[Stoney Hill]

I've read a lot on this forum about rings vs piles. (I increased in acres and couldn't match bin space. My old crop is gone. I do not want to deal with a bagger/extractor/bags).

Am I better off to pile my barley and some wheat on the ground or on the ground using rings? I read that rings almost make it more difficult to clean up.
What length of auger is minimum for a 50' ring?

Looking for insight from people who have actually done both and would or wouldn't do it one way again.

Thanks!

 

[w-mFarms]

bagger.
don't right or pile, take your cheque book and buy a bagging system.

 

[jdstsman]

Without a doubt, bagger.

 

[Ktm9900]

I've done both and prefer a pile. The rings are hard to clean out. I would think a 70 ft would fill a 50 ft ring.
We have had very little loss when piling grain however we have not left a pile too long. Obviously first grain hauled if you don't have a home for it soon after harvest a bagger will keep it longer.

 

[Oliver 88]

We have had good success in the past using rings.
We tarped the ring and found little waste......although always had the grain picked up during the winter.

 

[05cummins]

Used rings but learned a trick drop a snow blower in and blow it at the auger.

I know I did not believe it till I seen my buddy using his walk behind and tractor mount to blow it toward an auger in his qaunset

I swear the people driving down the hwy must have said look at the three ******* morons blowing grain around.

 

[redgreen]

How many bushels are we talking here? I think if you need to store anywhere north of 50,000 bushels outside of bins, a bagger makes sense. Piles, rings are just an absolute nuisance. Once you have the equipment to fill and empty bags....I almost prefer it to bins.....

 

[snowball8120]

I Pile on high spot near road. My rings are never used again. Put a pipe on cutting edge of bucket and use 13 inch swing out to fill trucks. I pile long narrow piles of about 50k bushels each. Long narrow allows for cooler. 50 feet wide tops. Works for me.

 

[meritmat]

for a 50 foot bin ring a 60 foot auger works fine. As for a bagger Flamans was renting them 10000 for the season. But better get on it quick

 

[Andrew_D]

If you can plan ahead enough, drop the straw and have it baled where the pile will go.
Or rake it to the side.
Then pick rocks from the area.
Pile the grain on a hill top if possible.
Use a snowblower to blow it towards the auger.
Every couple of truckloads, clean off the intake end of the auger. It will still plug up with straw!
Clean up the pile before the snow flies. If the snow does fly, clean it up before the snow melts.

Andrew

 

[Duane H]

If this is a long term storage problem I would buy bins you can always sell them later. I piled wheat on the ground last year after I bought all the bins I could come up with but moved it as soon as I could. Used loader to push it to the auger very easy to clean up when you can get to all the sides to push it. Make one pile till it touches the auger wheels then start a new one. Don't climb up the pile a make marks in it if it does rain on it the water will shed right off a peeked pile any foot prints the water will soak into the pile.

 

[carlos]

I have done both rings and piles. I cut 3 extra holes on a 50ft ring to put auger in. Took the chute pieces to a welding shop and had them make 3 extra sets. Used a 46ft auger with bin sweep. Also used snow blower. Was a P.I.T.A. when the wind swirled especially with barley. Sold them ,now I just pile. Bought a 70ft diameter tarp and use skid steer to clean up. Last year had a 15,000 bushel pile,moved it in april . Wasted a bit on the ground.

 

[meritmat]

also if you have some grass land, great place to put the pile/ring, the grass will soak up some moisture. Brought a lawn mower with a bagger on it and mowed the circle, after double checked to make sure no rocks, we clean up the pile with a vac and get 99% of it. But as Andrew said get it moved asap. Few times we transferred the pile to bins once they were empted, I hate double handling grain but I don't need any surprises either

 

[Stoney Hill]

Thanks for all the tips!
Eventually I'll get the bins, just already spent my bin budget this year.
I'm talking 10-15000bu. Not enough to justify a bagger.

 

[megrizzly]

We've done bale bins recently and has worked excellent. Using your lawn mower, cut the grass or stubble nice and low. Place bales on their flat side in the shape of a hockey rink. Leaving the bales at one end out, simply auger in from the open end and fill to the point where the grain is on top of the bale, but not falling off so there is no low spot for snow or water. We used a silage tarp and could put in about 20,000 bu. done this with oats and wheat with less than 5 bu waste. When cleaning up, just remove bales as you go to give total access.

 

[lanwickum]

Sell you a 50ft ring, used once. also have 60ft one I will probanly us again this year since it may sit for a while. a pain to clean up, rather clean pile with loader tractor than a ring you can't get much into.