How to Find and Utilize Screening Equipment

Screening equipment is used to sift unwanted material from soil, gravel, compost, wood mulch, or sand.  Modern machines can handle large loads at a fast pace with vibrating screens and big time power.  The toughest of these devices can even separate metals without a hitch.  Whether this equipment could be useful for your business or personal life, you can save some serious money by investing in a sifter.  More and more companies are offering their products online, so the internet has become the best place to gauge the market and make an informed purchase.  After running a good soil screener a few times, you will wonder how you ever got along without one.

Quality screening equipment will come with options for multiple screens.  It may take a couple tries to find just the right fit, but remember that more screen means a finer product and a longer operation time.  If you start with too fine a screen, the job could take a long time.  In such cases, it may be optimal to start with a larger screen and then sift the product with a tighter screen.  Of course, the worst way to slow down an operation with dirt, sand, or mulch is to screen wet material.  Everything will tend to clump up and stick to the screen.  For an efficient procedure, sift dry material.  If your screen does not vibrate, you can speed things up by sorting through the material above the screen.  Since this would take a great deal of time with large projects, heavy duty screening equipment may come with a vibrating screen.  If you are simply sifting topsoil for a small garden, sorting by hand is the easiest way to handle things.

Screening compost can be a tricky proposition because it often carries quite a bit of moisture, especially if any fresh materials, such as leaves, are involved.  For best results, only load your screener with dry compost that has decomposed.  The product will be fine enough to mix into your topsoil and replenish nutrients.  The larger clumps that are sorted out can be taken apart by hand or given more time in a compost bin.  Nice, loose topsoil with compost provides an excellent growing medium for germinating plants.  Rough, rocky topsoil will be troublesome for the plant and its roots to push through.  In addition, such soil will be difficult for you to manipulate as well. 

Large equipment is nice for large jobs because you can get things done at a reasonable pace.  Shoveling large amounts of material into a small screener can take forever, even if the holes in the screen are fairly large.  The big sifters are more expensive, but if you need to screen a lot of material, the additional cost is worthwhile.  Even large equipment is pretty portable if it is made right.  You should be able to hitch all but the largest screeners to a 3/4 ton truck and bring it anywhere you need to go. 

Screening equipment is great to have around because it can be used for a number of different purposes.  In general, people purchase a screening machine for a certain type of job but eventually find several more uses for it.  If you are interested in owning or renting a screener, check a few sites online first.  This will give you a good idea of what is available, plus you should be able to determine a ballpark figure for the cost.  If a local place sells the type of machine you are looking for, it will be good to check there too.  In most areas, it is less expensive to order a machine online and pay freight costs, but you can be sure of getting the best deal by investigating all of the possibilities.  Start looking today and soon you will be sifting and sorting soil with the best of them.