Grain Dryers Upcoming Auctions

About Grain Dryers

Swathing and windrowing provide a certain amount of drying for harvested grain, but growers often enlist grain dryers prior to and during storage to achieve the lower moisture levels needed for long-term storage and to maintain suitable temperatures to avoid spoilage issues that can impact grain quality. The use of grain dryers can also allow growers to continue harvesting in less-than-ideal weather conditions. The tradeoff is that frequent dryer use can increase an operation’s energy costs, so growers have to factor in both initial purchase costs and ongoing operating costs.

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Mathews Company Next Generation Legacy Series L1000 Grain Dryer

How The Air Flows

You’ll find grain dryers in use on both private farms and in public elevator operations. They come in a wide range of sizes and form factors, including, for example, the continuous-flow portable single-module, stackable, and modular tower styles offered by GSI. A variety of drying approaches are also used, including natural air, low-temp, multiple-layer, bin batch, column batch, mixed-flow, and continuous-flow types. Continuous-flow drying methods further break down into cross-flow, concurrent-flow, and counter-flow drying methods. The cross-flow method entails air flowing perpendicular to the grain flow; the concurrent method involves the grain and air flowing in the same direction. The counter-flow method, as its name implies, pushes air flow in the opposite direction of grain glow.

Grain Dryer Features

The time needed to reduce moisture to suitable levels depends on a number of factors, including the grain type, the crop’s initial moisture, grain depth, grain dryer size, ambient air temperature, and the drying method in use. The power used to operate a grain dryer can also vary. Opico, for example, offers models that can run on gas, diesel, three-phase electricity, and PTO power. Grain dryer features can also vary from model to model, including such items as recirculating augers, push-button and dial operation, the use of special non-corrosive coatings, low-noise designs, and differing fan blade types. Some manufacturers offer dryers designed for particular sets of applications and needs; Mathews Company, for example, offers dryers designed to emphasize economy and efficiency, expandability, and high grain quality. The company’s economical ECO series is designed for growers working on a tight budget or with limited space, while the Delta Series is aimed at high-quality grain applications and involves mixed-flow drying and the use of SmartFlow technology to achieve maximum drying.

Find The Right Grain Dryer

If you’re in the market for a new or used grain dryer, TractorHouse.com has numerous models for sale from such manufacturers as Caldwell, GSI, Mathews Company, Opico, S3 Air Systems, and more.