Commercial Hop Yard

[brian4508]

We are a 2 acre (going on 3) that had a need for a harvester. Although the dream is always a wolf harvester, the overall cost didn't fit our budget, and most small harvesters are PTO/hydraulic driven. So we decided to build our own electric harvester to keep our tractor free, and to avoid hydraulic lines breaking and ruining our harvest! We have videos at Clark Hollow Hops on FB if you want to see it in action! Just thought I would share our innovation!
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941085.115840.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941099.548767.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941113.133324.jpg

 

[brian4508]

Oh, and pics of our farm, along when Onmegang Brewery visited out farm!View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941218.615646.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941269.144190.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941301.292915.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941325.615249.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439941347.794736.jpg

 

[dmunkey]

Looking good! We're just bout 45 minutes west of you with about 1 acre.

What do you estimate the cost of that build was?

 

[brian4508]

We're still adding up the cost. With harvest season going on and another 1 acre expansion, we should have numbers later this fall

 

[TeeJo]

Nice looking picker!

Did you guys make it in house or farm it out?

Pretty much the VA extension design with electrics in place of the hydraulic motors? Did you go fixed speed or put VFD's on any of them?

I don't do Facebook, sorry.

Thanks!
TeeJo

 

[brian4508]

Yes, the UVM was one of the harvesters we looked at. The picking fingers are fixed speed, but everything else is variable. The UVM didn't have some of the adjustments we wanted, so we built them into our unit. It was made in house.

 

[TeeJo]

Thanks for the answer, Brian.

If it works half as good as it looks, its a keeper, and if it works better than that, well....

TeeJo

 

[brian4508]

After a few tweaks to the machine, we were able to average 145 2nd year bines per hour. It picked at 90%-95% rate (5%-10% loss). We cranked out 885 bines in Friday, and 540 bines Sunday morning!View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441147941.162646.jpg

 

[DU99]

saves alot of work

 

[CharlieJ]

I live a couple Hours East of you and travel through Syracuse often for work.

Your Machine looks fabulous. I am playing with my First Hops plant this year and need to Harvest it here soon. Your machine will be able to do 100+ of what I can do in 1 hour lol

 

[brian4508]

Best of luck with harvest! Let me know if I can answer any questions for you in the future!!