Grain Auger or Belt Conveyor? Matching Capacity, Reach, and Crop

When customers ask us whether they should buy a grain auger or a belt conveyor, the answer usually comes down to what they are moving and how the machine has to fit the site. For most farms unloading commodity corn, soybeans, or small grains from a trailer into a bin, we usually recommend a swing-away auger because it offers excellent capacity for the purchase price. A belt conveyor is often the better choice for seed, edible beans, or other crops where cleanout and gentler handling matter more than the highest possible rate.

The bin site can change that recommendation. A long auger that clears a tall bin may still be difficult to place at a shorter one because the tube cannot be lowered far enough or the intake must sit too far from the fill opening. At wind-exposed sites, the undercarriage and trussing deserve closer attention. Rail facilities and other low-clearance sites may need a purpose-built railcar unloader or low-profile transfer conveyor because a standard hopper will not clear the outlet.

Before we recommend a size, we also look at the trailer clearance, bin height, horizontal reach, available power, and the capacity of the leg, dryer, cleaner, or bin inlet. Modern augers and conveyors can move grain faster than the receiving equipment can accept it. When the receiving equipment is the bottleneck, a smaller machine can cost less to buy and repair, use a smaller tractor or motor, and use less fuel or electricity without slowing the job.

Start with the crop and where the grain is going

A swing-away auger uses rotating steel flighting inside the tube to move grain. It is well suited to regular truck-to-bin unloading, provides high capacity for its size, and uses a low-profile hopper that can be positioned beneath the trailer. Most large swing-away augers use a tractor PTO to drive the main auger.

A belt conveyor carries the crop on a moving belt instead of pushing it through auger flighting. Belts are commonly used for seed, edible crops, specialty grain, and jobs that require frequent cleanout between products. Depending on the model, the main conveyor drive may be PTO, electric, gas, diesel, or hydraulic.

That does not make a belt universally better. A belt reduces the impact damage that can occur when delicate crops move through auger flighting. The gentler handling is most valuable with seed and specialty crops, where damage can affect germination or grade. For commodity grain, an auger remains a practical choice when it is fed evenly and operated at the speed and working angle specified for the machine.

When we quote either machine, we want to know every crop it will handle, how often it must be cleaned between varieties, and where the grain goes next. If protecting germination, grade, or varietal purity is important, we normally look at a belt first. If the job is moving large amounts of commodity grain from trailers to bins, a swing-away auger will usually provide more capacity for the purchase price.

Do not buy more capacity than the site can use

A useful capacity comparison starts with how quickly the trailer needs to be empty. That goal can be converted into an average rate:

Required average rate = trailer bushels ÷ unload time in hours

For example, emptying a 1,000-bushel trailer in eight minutes requires an average of 7,500 bushels per hour. That average includes starting the machine, opening and closing the trailer gates, holding a steady flow, and finishing the unload. It is different from the peak capacity shown in a brochure, which normally reflects steady flow under the manufacturer's stated conditions.

Once we know that target, we compare it with every machine receiving the grain. If the leg, dryer, cleaner, bin inlet, or downstream conveyor can accept only 6,000 bushels per hour, a 10,000-bushel-per-hour auger will not unload the trailer in eight minutes. The auger will spend part of the job throttled back, and the extra capacity will not shorten the cycle unless the receiving equipment is also upgraded.

This is where a smaller auger or conveyor may be the better investment. Brandt rates the 1060HP swing-away auger at up to 7,200 bushels per hour and recommends 95 horsepower. At the other end of the current line, Brandt rates the 16-inch 16105HP at up to 23,000 bushels per hour and recommends 300 horsepower. The 16-inch machine makes sense only when the trucks, receiving equipment, and harvest schedule can use the additional rate. Otherwise, the extra purchase price and horsepower will not shorten the unload.

Manufacturer capacity ratings also change with crop, moisture, intake conditions, drive, and working angle. We compare ratings only when the crop and operating conditions are similar, then confirm the exact length, power source, and working angle being quoted.

When we recommend a swing-away auger

We generally recommend a swing-away grain auger for regular truck-to-bin unloading when commodity-grain capacity is the priority and a properly sized PTO tractor is available. The swing-away hopper reaches beneath the trailer while the main auger remains lined up with the bin inlet.

Brandt's current swing-away line shows how capacity and tractor requirements increase by family:

• The 10HP family is available in 60-, 70-, and 80-foot lengths and is rated at up to 7,200 bushels per hour. Brandt recommends 95 to 115 horsepower, depending on length.
• The 13XL+ family is available from 70 to 110 feet and is rated at up to 11,000 bushels per hour. Brandt recommends 150 to 180 horsepower across the current lengths.
• The 13HP+ family uses a higher-capacity hopper and swing tube and is rated at up to 13,000 bushels per hour. Brandt recommends 175 to 235 horsepower, depending on length.
• The 16HP family is available in 105- and 125-foot lengths and is rated at up to 23,000 bushels per hour. Brandt recommends 300 horsepower for the 105-foot model and 325 horsepower for the 125-foot model.

Those numbers are useful for narrowing the choices, but they are still family ratings published under Brandt's stated conditions. Crop, moisture, working angle, PTO power, and how steadily the hopper is fed can all change the rate at your bin.

Tube diameter and auger design determine how much grain the machine can move, while length determines how far it can reach. This is why a longer auger does not automatically move more grain. A longer model with the same tube diameter may require more tractor power, more transport room, and a larger undercarriage without increasing the published rate.

When we quote a swing-away auger, we price the complete machine rather than only the main tube. The quote should confirm the swing-away hopper, hopper mover, winch or lift, lighting, controls, PTO speed, right-angle drive when needed, transport dimensions, and cleanout equipment. Those details determine how easily the auger can be positioned and whether it will fit the actual bin site.

When we recommend a belt conveyor

We recommend a portable belt conveyor, often called a field belt, for seed, edible beans, and specialty crops where cracked grain or carryover between varieties can reduce value. A belt is also worth considering when gas or electric drive is more practical than leaving a PTO tractor on the machine.

Belt conveyors are not limited to small jobs. AGI Batco rates its 1500 Series at up to 6,000 bushels per hour, the 2000 Series at up to 9,000, and the 2400 Series at up to 14,000. Brandt rates its current 15 Series Harvest GrainBelts from 6,200 to 6,700 bushels per hour and offers PTO, gas, or electric drive configurations.

The style of conveyor matters just as much as the belt width. A field belt provides the reach to load bins or trucks, while a short transfer conveyor moves grain out from under a hopper-bottom bin or trailer and into the next machine. Drive-over conveyors are designed around quick trailer unloading, while railcar conveyors give priority to very low hopper clearance. If we compare only belt width and capacity, it is easy to end up with the wrong intake or frame for the site.

A belt conveyor also generally requires less power than a comparable screw auger. AGI's current belt-conveyor brochure states that its design requires about half the horsepower of a screw auger. The exact difference depends on conveyor length, lift, drive, crop, and capacity, but the lower requirement may allow a smaller power unit or keep a larger tractor available for other work.

Cleanout is another reason many operators choose a belt. AGI notes that its belt conveyors retain very little product when changing commodities. We still recommend checking how the hopper, belt, transition, and discharge are accessed and how much grain remains after the conveyor runs empty. That matters when seed varieties must remain separate or carryover adds another cleaning step.

We also look beyond the belt itself when gentle handling is important. A long drop at the discharge or an abrupt transition into the next machine can still damage the crop, so it is worth following the grain from the trailer to its final destination and looking at every place it changes direction or falls.

Match height and reach to every bin

Overall length is only part of determining whether an auger will fit the bin. Hopper position, frame design, lift geometry, and working angle determine both the outlet height and its horizontal distance from the intake.

Brandt's current dimensions show why this matters with shorter bins. The 60-foot 1060HP auger has a working-height range from 9 feet 8 inches to 42 feet, while the 110-foot 13110HP+ ranges from 12 feet 10 inches to 73 feet. The longer auger reaches much taller bins, but its minimum height, tube length, wheel position, and horizontal reach may make it a poor fit at a shorter bin or confined site.

When we review a bin site, we ask for the bin inlet height and the horizontal distance from the point where the hopper must sit. We also need to account for trailer clearance, room for the tractor or power unit, nearby buildings, driveways, overhead power lines, and the space required to raise, lower, and turn the machine. Both the transport route and operating position must keep the auger or conveyor clear of overhead lines. The manufacturer's height-and-reach chart for the exact model is much more dependable than estimating from overall length.

Working angle matters too. A belt conveyor raised near its maximum angle is lifting grain more steeply and may carry less than it does at a flatter position. Auger capacity also falls as the working angle increases, so we compare both machines at the height the site requires rather than only at the flatter angle used for the highest published rate.

Frame design also matters as the machine gets longer. Brandt uses heavy scissor-lift and A-frame undercarriages, along with trussing, to improve stability and reduce tube droop. Those features do not make a raised auger or conveyor safe in high winds. AGI's operating instructions say not to raise a conveyor in high winds, to lower it when it is not in use, and to chock and anchor it after positioning.

Use a low-profile hopper for railcars and tight clearances

Low-clearance jobs require a different type of intake. A standard swing-away hopper or field-belt intake will not fit beneath every trailer, hopper-bottom bin, pit, or railcar, so the first measurement we need is the lowest outlet clearance.

Convey-All's 1616-RC and 2218-RC railcar transfer conveyors have 4 5/8 inches of hopper clearance, with discharge heights from 36 to 48 inches above the ground. Their short frames are designed to move material out from under the railcar and into a truck, longer conveyor, or storage intake. Gas, electric, or hydraulic drive is available within the family, depending on the exact model and configuration.

Those transfer conveyors solve a different problem than a long machine built to reach a tall bin. A rail facility may need very low clearance and easy positioning but relatively little discharge height, while a farm filling a tall bin needs reach and lift. Trying to make one hopper and frame handle both jobs can cost more and still fit neither location well.

Confirm the drive, hydraulics, and electrical requirements

Power descriptions on an equipment quote can be easy to misread because the main drive and accessory controls may use different power sources. On a swing-away auger, for example, the word “electric” may describe only the hopper mover or winch while the main auger still runs from the tractor PTO.

For a PTO auger or conveyor, we confirm the recommended horsepower, PTO speed, hydraulic flow and pressure, number of remote outlets, and whether the tractor can remain at the site. For an electric conveyor, we need the voltage, phase, amperage, starter or controls, cord length, and the electrical service where the machine will run. For gas or diesel drive, we confirm the exact engine package and how the mover, lift, and intake are powered.

To avoid confusion, a complete quote should identify the power source for the main drive, hopper mover, winch or lift, and any self-propelled mover separately. That prevents an electric hopper mover from being mistaken for an electric-drive machine and makes the tractor, hydraulic, and electrical requirements clear before delivery.

What we need to quote an auger or conveyor

Send us:

• The crops, expected moisture, and whether seed or specialty products are included.
• How often the machine will change crops and how thoroughly it must clean out between varieties.
• Trailer type, outlet clearance, trailer capacity, and target minutes per unload.
• Capacity of the leg, dryer, cleaner, bin inlet, or other receiving equipment.
• Bin inlet height, horizontal distance from the planned intake position, and the lowest and tallest sites the machine must serve.
• Available PTO horsepower and speed, hydraulic capacity, engine preference, or electrical service.
• Wind exposure, overhead power lines, access width, working room, and transport route.
• Whether the machine will serve a farm, commercial facility, rail site, or several locations.
• The hopper mover, winch, lift, lighting, controls, and transport equipment expected in the quote.

Keast Enterprises offers swing-away grain augers, portable belt conveyors, field loaders, transfer conveyors, and railcar unloading equipment from several manufacturers. Send us the crop, site measurements, receiving rate, and available power, and we can compare the complete machines. From there, we can recommend an auger or belt conveyor that reaches every loading point, works with the power available, and matches the capacity the rest of the operation can actually use.