In the world of landscaping, excavation, and construction, it’s vital to have an effective topsoil screener. But finding the right one can be a challenge. Buying a topsoil screener is an investment, and you should approach the decision carefully. If you need reliable topsoil screening equipment for your business or farm, there are some things you have to keep in mind.
What is a topsoil screener?
Topsoil is dirt that is 2 to 12 inches into the ground. The material in this soil is essential to how plants grow because of the nutrients. Most often, there is broken down organic material in topsoil. It comes from leaves, vegetation, and dead animals. However, there can also be rocks, water, plant roots, sticks, weeds, and contaminants in topsoil. These items can disrupt plant growth. A topsoil screener will remove these items, making the soil ideal for gardening, farming, and other plant growth activities. Moreover, once topsoil has been screened, it can be worth a lot more money.
How does a topsoil screener work?
Screening topsoil requires large machines to separate finer particles from debris, like stones, twigs etc. Dirt is put into the machine with a front-end loader. There is a screen where the dirt accumulates. The machine’s vibration sifts the soil through the screen, separating larger pieces from the valuable particles. The debris is discarded outside of the machine, where it will be collected and removed. Some screening machines will gather the good soil so it can be sent to distribution centres. At these warehouses, the screened topsoil is bagged for sale. Sometimes, the soil is sent to nurseries and other stores to be sold directly to customers.
Should topsoil be screened?
Screened topsoil is essential for good plant growth. Whether customers want to start a new lawn or improve the growing capability of their land, working topsoil that has been through the screening process adds texture and water-retention capabilities. Unscreened topsoil brings a risk of adding unwanted plant or weed roots to your land. This can damage the crops you are trying to cultivate and ruin your topsoil by mixing with it.
Who can use a topsoil screener?
Anyone interested in growing plants, flowers, or even grass can benefit from having some screened topsoil. Screened topsoil allows for good drainage and also contains valuable nutrients that help your plants grow.
Different customers who would use a topsoil screener include:
- Construction aggregate
- Tree farms
- Sod companies
- Gravel pits
- Landscapers
- excavator companies
- Farmers
- Miners
- composting companies
The different types of topsoil screeners
One of the challenges of finding the right topsoil screener is that there are different models on the market. Here are the various topsoil screeners you can buy:
Power Screeners
The Honda power screener is 10 ft wide by 5 ft deep screening deck with 1ft catch boards. It has a Honda engine, plus a hydraulic vibrator, lift axle and angling deck. Screens can be interchanged as they are locked down with bolts. This feature allows you to alter the screen size, depending on the job. Screens come with Torsion axles, lights and safety changes.
If you’re looking for something a little narrower, the electric power screener is 8ft wide. The vibrator runs on 110v electricity and has 700lbs of shaking force. These machines are versatile and can be easily moved with pegs in the front. A rubber flap controls the speed of the screening process. Screens are bolted down, which allows you to easily alter the size or bring in a replacement if needed.
Vibrating Screener
A versatile option, the vibrating screener can be used with 100v electricity or Honda gas-powered, which attaches to a composite spring-mounted screening platform. It has the capability of screening various materials, in addition to topsoil, such as aggregates, composite, etc. There is a wide selection of screen sizes that fit the vibrating screener and will suit any job.
Stationary Screeners
For simple or smaller jobs, you can invest in a stationary screener. It will provide you quality topsoil screening without the demand for a lot of electricity. With these machines, all you need to do is dump the load on the inclined screen, and the dirt will sift through with the larger debris remaining on the screen for separation. These stationary screeners are durable, designed to last, and require no maintenance because the machine has no moving parts.
Grizzly Screeners
When you need a heavy duty screener, a Grizzly can help make the topsoil screening process more efficient. They are used as static separates for larger loads and can separate larger rocks from the soil. The key is the tubing bars that are strong and can hold up while screening more oversized, heavy items and debris. They can be set in various sizes, from 2in and up. Depending on the job, you can buy Grizzly screeners in multiple sizes, like the 9ft model or the 10 ft model.
How much does a topsoil screener cost?
The variety in sizes and models of topsoil screeners allow you to find a fit for any work that you need to get done. Because of the different models available, the costs of a topsoil screen vary. It depends on the model of the machine you need, the size of the screen, and what you need it to do. For more information on finding a suitable topsoil screener for you or an estimate, contact North 42 today.
What is the best topsoil screener?
To select the best topsoil screener for you, ask yourself a few questions, such as:
- How much soil do I need to screen/what size of machine will I need?
- Is there maintenance required on the machine?
- Do I need to move the machine around? How will I do that?
- Where will I store the screener when it’s not in use?
- Can I rent it out and garner more income?
- What kind of customer support does the company offer?
Keep in mind that buying a topsoil screener is an investment in your business and the work you do. Aim to buy the best topsoil screening machine for the job rather than trying to save some money and ending up with a screener that is unfit for the work.
At North 42, we know our topsoil screeners inside and out. Let us help you find the right fit for you. Contact us today.