(Modified) old Badger silo unloader - unloading corn silage

[@greggergen9104]

I like how fast that unloader goes with a gas engine. We had two of those badgers, and they never ran that fast.

[@georgeherefordhereford3428]

No top

[@greggergen9104]

We had two of those Badger unloaders. I don't know if it is the RPM's or the horsepower, but ours never worked that well. That thing is cranking out the silage!

[@randykroells8049]

In the winter them Badgers are slow because they only have one auger and the bearings are greasless so they are going bad every few years. I threw mine in the junk and got a Hanson .

[@greggergen9104]

We had two of those badgers. They were real dogs. The single auger always dug in and got stuck. We got a dual auger, I think Hanson, but they may have just rebranded another product, but it worked great and just floated, and rarely got stuck.

[@robertheinkel6225]

Gasoline powered silo unloader? I dispised going up in the chute, when I had to adjust the height of the arm. It is a dirty job. Here you would need someone on the ground to lower it while someone else is inside the silo, monitoring it. I suspect the farm no longer has electrical service.

[@TheWoodCraftsman]

Nice! I've never seen a gas powered silo unloader. I only knew of electric driven by a 7 1/2 or 10 HP electric motor. Is there a reason for using a gas engine rather than electric? Also, is that an actual John Deere silo unloader? I knew they existed a long time ago but never saw one. Thanks for sharing! Scott

[@AmericanFarmer]

The original electric motor was removed and missing when we purchased the farm. And its a Badger brand unloader not JD

[@somethinburnin]

Yeah a Badger, but interestingly enough, at 1 time John Deere DID make an Unloader, model 900. You can search them and find someone has a few pics of 1 on a wagon running gear for display. Badger swallowed up by Valumetal/hanson silo

[@TheWoodCraftsman]

@@somethinburnin I found the images, thanks for the model number, they popped up right away in a Google search. I grew up on small dairy (60 cow heard) with 200 acres that we sold in 1993. We had three Hanson silos, one 20x50 and two 20x60 with the original Hanson surface drive unloaders. I will say they were very dependable in the cold winter months in below 0 temps in the upper midwest. In 1987 we put up the third 20x60, but we had considered several options including bottom unload like the Madioson with the Laidig unloader, and the poured concrete silo with the Flying Dutchman unolader, but settled on another Hanson with a Hanson surface drive.

[@somethinburnin]

@@TheWoodCraftsman I think there is a video of a flying dutchman unloader on youtube, can drive under it!

[@RJ1999x]

@@somethinburnin Badger went broke and was auctioned off, some products were bought by Miller mfg in St Nazianz wi. Miller is now owned by New Holland

[@mrbrown3462]

I see a silo fire waiting to happen

[@greggergen9104]

We had 7 silos growing up. You could not start a fire in corn silage if you tried.

[@greggergen9104]

Maybe the silo is in a remote location with no 220 volt electricity.

[@andersonsfarm4456]

what model is it

[@dashriptide]

looks like the poorr old girl seen her days too nice upgrade only downgrade climbing that silo every time

[@myselfremade]

How do you know when to turn it off?

[@robertheinkel6225]

You turn it off when you got out enough feed for the cows.

[@myselfremade]

@@robertheinkel6225 I just meant, if you're up there watching the unloader go around how would you know when there's enough

[@jeremysmits9784]

So now it’s a two person job to run the silo every day? Not very safe, nobody can shut it off if something happens to you up there unless they are in there with you. Should have just boughten a new Electric motor

[@hardlyableacresrsh7212]

You have to climb the silo every you feed. Why not just save the gas and throw it down by hand.

[@robertheinkel6225]

The silage is literally packed into the silo. It is as solid as a brick. Plus it freezes solid in the winter. The augers feeding the blower, have attachments on the augers to dig up the silage and move it to the blower. This would do in minutes, what would take hours by hand. Also the unloader keeps removing the top layer evenly, preventing spoilage.

[@hardlyableacresrsh7212]

@@robertheinkel6225 I know all about forking down silage by hand and using a spud bar to dig it off frozen walls.

[@jordanwoodcock7498]

Please tell me you at least had a fan running to blow fresh air in so you ain’t breathing in those exhaust fumes