# Bought a feed grinder, what next?



## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

We bought our little farmstead about a month ago, we plan on raising 30 or so pastured hogs per year and a few hundred chickens. I knew getting feed from farm store is cost prohibitive especially when you start talking organic. Earlier this week I noticed a few miles up the road a feed mixer set out with other stuff for an auction. Went up this morning to take a look. Only found 2 other people that were even interested and one was a scrapper. The other guy was just looking for parts for another he already had. Ended up buying it for $200. It's solid shape, all the screens are there, hammers are in good shape and haven't been turned. No scale on it but I'm okay with that. We've had a ton of rain this week, 3-4" and it's now got some water in it. What's the best way to get that out? What else do I need to be checking on this thing before I need to put it to work? I'm still looking for a tractor and my horsepower requirement just went up to 60+.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

You got a real bargain with your purchase. If you look at the lowest spots in the main storage bin and the auger sections you should locate some drains. These drains are just mechanical sections that are designed to slip (be driven) to access the openings. Just open these and rain water should drain. Obvious the grinder should be stored in the dry at all times. Given dry storage and reasonable care this implement should give you years of service. PS....for a feel good feeling I sold a New Holland that looked a little better for $5000.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Be certain that you get enough HP to have enough surplus HP to not tax the tractor PTO output.


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

How much HP are we talking? I'm looking at an Allis Chalmer D17 gas the implement dealer up the road has for $2500 but told me they'd cut me a deal. That's 63hp but the 3 point conversion from a snap coupler has me worried. Guy at the auction I was talking to offered me an Oliver 1850 gas for $1650 but not running, he thinks the distributor is off a tooth but I'm leery of buying a non-running tractor. I only have 12 acres and only plan on having at most 30 pigs on the hoof at a time over 5 acres of pasture. I can afford to slow the feed auger way down and probably don't ever need to mix 95 bu at a time either. I have it parked under and open front shed and once I get some of the stuff unpacked from the move it will likely end up in a fully enclosed shed.

Everything I read says to control your feed cost. I'm looking at this as free equipment because I know scrap prices aren't coming down and I could haul this to the scrap yard tomorrow and double my money. If I can find a cheap but relatively reliable tractor that has also been fully depreciated I suddenly have feed that costs me commodity price plus a little fuel and time.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

DLMKA.....Slowing the machine down is not the solution. The machine is designed to operate at 540 RPM on the PTO shaft. If the HP is not adequate the solution is to meter the material being ground in at a low rate. However, if you get more material fed into the grinder than you have HP to power the load on the grinder will/can create problems. The load on the grinder will also over time do damage to the tractor in the PTO drive area. Been there and done that and it is expensive to repair.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

A D 17 Allis should have enough power for your machine. 
A 3 pt conversion for the snap coupler should not pose a problem. How ever I have seen a home made unit that they had made and you could not use the PTO with it due to the 3d link hook up. Try to get the stock draw bar with the tractor. so you can remove the conversation.

I like my 1961 D 17, the light duty front loader does all I need it to do.




 Al


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

I run a NH and Gehl that will hold 4000lbs + of ground corn/soybeans with a 70hp tractor, no problem at all. I think you'll be fine @ 60hp. I run em at 1600RPM on the tach.

I'm not familiar w/ the one you bought, but as with any older equipment, go over and find all the grease fittings and get em going, check the pulleys and bearings, chains, belts, that they turn straight (relatively lol) and no slack. Open the top hatch and look around on the inside make sure nothing is twisted, sheared etc. 

I'd empty the hydraulic reservoir and put in new filter as well.

Grinding your own feed is the way to go IMO, its how we keep our costs way down too.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

A D17 may have 63 engine HP but it will put out far less like maybe 50. I would look for something a tad bigger.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Don't know about tractor, but you stole the grinder. Haven't seen any around here sell for less than $1800. But see many sell in the range of $200-$3000


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

agmantoo said:


> DLMKA.....Slowing the machine down is not the solution. The machine is designed to operate at 540 RPM on the PTO shaft.


I wasn't going to slow the machine down, just the feed auger, it's got an adjustable pulley to speed up/slow down the feed auger. The guy I was talking to at the auction about it said that was a pretty rare feature, one he wished his mill had. He just had two different pulleys he could swap between. I know you need to run the PTO at 540 otherwise you further reduce engine power.


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> Don't know about tractor, but you stole the grinder. Haven't seen any around here sell for less than $1800. But see many sell in the range of $200-$3000


Very few folks in central IL raise livestock anymore. I bet I'm the only guy in Peoria county with hogs on dirt. There just isn't demand for them here. The auction wasn't advertised well and the rain in the early part of the day and heat and humidity in the afternoon kept people away I think.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

You are probably right. And yeah, I know, not many people raise pigs on the ground here either, I'm just inside indiana from vermilion county IL.


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## lazyBum (Feb 27, 2012)

The power you need depends on what you are grinding and what size screen you are using. For hogs we only ground shelled corn for them and even a 3/4" inch screen would turn it into powder. Your grinder looks very similar to dads IH, which they is a rebranded Artsway. He only got a 1/4" screen with this one and it takes forever to get ear corn through with the JD 3020.

Our old gehl had a hammer mill about half the width. We powered it with a late JD B and it had power to spare. When we had a good set of belts on it i would shovel the corn in as fast as i could. The feed auger was so full it would be spilling over the sides.

Power wise i think you are pretty open. I would worry more about a tractor big enough to move a full mixer in mud or snow. The B struggled to get it back to the barn at times.


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

Everything on the mixer worked fine except the feed auger, the clutch on it is stuck and couldn't get it to engage. I'll have to pull that apart and fix it but no big hurry. I just ran 350lbs of shelled corn through. The first two bags were just for flushing the goop out of the bottom of the mixer and discharge auger. It's back in the shed waiting until we get some broliers or spring when we have piglets on the ground.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I ran one with a good stout Farmall M with the super kit in the engine (larger pistons). Same horsepower as a Super M. Ran it fine. Full PTO speed, just set input feed. Mine had the bale buster also. I agree with a tractor heavy enough. I can buy Farmall Ms here for $1,500....James


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

> Bought a feed grinder, what next?


What's next is buying tillage and planting equipment. You will find that the least cost of feed is the grinding and mixing. If you are still buying the commodities that is where the cost is. Feed mill I use doesn't charge me anything to mix a batch. Feed mill I used to use charged me 10 bucks a batch which in the overall scheme of things isn't that much compared to my time, my fuel, and my wear and tear on equipment.


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

sammyd said:


> What's next is buying tillage and planting equipment. You will find that the least cost of feed is the grinding and mixing. If you are still buying the commodities that is where the cost is. Feed mill I use doesn't charge me anything to mix a batch. Feed mill I used to use charged me 10 bucks a batch which in the overall scheme of things isn't that much compared to my time, my fuel, and my wear and tear on equipment.


I've only got 6 tillable acres. Right now it's in alfalfa but I'd like to convert that to wheat or barley for both feed and straw. There is a nice old Allis Chalmers pull behind combine at the consignment auction 6-7 miles from the house. I can be the laughing stock of all the neighbors with their 12-18 row combines. Maybe I can get that old A-C combine for less that scrap price and get it working too.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

DLMKA said:


> I've only got 6 tillable acres. Right now it's in alfalfa but I'd like to convert that to wheat or barley for both feed and straw. There is a nice old Allis Chalmers pull behind combine at the consignment auction 6-7 miles from the house. I can be the laughing stock of all the neighbors with their 12-18 row combines. Maybe I can get that old A-C combine for less that scrap price and get it working too.


Let them laugh. And when you are finished harvesting, you put your paid-off equipment in the shed, they pay a $35,000 payment on theirs.


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> Let them laugh. And when you are finished harvesting, you put your paid-off equipment in the shed, they pay a $35,000 payment on theirs.


You got it! I'm going to do this operation on the cheap, pay cash for everything. Not only that but those old A-C Allcrop pull behind combines are rare to find in good shape. A little clean up, replace the wood on the reel and some paint and it would make a nice antique show piece.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

saw an IH 80 go for cheap this week at a consignment sale. Allis combines get good money around here.
Bought a decent MF 300 for 1100 last year to do our 2-3 acres. Is overkill but I hadn't seen a pull behind for sale in any kind of usable shape the whole year.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

*Allis Chalmers D17 Power:*

Engine: 63 hp [47.0 kW] 
Plows: 5
Drawbar (tested): 48.64 hp [36.3 kW] 
Belt (tested): 52.70 hp [39.3 kW] 

Test Date: November 14 - 25, 1957
Type: Gasoline Power-Director 2WD
Belt power (max): 52.70 hp [39.3 kW] 
Belt fuel use (max): 4.5 gal/hour [17.0 l/hour] 
Drawbar power (max): 48.64 hp [36.3 kW] 
Drawbar pull (max): 7,061 lbs [3202 kg] 
Max pull gear: 1-Low

*the Engine HP is measured at the PTO during the Nebraska test*.

 Al


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Dixie, iffn your talking about new combines at $135.000, id bet there closer to $400.000

Yeah, those old 60s would make a nice musium piece. how u gonna haul it to shows? I got 2 one better than the other, ill give ya if youll come and get them.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yeah, alley, but that was 57yrs ago.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My brother just sold his Allis all crop for $200.00 this week. I gave it to him after I found a Massey Clipper in 2002. I bought the Allis at a farm auction in 1981. It was in very good shape except the unload auger didn't work really well after some one hit a tree limb with it. That was fixed so it worked great. I like the clipper better though.

 Al


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## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

FarmboyBill said:


> Dixie, iffn your talking about new combines at $135.000, id bet there closer to $400.000
> 
> Yeah, those old 60s would make a nice musium piece. how u gonna haul it to shows? I got 2 one better than the other, ill give ya if youll come and get them.


400k might not even do it, but its a different ball game then someone homesteading 4 acres. 

We've got an old d17 my grandpa bought new. We just use it for an auger tractor mainly but when it was new it was their big tractor they farmed a few hundred acres with so you ought to be able to do most things with it. 

Kind of sucks buying alot of this older stuff now, scrap price is high enough its hard to get a bargain especially if any work needs to be done even at salvage yards parts aren't cheep.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Yeah, but remember David, When it was new, There wernt nothing bigger than a hay bailer to torque the pto.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Alley I had a clipper when I was a kid. Paid $35 for it. Worked great. When I left Kans for Mo, I left it behind. ive still got the op manual for it somewhere. Bought it new from MF.


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

This mixer mill still STINKS! Rotten feed still in the mixer part and getting nasty smelling. I have the lid up top propped open and the top of the mill off and all the access covers open to keep air moving and try to get it dried out. Not sure what else to do, I might feed some alfalfa bales through with one of the big mill screens and a couple more bushel of corn. Any other suggestions?

I looked at a 3020 Deere to run it yesterday. It's a gas tractor with powershift trans. Not a lot of hours (3800 ish), aftermarket wide front end, decent rubber in back. 70hp ought to be plenty for my 12 acre parcel and anything I'll ever need to run.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

There should be a cleanout on the bottom somewhere... I'd do my best cleaning it out by hand first before sending anything else in there, you don't want a huge wet mess in the bottom trying to come out the auger...


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## DLMKA (Jun 28, 2014)

idigbeets said:


> There should be a cleanout on the bottom somewhere... I'd do my best cleaning it out by hand first before sending anything else in there, you don't want a huge wet mess in the bottom trying to come out the auger...


It's got a clean-out but it's about a 6"X8" opening, not much room to get in there and actually do anything. Everything is still a bit damp anyway thinking about putting a space heater in there to dry things out all the way so when I do get after it with a putty knife I can vacuum stuff out with a shop vac.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Oh, I didn't say it was very big  Ours have a hatch about the same size, I have small hands so it works out fine.


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## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

FarmboyBill said:


> Yeah, but remember David, When it was new, There wernt nothing bigger than a hay bailer to torque the pto.


We use ours on a 71ft 10 inch auger at a pretty steep pitch I'd guess that to be more torque then a grinder mixer, could be wrong.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

FarmboyBill said:


> Yeah, but remember David, When it was new, There wernt nothing bigger than a hay bailer to torque the pto.


You're kidding right?


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## lazyBum (Feb 27, 2012)

DLMKA said:


> It's got a clean-out but it's about a 6"X8" opening, not much room to get in there and actually do anything. Everything is still a bit damp anyway thinking about putting a space heater in there to dry things out all the way so when I do get after it with a putty knife I can vacuum stuff out with a shop vac.


There should be a bigger door on top of the mixer. I've gotten inside both the Gehl and the IH before.


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