Latimer, Iowa (north central) | We put in a 14x80 cardinal concrete deck, above ground about 6 years ago. Cost was around 80,000 and did dirt work ourselves. The 14 foot wide is much nicer then 10 or 12 foot. Tractor with duals, grain cart, sprayers, etc fit across it. Also gives truckers more room to walk along truck. At the time a 12 foot was 72,000 an 14 foot was 80,000. The 14 foot also has a 2 inch thicker deck. From 6” to 8” if I am remembering correctly.
If you are going to weigh pots an 80’ is nice if you have the space. Think of triple/quad bull racks. The additional length isn’t much more as most of the costs are already there with site prep, load cells, labor.
Ours has what cardinal calls digital load cells. They are a sort of stainless steel ball load cell instead of what one would picture as a load cell. Supposed to be better, I can’t really say. Did just have to replace one and was 2600 bucks….
Got ours from Hawkeye State scale in Cedar Rapids IA. They have been fine on service on certification.
We bought a construction office trailer and set it beside the scale for paperwork and a place for scale heads. Also makes a decent break room at bin site and place for a computer there. Only use the trailer 10 months or so of the year, not much insulation, 8x36 was 7200 in nice condition from Satalite structures in KC. I think every big city has one.
We have an outside readout that manure trucks just write down their weight in a notebook. Numbers reverse every 8 seconds so it’s easy to read the readout in the truck mirror and has a green/red light built in. During harvest my retired mother, or one of my employees high school daughters, or whoever I can find, will stay there so we have printed tickets for record keeping, keep consistency of scale tickets, older truck drivers don’t have to get out to stamp a ticket. Easier for proving yields to have a stamped ticket then some scratches in a notebook but both work. The ladies working appreciate have computer/internet, a little space, and a fridge that the office trailer can provide.
A grain dealer/warehouse license will require everything in and out to be weighed in Iowa.
Edit to add: make sure to run the load cell wires in conduit. Rabbits will chew them off.
Edited by Green Acres Guy 1/19/2024 04:32
|
Truck scales
