6 Best Feeder Shims for High-Speed Production

You’re out in the barn on a cold morning, and the feed auger is making a grinding noise that sends a shiver down your spine. That sound isn’t just annoying; it’s the sound of equipment strain, wasted energy, and a potential breakdown when you can least afford it. The culprit is often a tiny misalignment, a gap of less than a millimeter that can be fixed with an equally tiny, and often overlooked, piece of hardware: a feeder shim.

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Why Feeder Shims Matter in Farm Automation

On a small farm, "automation" doesn’t mean a fleet of robots; it means a reliable grain auger, a consistent pellet mill, or a seed sorter that saves you hours of manual labor. These machines rely on precise alignment between motors, shafts, and moving parts. A feeder shim is simply a very thin, precise spacer used to fill tiny gaps, correct angles, and ensure everything lines up perfectly. Think of it as a custom-fit washer that eliminates wobble and ensures parts meet exactly as the manufacturer intended.

When equipment is misaligned, the consequences ripple through your operation. A motor has to work harder to turn a crooked shaft, leading to higher energy consumption and a shorter lifespan. Bearings wear out prematurely from uneven loads, and vibration can shake other components loose over time. For feed systems, this can mean inconsistent flow, leading to underfed or overfed animals, or cracked grains that reduce nutritional value. Proper shimming is preventative maintenance, a small investment of time and a few cents that prevents costly repairs and frustrating downtime later.

AccuTrex Stainless Steel Shims: Top Durability

If you have equipment that operates in damp environments or gets washed down regularly, AccuTrex stainless steel shims are the only way to go. Think about the base of your feed mixer, the motor mount for a water pump, or any part of a processing line for vegetables. In these places, a standard carbon steel shim would turn into a rusty mess in a single season, potentially seizing parts together or staining your equipment.

AccuTrex specializes in high-grade stainless steel that resists corrosion from moisture, manure, and cleaning agents. This isn’t just about looking clean; it’s about reliability. Rust can expand and change the shim’s thickness, throwing your precise alignment out of whack without you even realizing it. While they come at a higher price point, view them as a one-time investment. For critical, moisture-exposed machinery, the peace of mind knowing your alignment won’t be compromised by corrosion is worth every penny. This is the "buy it once, cry once" solution for your farm’s toughest spots.

Artus Plastic Shims: Best for Quick Sizing

Let’s be honest: sometimes you’re not sure exactly what thickness you need. You might be trying to dial in the calibration on a seed planter or adjusting the gate on a gravity feeder, and the process involves a bit of trial and error. This is where Artus plastic shims are a game-changer. Their key feature is a simple, industry-standard color-coding system where each color corresponds to a specific thickness. You don’t need to fumble with calipers in poor light; you just grab the blue one or the tan one.

This makes them perfect for applications requiring frequent adjustments or quick field repairs. The plastic material is also non-corrosive and won’t damage sensitive surfaces, which can be a plus. The tradeoff, of course, is durability. They aren’t meant for high-temperature or extreme-pressure applications where a metal shim’s rigidity is required. But for quick, easy, and visual gap management on less demanding equipment, nothing beats the convenience of grabbing the right color and getting the job done in minutes.

LAMECO Laminated Shims: Easiest to Adjust

Imagine needing a shim that’s 0.025 inches thick, but all you have are 0.010 and 0.020 sizes. You could stack them, but that’s not ideal. LAMECO solves this problem with laminated, or "peelable," shims. These are made of multiple, ultra-thin layers of metal or plastic bonded together. When you need to make a micro-adjustment, you simply peel off a layer with a pocketknife until you reach the exact thickness required.

This is the ultimate solution for precision-critical equipment. If you run a small pellet mill, the gap between the roller and the die is everything; a few thousandths of an inch can be the difference between perfect pellets and a jammed, smoking mess. Laminated shims let you achieve that perfect tolerance without needing a massive inventory of individual sizes. They are more expensive upfront, but for that one machine where precision is non-negotiable, their ability to provide a custom, solid fit on the fly is invaluable.

Boker’s Carbon Steel Shims: A Budget-Friendly Pick

Not every application on the farm needs a high-tech or corrosion-proof solution. Sometimes, you just need to align a motor mount inside a dry workshop or tighten up a linkage on a piece of tillage equipment that lives in the barn. For these jobs, Boker’s carbon steel shims are the dependable, no-frills workhorse. They are strong, reliable, and significantly more affordable than their stainless steel or laminated counterparts.

The key consideration with carbon steel is rust. It’s not a matter of if, but when. A thin coat of oil or grease during installation is essential for any shim that might be exposed to even moderate humidity. They are best suited for internal components or machinery kept out of the elements. If you’re building a stock of general-purpose shims for your workshop, this is your pick. They provide the strength and precision you need for the vast majority of repairs without breaking the bank.

SPIROL Custom Shims: For Non-Standard Equipment

Every hobby farmer has at least one: that old, incredibly useful piece of equipment from an auction or an inheritance that you can’t get parts for anymore. Maybe it’s a 1970s-era grain cleaner or a uniquely shaped conveyor. When a standard, off-the-shelf shim won’t fit because of a weird bolt pattern or an unusual shape, you either give up or you call someone like SPIROL.

SPIROL specializes in creating custom shims to your exact specifications. This isn’t your everyday solution; it’s the problem-solver of last resort. The process involves providing a drawing or even a cardboard template, and they will manufacture a shim to fit perfectly. This is an investment, but it can be the difference between saving a beloved, functional machine and sending it to the scrapyard. If you have a critical piece of non-standard equipment, knowing a custom option exists can be a huge relief.

Precision Brand Assortment: Best All-in-One Kit

Downtime on a farm is brutal, and nothing is more frustrating than having to stop a project for a two-hour round trip to the hardware store for a tiny part. A shim assortment kit is your best defense against this scenario. Precision Brand offers well-organized kits containing a wide variety of materials and thicknesses, giving you a comprehensive library of solutions right on your workshop shelf.

These kits typically include an array of stainless steel, carbon steel, and sometimes brass or plastic shims in the most common sizes. It’s the perfect starting point for a farmer who does their own repairs. Instead of buying shims piecemeal for each job, you have a full selection ready to go. This isn’t about finding the perfect shim for one job; it’s about having a good-enough shim for almost any job, right now. For the time-strapped farmer, the value of having the right part on hand instantly is immeasurable.

Choosing the Right Shim Material for Your Farm

Selecting the right material isn’t just an engineering detail; it’s a practical decision that impacts your equipment’s longevity and your maintenance workload. Your choice should be guided by three main factors: environment, load, and cost.

• Environment: Is the equipment exposed to moisture, chemicals, or manure? If yes, stainless steel is the default choice to prevent corrosion. For dry, indoor applications, carbon steel is perfectly adequate and more cost-effective. Plastic is also corrosion-proof and is great for situations where you want to avoid scratching painted surfaces.
• Load and Temperature: Is the shim supporting a heavy motor or located near a heat source? Metal shims (steel, brass) are essential for high-pressure and high-temperature applications where plastic would deform or melt. For low-load, room-temperature uses like aligning guards or chutes, plastic is often sufficient.
• Precision vs. Convenience: Do you need an exact, single-piece fit for a high-performance machine? A laminated shim that you can peel to the perfect thickness is ideal. If you’re just trying to get a quick alignment and might need to make adjustments later, the color-coded convenience of plastic shims is hard to beat.

Proper Shim Installation for Peak Performance

Simply stuffing a shim into a gap isn’t enough; proper installation ensures it does its job effectively. First and foremost, the surfaces must be clean. Wipe away all grease, dirt, and rust from both the machine base and the component you’re mounting. Any debris left behind will throw off your alignment and create a high spot, defeating the purpose of the shim.

When you place the shims, distribute them evenly around the mounting bolts to provide a stable, level base. Avoid stacking a large number of very thin shims if possible; a single, thicker shim is always more stable. After you’ve tightened the bolts, double-check the alignment. For rotating shafts, you should be able to turn them by hand with minimal resistance. A feeler gauge is a great tool for verifying that the gap is consistent all the way around. Taking these extra few minutes during installation ensures your repair will last.

Maintaining and Storing Your Feeder Shims

Your shims are useless if you can’t find them or if they’re damaged when you do. Good storage is key. A simple plastic organizer box with dividers, clearly labeled by material and thickness, can save you a world of frustration. This keeps them clean, flat, and easy to identify when you’re in the middle of a repair.

For carbon steel shims, a light spray of a rust-preventative oil before putting them away is a crucial step, especially in a humid barn or workshop. Always inspect a shim before use. If it’s bent, kinked, or has a burr on the edge, don’t use it. A damaged shim will not provide the even, consistent support your equipment needs. Treating your shim stock with the same care as your wrenches and sockets ensures they’ll be ready to perform when you need them most.

Ultimately, paying attention to the small stuff, like shims, is what keeps a small farm running smoothly day in and day out. It’s the difference between proactive maintenance and reactive, emergency repairs. By understanding your options and keeping the right materials on hand, you empower yourself to keep your essential equipment in peak condition, saving time, money, and a whole lot of headaches.