Dirt Screeners Flat or Trommel

[MattG]

I am trying to decide whether to build a flat or a Trommel screener. I thought a trommel would be easier to mechanize as opposed to a flat (ie. Rotary vs vibratory). I am also wondering which would be less expensive (I'm cheap).

I was thinking of a 30 inch diameter by 5 foot trommel due to the screen material I already have.

For the time being I am using gravity and old woven screen on a wooden frame. It works but is slow. It requires frequent cleaning of grass roots that clog the one inch mesh making it less effective as the dirt rolls off instead of through.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Matt

 

[Taylortractornut]

I was debating the same to screen Compost. I wanted a trommel because of the ability to self clean and damper product plus the ability to tear up the compressed compost cakes i get in the leaves. I was gonna have a company roll a 3 inch channel to make a 6 foot hoop, thats inverted but no such luck. I was also planning to lay out a set of cords to make some edges I could cut out and make my rings from welded stock but my figures haven come back right. I m settling for a flat screen with a vibratory unit on it. I can jut run the cake out in a sationary grizzy. My biggest concern was plastic bag chinks but I can filter the bigger ones out in a 4x4 screen over my shaker. I hope to use a vibratory unit off an old trencher we have if I can trade my brother out of it. In nothing else Ill have to make one like Skunkwerx and AKpilot with a belt driven eccentric.

Look on you tube search for Arborsift. Its a trommel screen that has paddles in it like a ready mix truck. it doesnt use a pass through design. You dump material in the mouth and it turs with the paddles pushing material to the inside and when the stuff screens it drops out to the conveyor. To empty it you back it up and the oversize comes out the front.

 

[bobodu]

I'm waiting for the company to scrap that old steam clothes dryer taking up room in the basement of the plant....

 

[Spudland_Dave]

You're getting my juices flowing again... Last spring I scored a 5'x6' piece of Screen (2" Opening) from a local Asphalt/General Contractor...as part of the spring PM routine they replace all screens... I wanted to build a Trommel, but couldnt figure out how to affordably roll the screen and related bracing...From a cheap/quick/easy perspective its hard to beat a standard shaker type...

 

[Barrys_Toys]

While reading this thread, an idea came to me. I too wanted to build a screening device, but getting the round structural members stumped me. What about using a hexagon or octagon instead of a circle. It should be easy to cut each side of the hexagon and then weld them together.

A structural piece could be placed at each edge and then attach screen between the structural members. Think of a piece of hexagonal bar stock except a lot bigger with each face consisting of screen.

 

[LBrown59]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...motorized-dirt-soil-screening-machine_ltr.gif

 

[SkunkWerX]

There are pros and cons to both.

Trommels do a great job, but then there is the issue of loading them, which takes a conveyor or chute.

Flat screens can be loaded "on the fly" right out of a bucket, but they can get "clogged" , or log jammed.

When I built my flat screener, ability to load it was my decision maker.

 

[LBrown59]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/iconimages/build-yourself/down-dirty-basic-soil-screener_ltr.gif

I really like this screener.

Soil Screener

Soil Screener next to screened pile of topsoil/compost