Compare Grain-Cleaner Quotes for the Same Job and Farm Setup

Start with one job description

Two grain-cleaner quotes are easier to compare when both sellers work from the same job description. Give each your crop, unwanted material, intended use and a simple sketch of your handling setup. Then compare the proposed cleaning result, operating rate and equipment needed to connect the cleaner—not just the machine price.

Make sure “cleaning” means the same thing

Removing bulk trash and preparing a more closely cleaned or graded product are different jobs. Ask each seller to name the material the setup will remove and the grain or seed fraction you want to keep. Penn State Extension’s account of Provident Farms in Liberty, Pennsylvania, updated February 20, 2024, gives a concrete example. The farm bought a four-screen grain, seed and bean cleaner and a separate two-screen pre-cleaner to remove bulk trash. The useful distinction is their assigned work—not screen count alone.

Operating mode matters, too. The Metra ADS manual distinguishes preliminary cleaning, precise grading and simultaneous cleaning and grading. A proposal for preliminary cleaning should not stand in for a proposal covering grading unless preliminary cleaning is all you need.

Put the proposals on one sheet

Use the same crop, unwanted-material description and intended use at the top of this sheet. Fill the two columns from the written proposals, and ask each seller to supply missing answers.

When reviewing Quote A and Quote B, compare the following items:
– Material removed and useful fraction retained — What impurities will be removed, and how much useful grain will be retained?
– Cleaning stages and equipment — Which cleaning stages and specific machines are included?
– Operating rate — What capacity is offered, in which units, and under what operating conditions?
– Grain handling connections — How will grain enter the cleaner, and where will cleaned grain and removed material go?
– Existing and additional equipment — Which farm equipment can be reused, and what new handling equipment is required?
– Installation space — What space, height and maintenance access are needed?
– Electrical and utility requirements — What power supply and other utilities are required?
– Delivery and installation responsibilities — What must the farmer provide, and who covers freight, installation and startup?
– Total price — What is the quoted price for the agreed equipment and work?

For each item, compare Quote A and Quote B and identify whether it is included, supplied by the farm or priced separately. If an item is not specified, ask the seller for clarification. An unanswered item should not be treated as a zero-dollar cost.

Ask for the operating rate at the cleaning result you want. For example, the Metra ARC manual says treatment capacity changes with the material and the required degree of impurity separation. That is a reason to request a job-specific rate rather than compare headline capacities alone.

Check the connections, not just the footprint

On your sketch, show where grain comes from, where cleaned grain goes and where removed material will collect. Identify existing conveyors and available space. Ask each seller to show how its proposal connects to those points and identify any changes needed.

The ADS manual illustrates why this belongs in the quote comparison: it calls for feed and discharge conveyors for continuous separation and describes conveyors as optional equipment. Have the seller confirm whether the proposed setup uses your conveyors or includes new ones. Allow room to service the machine, too. That ADS manual calls for at least 1200 mm (4 ft) of free space on all sides for maintenance. Request the clearance for the exact setup being quoted rather than applying that figure to every cleaner. Have a qualified electrician check the proposed electrical requirements against your available supply. The ADS manual requires a qualified electrician to make its power connection; a machine’s purchase price does not answer whether your existing supply fits.

Resolve the differences before choosing

If one quote covers bulk-trash removal and the other includes further cleaning or grading, ask for revised proposals around the result you actually need. If both cover that result but differ in conveyors, site work or startup responsibilities, make those differences explicit before comparing the totals.

You do not need to design a complete line first. Metra helps select equipment and configuration around your cleaning needs, existing equipment and site. To discuss a proposed Metra setup, send your job description and simple sketch to [info@graincleaner.com](mailto:info@graincleaner.com).