While we are huge advocates of mechanical harvesters, such as the ERO Grapeliner 7000 series we will be demonstrating in a few weeks, we recognise that not all fruit is suitable for machine harvesting, and the majority of English and Welsh wine producers will continue to harvest by hand.
Thankfully, a range of modern equipment is designed to make life as easy and efficient as possible for those hard-working grape pickers.
Self-unloading bins
One of the most crucial aspects of harvest time is planning the most effective way to get fruit from the vineyard to the winery.
Our vineyard picking trailers manufactured by Agrofer have been specifically designed for carrying bins of grapes, making easy and light work of those harvest logistics.
The ‘ECO’ bin trailers have a roller track chassis to allow easy self-unloading without the use of a forklift. For those who are short on staff, this means you can unload quickly without the need for a forklift and certified operator.
A clever ‘Bascule’ drawbar system gives fantastic turning in and out of tight rows. With the optional self-unloading possibility, the drawbar design also enables the trailer to be gently tipped, so the bins can gently slide down the roller track to the ground without jolting the fruit around.
Due to demand, we now ensure our most popular three-bin models (based on standard bins, sized 120cm x 100cm) are always kept in stock and ready for delivery at harvest time.
Harvesting snips
The ARS Japanese-manufactured fruit pruners have become an industry favourite due to their lightweight design and extremely impressive cutting power.
Fitted with a high-carbon steel blade, these harvesting snips are known for their unmatched sharpness, which allows for quick and accurate picking. Suitable for left and right-handed pickers, the ARS fruit pruners are also robust with a comfortable, ergonomic, non-slip handle.
The red 300L and HACCP blue 300L-BL models are 190mm long and just 110 grams. Both feature straight blades with a pointed tip, allowing pickers to cut right into hard-to-reach areas.
While the red 310 and HACCP blue 310-BL models are 160mm long and 90 grams, both feature curved blades with a juice drain, preventing build-up on the blade and increasing its lifespan.
For those buying in bulk, we offer a 10% discount on purchases of 10 or more snips during harvest season.
Lifting the burden
Forklifts are a great asset on any farm and are especially useful around the vineyard at picking time for moving bins of grapes.
If you’re unlikely to use a forklift outside harvest season or don’t want to invest in a whole new vehicle, then the tractor-mounted forklift is the perfect solution.
Manufactured in northern Italy, the Tecnoagri Super Hydraulic Forklifts are powerful, heavy-duty machines that can easily carry heavy loads of up to 1,500kg.
Easy to operate, they offer the utmost reliability and are equipped with folding forks, tilt and side shift. Growers can choose from either 1.8m or 2.20m lift height for tractors of different dimensions.
We can also manufacture a special framework to fit pallet carriers or forklifts to the front of your tractor, even if it does not have a front linkage.
ERO Grapeliner 7000 Series self-propelled grape harvester
We will soon be releasing information about our upcoming demonstration of the ERO Grapeliner 7000 Series self-propelled grape harvester. If you would like to be the first to find out more, please email hello@npseymour.co.uk
