Silo ladder question

Bkpigs · May 27, 2013

I has been many years since I leveled off a silo. But one thing I can't remember is why we would climb the outside ladder and not the one in the chute. It would have been much safer. Anyone know the reasoning for even have the outside ladder?

r aiken · May 27, 2013

You just about have to be on the outside, when puttin up the blower pipe and adjusting the gooseneck.
You can go up the shute and crawl around the top to put up the pipe, but it is not so safe and a little spooky. Did that once 50 years ago, never agin.

pete 23 · May 27, 2013

When they had me in the silo as a teenage, leveling as they filled, it got so full I could not get back down to the chute but by getting a hold of the pipes I could get to the outside ladder. Also, when putting the pipes up we used the outer ladder. Wife wanted me to put a flag on top of silo a couple years ago. I went up about two rungs and said, I don't trust this ladder anymore and came back down. Flag stays on flag pole in lawn.

Ken Macfarlane · May 27, 2013

I've never been up a silo as they have all been torn down around here but I've heard something about someone leaving all the doors open making it a pain to go up the chute and the wooden step on the doors being rotten being an issue.

Billy NY · May 27, 2013

Not sure either, but don't have a heck of a lot of experience with them, we used to be a lot of concrete stave silos with the aluminum top and hatch.

Being that we were close to a long time dairy farm, whom was and still is a great friend, he used to have my father climb the outside ladder to open the hatch, he had 3 concrete stave silo's. He apparently was the type that did not like heights, well I think silo's and taller things, knowing that my dad always took care of it whenever asked. They may have razzed each other about it, I am sure, but he knew it was of good help and that was more important. Around the time of those years he lost an old timer and friend when loading one of these silos. I recall what the emergency responder described to me, bad scene given the type of equipment, not sure if that had anything to do with it, but for as long as I can recall, we always helped each other out, that was more important than anything and taking care of that hatch when asked was an easy thing to do. Don't think that answers the question but it seems both are necessary for some reason.

GeneMO · May 27, 2013

Well, our outside ladder has a cage around it, then there is a platform at the top, with a floor that can be raised or lowered to stand in. For the first ten years we had it, we didn't have a roof or unloading system in it. But added the roof and unloader later. The roof actually has about twice as big of an entrance as crawling up the chute and going through the unloading doors. Plus it wasn't all nasty with dirt and chopped up silage.

Gene

The Red · May 27, 2013

Pete smart move. If you had tried that, you might not be here typing about it!

Roger Tomfohrde · May 27, 2013

We would climb the outside if there was too much fine stuff coming down. There could be some silo gas in the chute if the blower is not run long enough. Climbing the outside and going in is a risk if it is too low and you drop so far you can"t get back out.We would wear a hooded sweat shirt to get up there. Our silos either hand a winch to raise the spout or were ring drives and had a spreader on the un-loader. Just be careful either way.

S2710 · May 27, 2013

the ladder on the outside is used to
put the pipes up
to check to make sure the silo is filling in the center and adjusting the pipe.
You have fresh air so no silo gas
It is a lot cleaner to go up the outside instead of the inside
It is a lot safer to go up the outside because you don't have to worry about a door going in on you when you go up the inside.

Bob

showcrop · May 27, 2013

I was a silo unloader in an earlier life. We had no outside ladder.

Anonymous-0 · May 28, 2013

Three stories from the stupid silo climber.
1. Was around 12 and going up the inside chute. Almost to the top and slipped. Half way or so down finally feet found the rung and jammed my knees into my chest. But made it to 13.
2. Kids are stupid some times. I tried climbing around the tightening bolts all the way to the top. Slipped right next to the outside cage. Never did it again.
3. This still gives me chills. Was on tp of a harvertor checking the bag while filling oat silage. Slipped on a wet spot and was headed to the edge of a 70 footer. A bolt caught my back pocket with my legs dangling over the edge. Mom was watching and probably lost 10 years of her life. Made it till now.

sammydwm · May 28, 2013

The only time we went up the outside was to do a quick check of how full while filling. Or maybe if I was bored on a summer afternoon, could see a long ways from 70 foot up...
Never entered the silo from the outside ever.

Silo ladder question

Bkpigs

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r aiken

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pete 23

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Ken Macfarlane

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Billy NY

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GeneMO

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The Red

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Roger Tomfohrde

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S2710

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showcrop

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Anonymous-0

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sammydwm

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