New grain vacuum acts like an auger
By Michael Raine
Western Producer staff
REGINA, Sask. – Grain vacuums have graced farms for more than two decades, often in a love-hate relationship with farmers.
They’ve earned their reputation as a handy supplement to the grain auger, but have been criticized for being too slow for hauling to the elevator. Many farmers like them for cleaning bins, but often vacuums are not much easier than shoveling.
Brandt Industries hopes to change that reputation with the GrainVac 4000 line introduced at the Western Canadian Farm Progress Show in Regina.
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Able to push 4,000 bushels of wheat or 4,800 bushels of canola per hour, the grain vacuum competes with midsized augers for speed and can be driven by a 60 to 70 horsepower tractor, says the manufacturer.
Grain is moved by a centrifugal fan rather than the more traditional positive displacement air pump. The fan requires less power and delivers grain to a hopper and auger system that carries it away.
Gravity separates most of the grain as it falls into the waiting hopper. Grain that tries to pass through to the fan is redirected from the air flow by a chaffer plate, eliminating the need for a rotational air lock found on most designs.
Brandt has also addressed the problem of dragging around heavy metal tubing.
The Bin Snake is a truss arm made of self-supporting rectangular sections that unfold through the granary door and carry the weight of tubes, leaving the farmer with only the weight of the vacuum nozzle.
Interest from the Prairies and as far away as France and Australia has given the Regina company the confidence to add 25 jobs to its workforce.
The line is expected to be available by fall to western Canadian farmers.
For more information contact a Brandt dealer or write to Brandt at 705 Toronto St., Regina, Sask., S4R 8G1 or call 306-525-1314.
