ANDREW Venning, of farm machinery manufacturer Vennings, South Australia, said the shift towards more sophisticated on-farm storage systems meant demand for large-scale grain moving equipment was also on the rise.
Speaking at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days in Victoria earlier this month, Mr Venning said there was strong interest for augers, in particular the high capacity 27.95 centre in diameter flight model.
“Farmers are looking for an auger they can move around easily from silo to silo and that can outload grain and this one fits the bill,” he said.
Mr Venning said the machines could vary in length from 10.66 metres to 18.28m, with a maximum lift on the latter machine of 12.09m.
He said the big auger could outload cereal grain at a rate of more than three tonnes a minute, meaning a B-Double sized truck could be filled in less than 15 minutes.
“It can help cut down on turn-around times significantly,” he said.
Mr Venning said transportability was a key factor in the design of the auger.
“Farmers want to move grain from bags or field bins in the paddock so you need an auger that can easily be moved from the farm storage site up to the back paddock when needed,’’ he said.
“The third wheel simply comes down when in transport position, there is no need to disconnect drive wheels or brakes and the longer augers have long axles for increased stability when moving them.”
The flexibility mantra is also borne out in the spouting, which can be adjustable to suit different trucks and silos.
Cameras can be fitted in order to minimise the need for climbing the truck or silo to monitor progress.
“The cameras are catching on as an easy way to see if the outlet is in the right spot or to check how full the silo or truck is without having to climb up, which obviously minimises risks,” Mr Venning said.
