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Silas Dudley, Bag-A-Nut’s President and head engineer, designed the 42″ PRO Harvester because he saw a serious need for a larger model. If you have questions about this new harvester, he has the answers. In part 1, we’ll be taking a deep dive into all the details of why and who it was designed for, new features, vehicles that can be used to pull it, and pulling configurations.
The 42″ PRO Harvester was designed for small orchard owners. There are hundreds if not thousands of pecan orchards in the southern U.S. alone. These orchards can be anywhere from 2-100 acres and it’s becoming more difficult to find manual labor to help with harvesting. Commercial equipment can be very pricey, even if you’re sharing it with a neighbor. Both manual labor and commercial equipment can take as much as 30-50% of the profits because orchards in these size ranges don’t produce enough cash flow to offset the costs. That’s where the 42″ PRO comes in to give small orchard owners another option that will put more of the profit in their pockets.
Silas explains in an interview on YouTube there are many new exciting features that come with the 42″ PRO. “The general concept of the harvester isn’t all too different from our traditional models but we’ve developed several new features that really make it a lot more efficient. We have incorporated Lift Wheels, the use of Collapsible Crates, a 42” continuous wheel assembly, a removable baffle, greaseable bearings, and the harvester can be towed in multiple configurations which is a really big deal.” As a small orchard owner himself, he knows all these details combined make this harvester the best option on the market to date.
You may be wondering what kind of vehicle can pull the harvester. It can actually be pulled by just about anything with a trailer ball on it. The tongue is adjustable to work with ball heights between 7”-16” and can be mounted in the center of the harvester or out to the side by way of a triangle side bar. When it’s full of nuts, the 42″ PRO may get up to around 300lbs, so check your vehicle’s weight ratings and use caution. Most side by sides, tractors, and riding mowers can handle it with no problem.
With versatility in mind, there are several different options when it comes to pulling configurations. It can be set up in a center or side pull configuration and can also be outfitted with a trailer ball on the rear bumper so you can run one harvester directly behind another. These different set ups were designed so no matter what kind of vehicle you have, there is a good chance you can pull one or two harvesters. You’ll be able to position them where you want in relation to your vehicle.
Stay tuned for part 2 where we’ll discuss the importance of pulling the harvester on the side of a vehicle, the volume of nuts it can harvest, and how to take care of it.
