There’s not much point spending $800 on a grain bag if producers don’t securely seal the end for an airtight storage environment.
Most producers use planks, soil and other heavy objects to seal their bags, but it’s a time consuming, often back-wrenching chore. As a result, it isn’t always done to perfection, leaving grain in the bag ends vulnerable to deterioration.
Mike Curry of Curry Industries thinks his new Poly Fastener Bag Zipper machine should make grain bag storage more convenient. It can seal a grain bag in one minute.
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“Up until now, sealing the open end has been a very primitive process,” Curry said.
“I’ve heard some real horror stories. Plus, guys hate working down on their hands and knees like that. It’s really hard on the back.
“First you pull the open end together with two by fours and nails or wood screws. Then you roll it up and tuck it under. You can spend a lot of time trying to do it right.”
Curry Industries came out with a bag zipper system more than 30 years ago.
The operator lays a poly channel flat on the ground, positions the two bag layers into the channel and sets an insert strip over the poly bag. As the insert strip is manually pressed into the channel, it pushes the bag material snugly into the channel, forming the airtight seal.
However, Curry said the system wasn’t without drawbacks. The handheld roller-sealer required producers to get down on their hands and knees to press the insert strip into the channel.
Each piece of channel and insert strip is reuseable.
Curry said he designed his new machine in response to retailers who told him their customers wanted an easier way to zip the bags shut.
“The old hand held roller was almost as much of a nuisance as working with the boards,” he said. “The new sealer puts an end to that.”
The new machine is designed so the operator walks upright while pressing in the insert strip. The channel and insert strip are positioned the same as before, but the operator locks the insert strip into the nose of the zipper and then stands up and pushes it forward.
Two nylon rollers guide the insert strip into the channel and the grain bag seals up almost like a Ziploc kitchen bag.
“Once you’re in the field, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to set it all up. After that, you can zip a grain bag shut in less than a minute. It will save a lot of time and give you a positive seal.”
The new Bag Zipper sells for $425. The poly channel and insert strips sell for $1.40 per foot.
For more information, contact Mike Curry at 800-538-0008 or visit www.curryindustries.com.
