Cordless Drill Unloads Feed From Tote Container

Cordless Drill Unloads Feed From Tote Container LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment “It’s an inexpensive way to store and dispense chicken feed ” says Carl Baldwin Clarksville Tenn who uses a cordless drill equipped with a 1 3/4-in dia bulb planting auger to “drill” dry chicken feed out of a 275-gal industrial bulk container IBC originally designed to store liquids The square poly container mounts on cement blocks about 3 ft off the ground Baldwin uses the cordless drill and mini auger to pull a mixture of cracked corn wheat millet and sorghum out of the container’s outlet into 5-gal buckets “The IBC container has a 6-in dia opening at the top and a 2-in dia outlet at the bottom that would have been too small for grain to flow out freely ” says Baldwin “I removed the flapper valve from the outlet so I could insert the bulb planting auger into it The auger shaft always stays with the container and whenever I want to unload feed I just attach the drill to it ” The auger is held in place by a 2-ft length of 1-in sq tubing which Baldwin bolted vertically to the container’s metal holding frame The tubing extends down just below the outlet The auger shaft is inserted through a 3/8-in dia hole that Baldwin drilled through the tubing He slipped a piece of rubber hose over the shaft and clamped the hose in place to keep the auger from drilling itself into the tank during operation and to act as a thrust bearing “It works slick I think the same idea could be used with almost any kind of dry material such as sand etc ” says Baldwin “IBC’s are strong durable and water and rodent-proof I bought mine from someone who had been using it to store waste vegetable oil You can often find the containers online for about $100 ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Carl Baldwin 677 Vaughan Rd Clarksville Tenn 37043 ph 931 358-3117 or cell 931 242-5738; baldybaldwin@charter net

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.