Low-Cost Grain Bin Monitor

Low-Cost Grain Bin Monitor GRAIN HANDLING Accessories 20-4-12 "It's for anyone who doesn't need or want a complicated bin monitoring and control system. All it does is tell you the temperature inside your bins," says Craig Hermanson, Craig Industries, Inc., Mitchell, S. Dak. The "Grain Watcher" consists of a 12-volt digital monitor that can be located in your house, machine shed, or anywhere up to 1,000 ft. from temperature probes in the bin. The system can monitor up to 6 bins at a time. You simply turn a dial on the monitor and read the temperature. The 30-in. probes are inserted into the grain after the bin is filled and wired to the monitor. The probe snaps onto the under-side of the roof and plugs into a jack that mounts next to the hatch. From there cable runs underground to the monitor. "Farmers told us they wanted a simple, low-cost system that would let them monitor their bins and take care of any problems themselves. Sophisticated bin monitoring systems that turn fans on or off are expensive, inconvenient, and in many cases inaccurate. They sell for $1,300 to $1,400 per bin and often you still have to go outside to read the temperature. Our system can handle six medium size bins for a total cost of about $300 per bin." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Craig Industries, Inc., 200 West Havens, Mitchell, S. Dak. 57301 (ph 605 996-4674).

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