Powell Pull Behind Burley Harvester

MarCo/Powell pull type burley tobacco harvester being demonstrated on 9/4/2008 in Pittsylvania County, VA. This machine is a cutter/notcher combined with at portable rack system.
The machine cuts the stalk at ground level and the entire plant is conveyed to a notching blade by a gripper chain. After the blade inserts a notch at a 45 degree angle, the plant falls on a conveyer belt where a worker then places the plant on concrete reinforcement wire. The wire is secured to a 6x12 wooden frame. The plants are then moved in lots of 260 plants/frame to a field curing site.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Burley
• Tobacco
• Harvester
• Pittsylvania
• County
• Virginia

[vtfarmin]

The issue would not be the operation of the machine itself but the loading and unloading of the racks. This was our first year with the machine and we found that unloading/loading on unlevel ground is very difficult. This year we are going to use a boom lift with the autoleveling feature to try and solve some of that problem.

[phildeez1984]

how would that thing work if the tobacco field was hilly? some of the fields around here in kentucky arnt fit for a mountain goat

[vtfarmin]

Marco does make a similar machine without the racks and conveyer that is 3 point hitch mounted (Powell Harvester, model 6027). It simply conveys the tobacco to a trailer and retails for about $30K. In addition, Kirpy, a French equipment manufacturer makes a harvester similar to the 6027 that retails for about the same.

[vtfarmin]

Only a few of these machines were built in the late 90s. Powell, the original maker of the machine, has since be bought out by Marco Mfg, of Bennettsville, SC. Under Marco, this machine is not a current production model, but can be built at your request (or so I understand). I have heard the cost of this machine new would be >$70,000. Since so few we re built, its difficult to find a used one.

[emxmagnum]

Where do you buy these machines? How much does one cost?