[USCC] Brown Bear Aerator

Art Krenzel compost@compostingcouncil.org
Fri Apr 4 10:15:01 2003


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Brent,

I can assure you, from years of experience using a device similar to the =
Brown Bear, that you will pick up every string, plastic bag and piece of =
cloth in your compost pile before you make many passes.  On occasion and =
in frustration, I have had to clean the rotor by using an acetylene =
torch to remove straw bale twine that had been left in the pile.  Knives =
were not enough.

There are entire Doctorate Thesis on the effects of small rotating =
shafts collecting or wrapping  long, flexible "thingies".

If you have large pieces of plastic bags which have not broken down in =
your compost and you use a rotating turner, you will spend a significant =
amount of "quality time" cleaning your rotor .  Know that polypropylene =
twine is even worse.

Art Krenzel, P.E.
PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES
10505 NE 285th Street
Battle Ground, WA 98604
360-666-1883 voice
360-666-1884 FAX
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Jerry Foster=20
  To: compost@compostingcouncil.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 1:58 PM
  Subject: [USCC] Brown Bear Aerator


  I have not used a Brown Bear aerator personally, but have seen video =
and talked with one of their sales reps.  My guess is that the aerator =
will tear heck out of the bags.  Then the plastic will probably wrap =
around the tines and you will have to cut them (the bags) out.  I'm =
basing this on my experience with a garden tiller (which is similar to =
the aerator) and plastic bags.  Anything that doesn't shatter will wrap =
if it is flexible.=20



  Hi,
  Has anyone used a Brown Bear Areator on yard waste with plastic bags?  =
I
  found a used one and thought I would give it a try but figured I'd ask =
first.
  We have 20,000 yards of waste in bags to clean up.
  Thanks,
  Brent Link=20


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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>Brent,</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I can assure you, from years of experience using a device similar =
to the=20
Brown Bear, that you will pick up every string, plastic bag and piece of =
cloth=20
in your compost pile before you make many passes.&nbsp; On occasion and =
in=20
frustration, I have had to clean the rotor by using an acetylene torch =
to remove=20
straw bale twine that had been left in the pile.&nbsp; Knives were not=20
enough.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>There are entire Doctorate Thesis on the effects of small rotating =
shafts=20
collecting or wrapping &nbsp;long, flexible "thingies".</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>If you have large pieces of plastic bags which have not broken =
down&nbsp;in=20
your compost and you use a&nbsp;rotating turner, you will spend a =
significant=20
amount&nbsp;of "quality time" cleaning your&nbsp;rotor .&nbsp; Know that =

polypropylene twine is even worse.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Art Krenzel, P.E.<BR>PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES<BR>10505 NE 285th=20
Street<BR>Battle Ground, WA 98604<BR>360-666-1883 voice<BR>360-666-1884=20
FAX</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dnrfostj@mail.dnr.state.mo.us=20
  href=3D"mailto:nrfostj@mail.dnr.state.mo.us">Jerry Foster</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  title=3Dcompost@compostingcouncil.org=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:compost@compostingcouncil.org">compost@compostingcouncil.o=
rg</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 03, 2003 =
1:58=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [USCC] Brown Bear =
Aerator</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <P><FONT face=3Dsans-serif size=3D2>I have not used a Brown Bear =
aerator=20
  personally, but have seen video and talked with one of their sales =
reps.=20
  &nbsp;My guess is that the aerator will tear heck out of the bags. =
&nbsp;Then=20
  the plastic will probably wrap around the tines and you will have to =
cut them=20
  (the bags) out. &nbsp;I'm basing this on my experience with a garden =
tiller=20
  (which is similar to the aerator) and plastic bags. &nbsp;Anything =
that=20
  doesn't shatter will wrap if it is flexible. =
</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT=20
  size=3D2><TT>Hi,<BR>Has anyone used a Brown Bear Areator on yard waste =
with=20
  plastic bags? &nbsp;I<BR>found a used one and thought I would give it =
a try=20
  but figured I'd ask first.<BR>We have 20,000 yards of waste in bags to =
clean=20
  up.<BR>Thanks,<BR>Brent Link</TT></FONT> =
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