Handling Loose Coal

I've been buring Anthracite for only 2 years and have always used bagged coal. I stack it behind my house under a tarp. When I need coal I take the wheel barrow and cart 8 bags and park the barrow by the door. Every 3-4 days I get more coal and don't have to go far to get at it. I want to do loose but I'm thinking it may be a PITA. If I do a coal bin it'l be about 50 feet back on the property. I'm thinking that I would buy 5-6 (5) gallon containers and cart them over to the door. I would love to hear how you guys with coal bins that aren't in the house deal with loose coal and getting it from the bin into the house?

I use 5 gallon paint or Hydralic oil buckets.. you can scoop the bucket almost full, and it weighs around 35# or so. I use the bucket to transfer from the big walk-in coal bin to the hopper over the AA's auger...

I've considered making a tractor loadable hopper with a motor driven auger to feed the AA's hopper.. this would eliminate the 5 gallon buckets.. and a lot of exercise.. but this is not a top priority project right now.

Greg L

hi

same as Gregg 5 gallon buckets. have shoots high enough to fill buckets in coal bin. also I leave coal in my coal hualer. when empty I go for another load. good luck.... also store 2 ton in 5 gallon buckets at begining of season....

mike

My bin would be aroun 40 ft. long and the coal would be about 5 foot high. The only way to get the coal in the buckets is to scoop it in our shovel it in. Does it become a PITA. Are u guys constantly repiling the coal so you can scoop it in to the buckets?

See photo for my solution. I fill the utility truck every week or two and then drive it next to my boiler.

I just walk in the end of the bin, and use the bucket to scoop the coal away from my feet, this constantly pushes the coal up on the leading edge of the pile.. I do sometimes get a piece or two of coal in my shoes,, but in the winter I have boots on, so it's not such a problem..

I do not shovel the coal into the buckets,, once in a while I shovel the leading edge of the pile back, and clean up the edge,, just to make scooping easier.. but it's not a big deal..

Last season when I was experimenting with coal from several different mines and breakers. I had piles on tarps, covered with tarps, here and there,, I'd just uncover and scoop towards the top of the pile.. works fine..

Greg L
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