Demand for Mecmar mobile driers is on the rise, according to McArthur BDC, with new and upgraded plants being based around the machine.
“There is a definite move away from farmers using Mecmar driers as a stand-alone solution. Customers are looking for automated systems enabling them to do more work with less labour. Using Skandia Elevator grain handling equipment controlled by a Mecmar delivers cost effective, automated grain drying systems,” says John McArthur managing director, McArthur BDC.
“An added attraction of a Mecmar mobile grain drier is its low depreciation, due to a strong resale value. Should farming business plans change, capital invested may be more easily recovered, which is essential in these uncertain times.”
The flexibility is said to be another reason, with many more options for the mobile grain drier to be used alongside existing infrastructure.
Thoresby Farming, part of the Thoresby Estate, lost a drying facility on one of the farms and needed to replace it to meet its requirements.
Farm manager, Will Baker, said: “We worked closely with McArthur BDC on the design of the new plant and took full advantage of its team’s grain drying and storage expertise,” explained Baker. “We slightly modified an existing general purpose shed and installed Skandia grain handling equipment which included an intake and conveyors to the grain store, centred around an automatic Mecmar S 43 T batch drier.”
“The Mecmar was our drier of choice as we knew that its build quality and reliability were key reasons why it has a proven track record, plus it delivers the automation we were looking for.”
Loading is automated, as the Mecmar controls the Skandia intake; grain is then dried and cooled, as well as cleaned with an integrated aspirator cleaner. Grain is then unloaded onto conveyors and transported to the grain store.
John Bruce, of Balmanno Farm Ltd, Perth, was looking to increase his storage capacity and replace an ageing drying before harvest 2024.
“My old system was complex and behind the times, with lots of different stages in the process. Once our previous drier had dried the grain it was put into storage bins and cooled, put back through an old handling system, loaded into trailers and then taken to the grain store,” explained Bruce.
“This was very labour intensive and we needed someone to be on site at all times to monitor what was happening and empty the bins into the trailers.”
With guidance from McArthur BDC, supported by his agronomist, he built a new 2,000t capacity shed, and chose to install an automatic Mecmar D24 T, with touchscreen controls and an aspirator cleaner.
“Once dried, the Mecmar automatically unloads the grain onto the newly installed Skandia chain and flight conveyors, which transport the grain directly to the new store,” continued Bruce.
“The first crop that the Mecmar had to dry were the winter beans, which wasn’t straight forward and it was a steep learning curve, all were well dried without scorching and stored away for long term storage. Being able to monitor the drier on my phone was a huge help as it reduced the visits to the site and increased the accuracy of the timing to visit in anticipation of events reaching trigger points.”
Jack Carnegy, of Angus-based Balnamoon Farms, has been using a Mecmar D 24 T for three years as a standalone machine.
“I wanted to upgrade my grain drying and storage capability as it was too labour intensive. We had been using a telehandler to feed the hopper which then fed the Mecmar,” he explained. “I wanted a more automated solution and it was just a case of utilising the full potential of the Mecmar’s capabilities.”
Following discussions with McArthur BDC about the design, he built a new 3,500t store and installed Skandia grain handling equipment.
“My Mecmar, now being used as part of an integrated drying and storage solution, has made harvesting much easier with the additional bonus of needing significantly less labour. There is far less pressure on the telehandler and operator to be dedicated to the drier, enabling both to be used handling grain elsewhere without slowing down the drying process,” he added.
“Each of these customers posed a simple question, how do I dry and store my grain as quickly and safely as possible,” said John McArthur
“All three farmers had quite different challenges and requirements. Whilst our solutions appear similar each is unique and demonstrates how the McArthur BDC team supports our customers through the all-important project development process. This ensures that their challenges are overcome and their requirements are met and their businesses become more profitable and more resilient.”
For more information go to www.mcarthurbdc.co.uk