Uncategorized
Dave in Michigan
Dave dries about 250,000 bu/year of corn, wheat and soybeans with his 1612 model Grain Handler dryer. He has had his Dryer Master DM510 since 2016.
What had you heard about Dryer Master before you purchased one?
I had seen DM at trade shows. DM came highly recommended by our dryer dealer.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, from an operational perspective?
The DM gives me better information to monitor my drying operation.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor? And what is your calibration procedure?
Every 2 to 3 hours depending on incoming moisture. We take a few samples into a pail, mix and test.
Do you use DM-Mobile? If so how do you use it (phone/PC/home/at night?), how often do you use it?
I use DM-Mobile to check the dryer at night from home on my phone. If things are running smoothly, a couple of times before bed and 1st thing in the morning – if conditions are tough, several times while away from dryer.
Have you contacted Dryer Master Support Center? And if so, what was the experience?
DM support is fantastic! They’re always helpful and work on a problem until it’s resolved. Very responsive.
Mike in Wisconsin
Mike has had his DryerMaster DM510 since 2016. He uses it with his MC 1075 dryer to dry over 500,000 bushels of corn a year.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, from an operational perspective?
The Dryer Master allows us to dry every bushel to the same moisture, day in and day out. Lets us watch the dryer every day, every hour. We always know whats going on.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor? And what is your calibration procedure?
We calibrate at least 2 times a day at a minimum. We run samples out the dryer against our moisture meter, and calibrate using those samples, checking them at least three times and taking an average.
Do you use DM-Mobile? If so how do you use it (phone/PC/home/at night?), how often do you use it?
Phone. 20 times a day at least.
Is there anything you would like to see changed in the Dryer Master (new features?)
I would like to see multiple burner temps on the Dryer Master. (DM Note: The DM510 currently monitors one drying air temperature in the dryer.)
Lowell in Minnesota
Lowell has had his Dryer Master DM510 for three years. He uses it on his 4024 Grain Handler dryer, drying about 1 million bushels of corn per year.
How much training was required to operate the Dryer Master?
A couple hours.
How does the Dryer Master change the way you dry?
I can go do other work and not worry about the dryer adjustments.
Did anything surprise you about the Dryer Master?
The simplicity.
Compared to manual sampling how much difference does having real time moisture information make? Why?
Big difference. We have a large wet bin and if we get a wetter variety in there the real time knows when to adjust.
How often do you calibrate your sensors? What is your calibration procedure?
Daily just to confirm. We test incoming and outgoing grain and do the calibration on the DM.
Do you use DM Mobile? If so, when/how do you use it?
Yes we love to be able to see the dryer info remotely. We do make some adjustments from the mobile device.
Have you contacted the Dryer Master Support Centre? What was your experience?
Great service.
Richard in South Dakota
Richard dries about 800,000 bushels a year of corn and beans in his 3,500 bu. capacity grain dryer, a dryer that he is looking to add more tiers to to get even more capacity. He has had his Dryer Master DM510 since 2011. For the 2017 season, he upgraded by adding DM Mobile, Dryer Master’s remote access application.
How does the Dryer Master change the way you dry? Using the Dryer Master changes the way we harvest, such as which fields we are going to harvest next. We are not as concerned about the moisture content in each field.
How often do you calibrate the outlet sensor, and what procedure do you use? We probably calibrate the outlet sensor twice a day. We take 4-5 samples during the calibration time, mix them together, and bench sample them to get an average moisture.
Do you use DM Mobile? We started using DM Mobile this year on my cell phone. I watch the outlet moisture from my phone as well as the drying rate and the drying temp. I like being able to change it from Auto to Local or Manual from my combine or my house. It is nice to be able to check things from the house at night without going to the bin site a mile away.
Mark in Indiana
Mark is relatively new to Dryer Master. He has had his DM510 for two years now. He uses it to dry about 500,000 bushels of corn and wheat in his Delux dryer.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place.
It was recommended by my dealer.
Have you found a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master? In what way?
The Dryer Master is a management tool. It saves money by not over drying or under drying the grain. This saves in minimizing grain shrink and moisture dock and it gives gas savings.
Is there anything you would like to see changed in the Dryer Master (new fe
atures?)
I’d like to see “suggested rates” in manual mode to show on DM Mobile. (DM Comment: Excellent idea. This is something we will be adding.)
Do you use DM-Mobile? If so how do you use it (phone/PC/home/at night?), how often do you use it?
DM Mobile is my favorite feature. I use it all day while in the combine and it is on when I go to bed, so I can wake during the night and check the dryer in bed. It is great peace of mind!
Trevor in North Dakota
Trevor dries less than 250,000 bushels annually of corn and wheat with his Grain Handler dryer. He has had his Dryer Master DM510 for three seasons now.
What had you heard about Dryer Master before you purchased one?
Advanced Grain Handling suggested a Dryer Master because that is what they had and really liked it. We wanted something that was smart phone capable and we are glad we got the Dryer Master.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
To be more productive… We couldn’t run 24 hours a day before the Dryer Master because we didn’t want to under dry or over dry.. with the Dryer Master we can run 24 hours a day which is huge to getting our crop off before the weather changes in North Dakota… Every day is crucial and we have to be able to get the crop off and dry it down!
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or alter your drying operations from
an operational perspective?
We decreased paying a guy to baby sit the dryer all day. With Dryer Master we can look at our phones when we are not by it. Semi drivers and always monitoring it when dumping their trucks. We dialed in our set point for our dryer and it comes out consistent throughout our desired moisture for storage.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
It took awhile to get used to it and a lot of phone calls just to get everything set but now we are familiar with everything.
Have you found a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master? In what
way?
Any kind of product that can give you a return on your investment is crucial in this business. This monitoring system pays for itself yearly in our eyes with the elevators being so aggressive on drying and shrink charges.
Aaron in Illinois
Aaron has a smaller 1610 Grain Handler dryer that he uses to dry about 200,000 bushels of oats and corn. He has now had his DM510 for 2 seasons and uses the Dryer Master moisture sensor chute with a rotary feed which helps provide a consistent flow of product past the outlet moisture sensor.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
I had not heard anything about Dryer Master but my bin dealer and the Grain Handler folks recommended it.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or help your drying operations from an
operational perspective?
It allows me to be a little freer to do ot
her tasks.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor?
All throughout the first day, then if it is staying close to the bench tester, just once a day.
How much difference does it make to have real time moisture information versus having to go out and take a sample?
A lot. I’m able to check the moisture of the dryer discharge no matter where I am.
Do you use DM-Mobile for remote access.
Yes, I use it on my smartphone all the time, day and night.
Brian in Pennsylvania
Brian dries about 250,000 bushels of corn and soybeans with his Grain Handler 1610 dryer. He has now had a Dryer Master DM510 for 3 seasons. In the photo of the DM510 panel, on the right there is a small black device. This is part of the remote wireless I/O setup option. This option simplifies installations where the DM510 panel is located at a far distance from the dryer, or where a conduit run would be difficult.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
It was recommended by the Dealer and Rep from Grain Handler
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
I was surprised how it could compensate for different input moisture after it had run long enough to build the data it needed. Compensates better for large input changes than any other controller I have used.
How often d
o you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor? And what is your calibration procedure? (Note: The photo is of the outlet sensor installation. Brian diverts a portion of the outlet flow to a pipe where the sensor is mounted. The product flow past the sensor is kept constant by the auger that returns the product to the main stream. )
Check / Calibrate several times daily especially if we changed varieties of corn. Also check before overnight. I recalibrate if its more than a couple tenths off. I push the calibrate button mounted near sensor and take a sample over about 20 to 30 seconds. Gives me enough grain to run two tests on my moisture tester. If both tests are close to the same, I average and recalibrate. If the tests are not close, I start over.
Ryan in Ontario
Ryan has been a Dryer Master user since 1999. The first Dryer Master installed was a DM500 model and it went in at their then only drying location. In 2009, with the construction of a new facility at a new location, two Dryer Master DM510s were added for their Dorssers dryer. (For those unfamiliar with the Dorssers dryer it is an Ontario made dryer that you can see at quite a few locations around Southern Ontario.) In Ryan’s case each Dryer Master controls 1/2 of the dryer and so you can have the two sides running at different speeds. Combined, Ryan dries around 750,000 bushels of corn a year.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
The ease of controlling the dryer and improving the output consistency for storage. We also liked the idea that you could run it in an automatic mode which allowed us to focus time on other areas of the business during harvest.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or alter your drying operations from an operational perspective?
When operating the Dryer Master, patience is key. You have to have trust in the system to follow the targets that you set out to achieve. It allows you to focus on other areas of operations during the peak time and yet have faith that the targets will be met.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
It takes a bit of time to have faith that the targets will be met. At the conclusion of the year, it is surprising how close the targets are met when the final report is generated. This goes to show that corrections are made throughout the drying season and in the end you achieve what you had set as a goal going into harvest.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
Patience is key, give the DM time to learn the characteristics of the grain and it will meet your requirements. Keep an eye on all the moisture pods for blockage as this can give false readings.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor?
We calibrate quiet often and likely too much.Every half hour if we have issues. On average we likely calibrate every 1.5 hours. When things are busy every 2-4 hours. It is nice to be able to go to the screen and know that the physical product is accurate to what the reading is giving you.
Kevin in Indiana
Kevin has two Dryer Master DM510s. The first one he installed about 15 years ago. He then he bought a second one five years ago to go on his new dryer. Kevin’s two dryers are both Zimmerman towers (one is 2,000 bu. and the other 4,000 bu.).
Kevin recently updated his DM510s with DM Mobile, Dryer Master’s remote access application. (DM Mobile is standard on all new DM510s, but it can also be added onto older DM510s allowing owners to add the latest in remote access capabilities to their dryer at a reasonable cost).
What had you heard about Dryer Master before you purchased your first system?
I talked to a guy who owned one and he told me that I would not want to dry another bushel without it.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
I was surprised with how accurate the sensors are & how well they keep their calibration.
The sensors are also very durable, I had one sitting in rotten corn and water all summer and did not know it, cleaned it off and it still worked as it should.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
We found that the Zimmerman dryer will make fairly large swings in moisture at first, 1.5 – 2 pts, but once it found its sweet spot it stayed on target.
Longer Runs = Better
How much difference does it make to have real time moisture information versus having to go out and take a sample?
It is a huge difference being able to walk in the office and know what my moisture is in real-time and be able to keep an eye on it while unloading trucks and all the other things that are going on.
It’s great knowing how accurate it is vs. taking a sample from say maybe 2 columns at best, whereas the sensor (through the printout) gives me summaries every 10 minutes from a much larger sample size, giving me not only more accurate information, but also more useful information, and it’s better than doing it myself.
Do you use DM-Mobile? If so how do you use it (phone/PC/home/at night?), how often do you use it?
Yes, on an iPhone and on a PC
All the time when it is running, I no longer have to make midnight runs to the dryer to check on it, I can check on it without having to get out of bed.
Dryer Master 
You must be logged in to post a comment.