DO NOT BUY TRACTOR SUPPLY RICE COAL

 
Bubbalowe
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Post by Bubbalowe » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 12:07 pm

swattley01 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 10:50 pm
anyone else have this happen on a alaska built feed auger? the piece of coal that broke this motor gear was not that big, i was surprised. there is no shere pin either it just breaks the gear box of this 150 dollar motor. there i best desribed as a paddle wheel shoving the coal into the fire tray does not take a big piece to jam the motor. be nice to have some sort of clutch or something to protect this, so far the tractor supply coal after i screen it has burned well and is only mile down the road. i just nervous about breaking more motors.
Any possibility of circuit protection, either fused or breaker? Seems odd to design something with ability to run to destruction.


 
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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 12:28 pm

I started burning TSC a few days ago. In fact, I bought 10 bags that were slightly ripped for $ 1.00 per bag!

I'll know tonight if the volume of ash is less.

Edit: The volume does seem to be much less.
Last edited by EarthWindandFire on Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:00 pm

Those chunks in the photo are small and my machine feeds them fine. Chunks that got thru to my hopper were the size of golf balls and some a bit larger.

 
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Post by thurberk » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 7:13 pm

swattley01 wrote:
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 9:13 am
how big was the piece that broke the feed motor
id say a little smaller than your average piece of nut coal

 
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swattley01
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Post by swattley01 » Sun. Dec. 16, 2018 10:01 pm

today i picked up few bags of Lehigh Rice coal, what a difference in consistence in the size of the coal, now i see that rice coal you get from Tractor supply is really a mix of size and every bag has at least a handful of Pea size. this is not acceptable in a Alaska type feed/auger system. now i see some of the other design out there. this few bags were cleaner then both TS and Reading by far.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Mon. Dec. 17, 2018 4:33 pm

Where are you located? Perhaps we can suggest a nearby supplier someone has had good luck with.

 
szembek
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Post by szembek » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 3:15 pm

How big are the pieces in the first image? I can't tell by looking.


 
lincolnmania
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Post by lincolnmania » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 3:45 pm

i get bulk delivery of blaschak rice coal and sometimes a piece of pea coal or nut coal sticks to the equipment and ends up in the bin.

 
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Post by BostonBob » Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 12:09 am

I have a Gnome 40 also and no safety for a jammed paddle feed, I had a broken gear in my gearbox, bought a new motor/gearbox $146, it lasted 4 days and had a problem, it would run then stop !!! Alaska sent me another motor/gearbox it has been running fine since. I did send the new broken motor/gearbox back to the manufacturer (since it was a new design)I am still waiting on it to return to have as a spare. I’d like to know the max force the gears can take before breaking
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I found these online and would like to use them as a way to protect the gears from braking (about $50) $8 for the center part that breaks, it would fit where the metal block is that joins the shafts together
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franco b
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Post by franco b » Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 11:37 am

BostonBob wrote:
Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 12:09 am
I found these online and would like to use them as a way to protect the gears from braking (about $50) $8 for the center part that breaks, it would fit where the metal block is that joins the shafts together
Another possible option is to detect electronically the increased draw of a stuck motor and cut the power to it.

This is what some modern vacuum cleaners do, and overload switches on motors are nothing new, but i think they work on heat which may not be fast enough.

 
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Post by BostonBob » Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 8:44 pm

franco b wrote:
Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 11:37 am
Another possible option is to detect electronically the increased draw of a stuck motor and cut the power to it.

This is what some modern vacuum cleaners do, and overload switches on motors are nothing new, but i think they work on heat which may not be fast enough.
I think that is the problem with putting a fuse in line is that it won’t react fast enough b4 the gears are broken, I wish Alaska put something in to protect that motor (expensive)

 
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Post by franco b » Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 9:10 pm

BostonBob wrote:
Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 8:44 pm
I think that is the problem with putting a fuse in line is that it won’t react fast enough b4 the gears are broken, I wish Alaska put something in to protect that motor (expensive)
Could you not drill and put in your own sheer pin at some point? Start with maybe a 6/32 machine screw?

 
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Post by BostonBob » Sun. Feb. 10, 2019 8:28 am

franco b wrote:
Sat. Feb. 09, 2019 9:10 pm
Could you not drill and put in your own sheer pin at some point? Start with maybe a 6/32 machine screw?
I have thought of a cotter pin, just don’t wanna break the shaft, I may fool around with it after I shut down for the season. For now I just sift through the coal looking for big pieces and take them out (gonna use them for Christmas presents for the grandkids!!!)

 
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robb
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Post by robb » Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 3:04 pm

I used "reading" coal 1 time...it produced so much fly-ash it choked my stove flue off! Ever since I use nothing but Blaschalk...I light my stove during first week of deer season here in Lancaster County, and turn it off in mid march....house gets too hot running it...

 
BostonBob
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Post by BostonBob » Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 10:45 pm

robb wrote:
Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 3:04 pm
I used "reading" coal 1 time...it produced so much fly-ash it choked my stove flue off! Ever since I use nothing but Blaschalk...I light my stove during first week of deer season here in Lancaster County, and turn it off in mid march....house gets too hot running it...
That’s all I’ve really used for the last 20 years!!!! I burned a ton of the TSC coal last year and it seemed to do ok, but the Santa coal is cheaper than the TSC coal!!!!


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