Sidevalve
I’ve always used Phillip’s Navigator maps as opposed to OS.
Especially with them being spiral bound they’re handy to open in that lay by when you’re lost.
Juddian:
What’s that old saying, those than can do and those that can’t teach.I suspect the industry is full of people that would make good teachers/trainers, Sidevalve a good example, IF the sodding box ticking and bullshine could be left out of it, AND if said trainers were allowed the say of whether a trainee is up to the job at all, ie being invoved in the initial recruitment stage.
Thanks all of you for your kind comments. I’m reminded of a quote from a book I read, “One does not teach, one encourages learning”; and to me that’s what a good trainer should do.
Steve66:
SidevalveI’ve always used Phillip’s Navigator maps as opposed to OS.
Especially with them being spiral bound they’re handy to open in that lay by when you’re lost.
I do too, but they’re getting increasingly hard to find. I suspect satnavs have hastened their demise.
The only thing I find against them is that unlike OS they don’t differentiate between narrow lanes and VERY narrow lanes!
Sidevalve:
Steve66:
SidevalveI’ve always used Phillip’s Navigator maps as opposed to OS.
Especially with them being spiral bound they’re handy to open in that lay by when you’re lost.I do too, but they’re getting increasingly hard to find. I suspect satnavs have hastened their demise.
The only thing I find against them is that unlike OS they don’t differentiate between narrow lanes and VERY narrow lanes!
Ha.
Yes true.
Sometimes you have no choice.
I’ve always found them to be excellent though.
May look at OS if I get offered the job.
Juddian:
What’s that old saying, those than can do and those that can’t teach.
Indeed Juddian,
…and those that can’t teach examine! 
.
Just a quick message to say thanks for all the help and response.
My interview and assessment are next Monday.
I’ll keep you posted.
A few more points.
If not enough room in bin and bags need to be filled it is easier when possible to fill the bags from the bin, until it has space to blow the rest in.
Tipping too high when a lot of feed still in box can sometimes trigger safety cutout in tailgate. To fix this lower body and make sure tailgate is shut tight.
After each drop make sure no residual pressure in ram before uncoupling hydraulic hose, if you wiggle it and it feels loose then ok to uncouple.
098Joe:
A few more points.
If not enough room in bin and bags need to be filled it is easier when possible to fill the bags from the bin, until it has space to blow the rest in.Tipping too high when a lot of feed still in box can sometimes trigger safety cutout in tailgate. To fix this lower body and make sure tailgate is shut tight.
After each drop make sure no residual pressure in ram before uncoupling hydraulic hose, if you wiggle it and it feels loose then ok to uncouple.
Joe, I’d based my little “tutorial” on rigids as that’s what I’m used to.
If you could do similar for bulk blower trailers with donkey engine it would be good, I don’t know enough about them myself.
Sidevalve:
098Joe:
A few more points.
If not enough room in bin and bags need to be filled it is easier when possible to fill the bags from the bin, until it has space to blow the rest in.Tipping too high when a lot of feed still in box can sometimes trigger safety cutout in tailgate. To fix this lower body and make sure tailgate is shut tight.
After each drop make sure no residual pressure in ram before uncoupling hydraulic hose, if you wiggle it and it feels loose then ok to uncouple.
Joe, I’d based my little “tutorial” on rigids as that’s what I’m used to.
If you could do similar for bulk blower trailers with donkey engine it would be good, I don’t know enough about them myself.
Apologies if I’m treading on toes by putting my two penn’orth in but I think you might be asking a bit too much by asking for a tutorial on trailers, even though you specified donkeys.
Rigids, due to design, virtually all operate the same way. Trailers have too many variants.
Where as your rigid will nearly always be a tipper and have the blower connected to the truck engine via a pto shaft, trailers have a range of ways of operating. On trailers donkey engines will power the blower as will hydropacks, and also the truck engine if it’s an artic chassis mounted blower.
Then there’s the tipping. Some use the wet kit on the unit, others use the air system with the tipping controls on the trailer. Some have level sensors, some don’t. All this is assuming it’s a tipper.
New non tip trailers have appeared in the last two years or so. Some are like your pressurised tankers while others are like a potato bulker with compartments raised above an auger, belt or chain conveyor.
The bare basics of operating all of these is the same as rigids but unless you actually start using them and learning all of their little idiosyncrasies (EVERY truck/ trailer is different), you’ll never really get to know.
Sidevalve, Stevieboy and Joe. You have passed on some excellent, faultless advice. Mine would be to look after your best, most important bit of kit… your ears. You will hear everything that is happening/ about to happen before you see it, although it will take a while to get used to it.
That’s very fair comment, especially the bit about hearing. It’s a bloody noisy job as we all know.
Reason I specified donkey trailers was that they seem to be the ones most commonly found on older fleets; it being a given that if the company runs more modern kit, they’ll be more likely to train you up thoroughly in how to use it.
The basics of any tipping trailer apply though, and I cannot stress enough the need to be on firm level ground with the outfit completely straight before you blow off. And finally, NEVER tip to full height if you’ve got cake in the front compartment or it’s even remotely windy.
Sidevalve:
That’s very fair comment, especially the bit about hearing. It’s a bloody noisy job as we all know.Reason I specified donkey trailers was that they seem to be the ones most commonly found on older fleets; it being a given that if the company runs more modern kit, they’ll be more likely to train you up thoroughly in how to use it.
The basics of any tipping trailer apply though, and I cannot stress enough the need to be on firm level ground with the outfit completely straight before you blow off. And finally, NEVER tip to full height if you’ve got cake in the front compartment or it’s even remotely windy.
There is not much variation at our place, we have a couple with donkey engines, but the rest essentially all the same, hydraulics from unit for lifting ram and blowing gear on one pto and blower on the other. We tip full height with front box loaded, but never in Windy or unlevel conditions. A few times when I couldn’t lift high enough have climbed in the back and swept remaining feed to the back of trailer and into the auger. The main thing with trailers is remember to disconnect the blower and hoses when tipped, also dont be tempted to Ave them co nested when moving around a farm with multiple bins, it will end in tears. One more tip if you get stuck for traction and still some weight in the front, then lift body about a foot and the ram will concentrate more weight on drive axle, also don’t let front box open before going to last drop as it will help with traction on hills. This is opposite advice to rigids
Sidevalve:
stevieboy308:
Spot on by sidevalve.Other than the 4 bar!! I normally set it to 9 psi if not in a rush, but it’ll go to around 12 psi before you start to trigger the relief valve. Just be aware that as the bin you’re blowing into fills up then then pressure will also start creeping up, so you might set it to 9 psi at the start and you may need to slow it down speed down so you don’t have too much pressure. When nearing the end I can be a good idea to slow it down too, as if you’re going to be tight on space you’ll get more in when blowing slower (less pressure) and you’ve more chance of catching it before it bungs up.
All bins blow differently, the longer the pipework, the height of the bin, how free the exhaust is all effect it. Some bins when full will blow it all out of the exhaust, some will bung up with no notice and some will give you the telltale signs, lots dust coming out of the exhaust, increased pressure, nuts starting to come out of the exhaust and change in sound.
It’s fairly easy once you’ve done it a few times, all you’re doing is the same as putting a straw in your mouth and blowing peas or whatever through it. Try to blow too many at once and you’ll leak air between your mouth and straw (the relief valve)
It should be 0.4 bar, I’ll amend it… I go by the “4” on the gauge as I was taught, never looked what it was in psi.
I’ll add another tip for the OP. You’ll quite often find yourself in a situation where you’ve taken, say, six tons to a farm and the bin will only hold five. Usually this is because the farmer has either miscalculated how much he has left, or more likely he gets a better rate buying six tons. What usually happens is you will be asked to blow the excess feed into bags… not a breathalyser of course but half tonne tote bags. If this happens, you should politely insist that the customer holds the pipe; it may well be company policy anyway. Don’t try doing it yourself, it’s messy!
I was thinking that. 4.0 Bar is an awful lot of bang, its half the pressure of a Super Single on the M62 