bins. The Grain Spreader is still available in two sizes in its original design.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Agnew Steel, 27901 Moffit Rd., Moffit, N. Dak. 58560 (ph 701-387-4572; agnewsteel@agnewsteel.com; www.agnewsteel.com).



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2022 - Volume #46, Issue #1