Product Spotlight
gas-consuming farm equipment. FHMI is now introducing a 3-point hitch for category I attachments for use with the Hay Mama and Hay Papa to the product line. The Hay Mama can easily handle up to a 5x5 hay bale and the Hay Papa can lift and carry a 6x5 hay bale.
The new 3-pt. hitch system easily couples with Hay Mama and Hay Papa for use on your ATVs and UTVs. Log on to www.fasthaymovers.com to see a video demonstration or call Fast Hay Movers Inc. at 304-282-1210.
the fans in the other two bins, because I know they are running at the right time to get and keep my corn at the moisture it needs to be. I need to get the controllers on the other two so I can get some sleep!” Corn harvested last year at 18.0%-18.5% moisture, went to sale at 14.0%-14.5% with no dockage. “There is no doubt this has been a worthwhile investment for our farm,” was Pepper’s final evaluation. Half a country away in Eastern North Dakota, Tom Roden has just come through his fifth harvest with his AgriDry Bullseye Controller. “I’ve only had to use it significantly in three out of those five seasons,” Tom says, “but it paid for itself the very first year I had it.” Unlike Mississippi, corn is just as likely to be too dry as too wet in North Dakota. Whichever condition, the AgriDry system knows how to achieve and maintain optimum moisture levels. “My biggest problem,” Gary relates, “was keeping moisture consistent throughout the bin. My dryers tended to overdry the bottom, but left the top too wet. With the Bullseye Controller, I set it and forget it; top and bottom, it’s all the way it should be.” Tom is also very pleased with AgriDry’s service after the sale, and highly satisfied with all his dealings with them. “In every category, on a scale of 1 to 10, AgriDry is a definite 9 across the board.” For owner Eli Troyer and the rest of his crew, that means they still have a little work to do to get to that perfect 10!
North, south or in between — it’s all the same to AgriDry
• Riding arenas • Solar barns
gas. Producers started purchasing diesel engines and abandoning natural gas.
The Lam-Ply Truss can span up to 72 feet and is used in many applications, from machinery storage to livestock facilities to horse arenas. It also has been developed with a gambrel-style and a mono-slope design. Starwood Rafters: About the company Founded in 1964 as a manufacturer of laminated arch rafters and beams, the company started out in Independence, Wisconsin as a three-man operation, with the original owners, Joseph Wozney and his two partners working nights after working their regular jobs. In the early 1970's, they developed the Lam-Ply Truss. It combines plywood, glulams, and dimensional lumber to make a truss that is stronger than a conventional web truss. This allows the builder to space them further apart to reduce erection time and labor costs. This design also limits bird nesting and improves ventilation in livestock facilities.
Today, things are different. Diesel fuel has tripled in price since 2000. Producers had to do something to make operating irrigation engines more affordable. They started mixing natural gas with diesel, and discovered they saved $80-100 on average per day, per engine.
Today, Corey Wozney and Steve Wozney, Joseph's sons, operate the company. Starwood Rafters is still in Independence, Wisconsin and now ships its products anywhere in the U.S.
In the spring of 2007, Hardy and Leon New, an engineer with the Texas Cooperative Extension Service in Amarillo, tested this mixer on three engines in Floyd County. Two engines were Case IH engines–one waas a turbo-charged, and the other engine, a 4-cylinder non-turbo. The third engine was a John Deere 4T100. During the testing, straight diesel was used, followed by a diesel and natural gas mix. The dual fuel outperformed the diesel on all three engines.
If you are interested in more information
There are a lot of things about agriculture that are uncertain, but one thing is constant: Moisture is everywhere! And when dealing with moisture, farmers often find themselves in the same dilemma as Goldilocks: Most of the time there is either too much or too little, seldom just right.
The Case 4-cylinder had a savings of $1.06 per hour; the John Deere saved $2.40 per hour, and the Case turbo saved a whopping $3.55 per hour.
That’s where the AgriDry Bullseye Controller becomes invaluable. No matter where you are or what your specific moisture problem is, the Bullseye Controller makes “just right” a whole lot easier to achieve.
about the AgriDry Bullseye Controller, or any of their other grain storage solution products, call 800-203-5669 or visit www. agridryllc.com.
High humidity is a way of life in the Delta area of Mississippi where Pepper Roberts grows cotton, corn and soybeans. In 2010, he added four 50,000-bushel corn bins so he could better control the timing of his sales and maximize his profits. The problem: How to keep ALL of the profits instead of losing some to dockage fees for high moisture in his corn. He decided to install the AgriDry Bullseye Controller on two of the bins, just to see if they were worth the investment. After the first two seasons, he’s planning on adding the controllers to the other two in the coming year. “I use the system start-up notification as a kind of alarm,” Pepper says. “If it’s 2:00 a.m. and the controllers fire up the fans, I get up and go turn on
Lam-Ply Trusses can span up to 72 feet
MAY 2013
Don Hardy, owner of Don Hardy Fuel Efficient Engine Services in Floydada, Texas, developed a dual fuel mixer for diesel engines to combine natural gas and diesel. The fuel mixing process could then be done economically, by all producers.
Used in many applications, from machinery storage to livestock facilities to horse arenas Starwood Rafters, the manufacturers of Lam-Ply trusses, is a company devoted to building high-quality trusses for large buildings. They offer many types of trusses to meet any need, including: • Pole sheds • Free stalls • Pavilion shelters • Machinery storage
From a fuel savings standpoint, mixing propane and diesel might have been yet an even cheaper mix–but propane proved to be more cost prohibitive, and made the engines run hotter. For more information, contact Starwood Rafters, Inc., W24141 Starwood Lane, Independence, WI 54747. Call 715-9853117, toll-free 888-525-5878, or fax 715985-5222. Email lamply@triwest.net or visit online at www.starwoodrafters.com.
Hardy says the mixture of natural gas and diesel is “the way to go”, and his mixer is designed to reduce the high costs of running irrigation engines.
Irrigation engines can be more affordable with a fuel mixer
In the past few years, several producers using the mixer have reported their fuel cost savings has been very substantial. Hardy said producers have told him they have savings of over $3.00 per hour by using the mixer over straight diesel, and have had gains of 100-150 rpm from their engines.
Realize saving of up to $3.00 per hour, per engine using a Dual Fuel Mixer
Another benefit they have reported is oil change intervals could be longer with the fuel mix versus the straight diesel.
Just ten years ago, diesel fuel was the fuel of choice for irrigation engines. At that time, is was much cheaper than natural
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The Hardy Duel Fuel Mixer comes in a kit, and the cost is $1,595. For more information visit www.donhardyengines.
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