Machinery

Drive-over trailer auger

Team FIN brothers Jack and Gary Appleby were on a mission at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY. The pair of Illinois farmers needed to find a drive-over auger designed for a tractor trailer. Their search landed them in the farm show booth of two other Illinois brothers, Steve and Brent Mast. The Mast brothers were on the same quest a year ago but ended up building their own grain unloading pit for their crop farm near Payson, IL. Now the Masts are selling the grain unloading equipment to other farmers like the Applebys.

Called the Pit Express, the drive-over auger is exactly what the Applebys want. An auger is integrated into the drive-over pit to make it easy to operate and transport. The pit is mechanical and drives off the PTO of one tractor.

The Pit Express is durable and transportable and accommodates any type of grain trailer, wagon and truck. Weighing 2,200 lbs., the pit is lifted hydraulically for transport. The ramps, which are 48 in. long and 30 in. wide, include springs to allow them to be easily lifted. A deck height of only 7 ½ in. allows for plenty of clearance room over the 43- x 46-in. pit. It is equipped with two 6-in. trough augers.

The Pit Express retails for $6,990. It may be purchased with a 10-in. auger for $12,685. The Masts say they plan to offer more models that will accommodate other auger sizes.

"As more hopper trailers are being used by farmers, they need something that is easy to transport and use for unloading," Steve says. They've applied for a patent on the device.

For more information, write to Mast Productions, Dept. FIN, 7208 Hwy. 96 S., Payson, IL 62360, call Steve Mast at 217/656-4334, visit www.pitexpress.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/info, or circle 190. - Karen McMahon