Which size do I need? How many should I order? Why are there two? The screen is where the grinding actually happens. Everything else just gets the material there. Here is the whole answer, from the people who build them.
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A HayBuster is a grinder, not a chipper. Hammers spinning at 2,250 rpm force material through the screen, and it breaks as it goes. Material comes out at roughly half the hole size, not the hole size. Want a 2 cm chop? Install a 4 cm screen. Humidity and material type shift it a little, but the rule holds across most situations.
On the H-1000, H-1030, and H-1135 two screen halves run at once. Picture the mill as a clock face with the rotor turning clockwise.
Install your target screen here, using the double-your-size rule. This is where initial sizing happens.
By the time material passes Side A the hammers have already hit it several times. A larger screen here lets sized material evacuate, keeping flow consistent. For a 2 cm target: 4 cm on Side A, 6 cm on Side B.
| What you are making | Target length | Side A | Side B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground grain, near flour | Fine | 3 to 5 mm | 5 to 10 mm |
| Grain for feed rations | 3 to 5 mm | 5 to 10 mm | 10 to 15 mm |
| TMR dairy ration hay | 2 to 3 cm | 4 to 6 cm | 6 to 8 cm |
| Straw for bedding | 5 cm | 10 cm | 12 to 15 cm |
| Rough grind | 10 cm + | 20 cm + | Larger or open |
| Wet manure and straw (biogas) | Varies | Anvil screen: solid cutting edge, no holes to plug. See the biogas page | |
Screens range from 1.5 mm to 500 mm. Above 20 percent moisture, production drops and smaller screens slow it further: pick the largest screen that still hits your target.
Screens are wear parts, and swapping them is how one machine does many jobs. Order a pair for every material you grind, plus a spare of your Side A workhorse. Grind hay in the morning, swap screens, grind grain in the afternoon. Screens change from outside the machine, no crawling in.
Hammers wear too: about 100 hours per side, 400 hours total when rotated. Corn extends life; sandy or stony material shortens it.
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