peanut harvesting equipment

[jimg]

Does anyone here grow peanuts? I was wondering how you work the equipment end of your operation. Im particularly interested in harvest equipment - own, rent, lease or ? and how did you size it. If you own was it expensive?

 

[dbear]

Never grew peanuts, but we did grow about 120 acres of dry beans (light red kidneys) every year for almost 25 years. Not really sure of all the factors in equipment selection as my dad made those choices (I was only 5-6 at the time we started), but it seems to me that for this type of crop, your harvesting equipment size is somewhat determined by your planting equipment.

Case in point, since we only had a 4 row planter, our windrower was a 4 row. Not that we only ran 4 rows thru the combine at a time. We developed a windrowing technique to put 6 rows together for the combine.

Maybe these people could help with size questions:

Peanut Equipment

 

[jimg]

Hi
Thanx for the reply. I did see the KMC site but it seemed a bit content free. I might contact them though at some pt. I was mainly interested in seeing what people were using and how they sized it. What you said made sense though. I didnt realize harvesting dry beans is similar to peanuts exc you dont dig them out and perhaps the moisture content is less (in the beans).

 

[HayDR]

Does anyone here grow peanuts? I was wondering how you work the equipment end of your operation. Im particularly interested in harvest equipment - own, rent, lease or ? and how did you size it. If you own was it expensive?

Basically KMC and Amadas are left making peanut combines. You need higher HP tractors because you are dealing with digging the peanuts and then coming back and pulling a heavy peanut combine. Amadas does make a self-propelled combine, Mega $$$$. Peanuts are commercially grown in Va, NC, SC, GA, AL, TX and some in OK

 

[jimg]

Thanx...yes I found both of those and Pearman too. I would only be interested in pull behinds. None of the mfg (of pull behind) list hp reqs on their websites. When you say high hp are we talking about 100hp or 100++? Id like to find out how small producers (50-80ac) handle thier harvesting needs. Do they own, lease, rent harvest equip or hire it out?

 

[HayDR]

Usually producers that have 50 acres and more own a peanut combine or at least of a share of a combine. Normal yield is 2500-3000 Lbs per acre.
There are some smaller old Ronoake, Long and Lilliston pull type combines still being used but the age has caught up with most of them. KMC used to make a small model but I'm not sure they still make it.

 

[jimg]

Thanx. I didnt think of shares. Yes, KMC still makes several mdls of pull behind diggers and one combine.

 

[redlevel]

I grew peanuts for about 20 years from the middle 70's to the middle 90's. We are on the northern edge of the GA peanut belt.

Lilliston and Long were the two major brands of combines used in our area. I bet you could drive through South Georgia and find combines and diggers (KMC) stored under barns and shelters that could be made to work for little time and money investment.

Most of the tractors used to pull combines and digger/inverters here were in the 75-100 hp range. I once gathered 70+ acres with an old Benthall brand picker that was practically given to me. I missed one day of combining with a bad bearing. I pulled the old picker with a 235 and a 175 MF.

Most of the time we hired neighbor farmers to harvest our peanuts. Most years we only grew about 25-40 acres, and we didn't feel the investment for good equipment was feasible.

In addition to harvest equipment, drying wagons and dryers are a concern. In our area few farmers had their own wagons and dryers, but in South Georgia most larger farmers dried their peanuts on the farm. We just rented wagons from the local peanut handler, and they dried them at their place.

Peanuts are a fun crop to grow, but also a very expensive crop. I wish I could still be a "peanut grower".

 

[HayDR]

Redlevel,

I never grew any peanuts here in TN but did sell repair parts for combines and digger knifes or blades as some call them. I traveled the Carolina's & Virginia and saw many and old Roanoke & Long combines in a barn or shed out back, just as you have described older combines in South GA. I visit the Sunbelt AG show in South GA every year and still look at what's going on in peanuts.

 

[jimg]

Redlevel,
Thanx a million for the infos!! Im planning a trip to S GA for Thanksgiving and Ill keep an eye out for used equipment. Are there any brands I shouldnt consider due to poor design, lack of parts, etc?

Ive been mulling over the dryer/storage situation and would rather not have to go that route. Im still looking into this but as I understand it most (all?) contracts will take them directly from field to dryer (theirs).