Harvesters for collecting berries by hand: instructions, drawings, diagrams and reviews

Collection of wild berries is a traditional fishery that has survived in our day. Cranberries, cranberries, blueberries are not only a delicious treat, but also rich in vitamins and rare trace elements. They have long been used in folk medicine. Places of their growth are removed from industrial enterprises, which makes them an environmentally friendly product. And the term "wild-growing" means absence of residues of fertilizers and even more so of GMOs.

Harvesting berries by hand

Unfortunately, the remoteness of the berry-berry makes it very difficult to collect them. Marshland, forest jungle, mosquitoes and midge also do not add pleasure to this process. But the most important difficulty lies in the size of these berries, it rarely reaches 10 mm, and in the northern regions even less. Historically, the collection of wild berries is done by hands, so the fruits are less damaged, and the leaves get less leaves and twigs. However, this method has very low efficiency, even an experienced berry in a good year may take more than one hour to gain the coveted bucket. A less agile collector is unlikely to pick up a bucket for a day.

Harvesters for harvesting wild berries

To somehow improve the efficiency of manual harvesting, use special harvesters to harvest berries or a grinder. In a simplified form, this device is nothing more than a scoop with a comb on the end. The tooth pitch of the comb must be slightly smaller than the diameter of the average ripe berry. The principle of the grinder is simple: the teeth pass through the branches and foliage of the berry bushes, and the jammed fruits slide into the scoop. If the pitch of the teeth is selected correctly and the assembler is working neatly, then in an hour it is possible to collect the bucket. It is important not to hurry, so as not to damage the branches of the berry that are entangled in the crest. Harvesters for collecting berries are produced serially or made at home. Basically, these devices are made of sheet metal, wood or plastic. What material is better, each determines for himself, the main thing is that the grinder is light and comfortable sitting in the hand. Then, if you believe the reviews, harvesting berries will not be so tedious.

Choice of combine harvester

Now it's enough just to buy a harvester for picking berries. Moscow, Vologda, Yekaterinburg - practically in every large city where there is a company for molding from plastics, these simple devices are manufactured. First of all, you should pay attention to the products of regional manufacturers, as they take into account the peculiarities of the growth of berries and their sizes in your region. It is important to take into account that plastic harvesters for picking berries have a number of advantages over metal and wood: they are absolutely not exposed to moisture, do not change their appearance from the juice of berries, less damage berries due to rounded forms. Metal grinder, with proper handling, will last almost forever (reviews confirm this). However, over time, water and juice of berries can lead to oxidation of the metal.

By design, the grinders can differ not only in shape and design, but also in the width of the comb and the capacity of the scoop. Large grinders are more effective on level ground with a homogeneous berry, small ones - when collected on hummocks and multicolored shrubs.

Pay attention to the presence of a curtain, it will not allow the ripening of the berries already collected from the container.

Imported combines

Separately it is necessary to stop on devices of import manufacture. Our northern neighbors are famous for their careful attitude to nature. The Finnish harvester for harvesting berries is designed to collect berries as carefully as possible. The comb of such products is rounded and does not tear the leaves and branches of the berry. These crushers are made of high-quality plastic and have an attractive design.

Homemade grinder

Make a harvester for collecting berries with your own hands is quite simple. It is necessary to have a minimum set of locksmith tools, and, of course, the skill of working with it. Harvesters for harvesting berries at home are made from either sheet metal or wood. You can make a plastic device, but, as the reviews show, it is quite difficult to connect plastic parts.

Combine harvester made of metal

The best solution for a metal grinder will be aluminum sheet, this metal is very light and not corroded. But the usual sheet of galvanizing is also suitable. Drawings of a combine for harvesting berries can be found in specialized sources or use the information given below. The template is carefully transferred to a sheet of metal, having previously checked all dimensions. Using scissors for metal, the scoop of the scoop body is cut out. Further, the sweep is bent in the vice, the ends of the workpiece overlap and overlap on rivets. If there is no metal bending skill , the side walls and the top can be made by separate parts, also by riveting them. From the steel wire with a diameter of 1-3 mm (depending on the rigidity of the material available), the teeth of the ridge are made, which are also the bottom of our scoop. Their step is chosen slightly less than the diameter of the berries that are planned to be harvested. After mounting the comb, it is necessary to hinge the curtain, covering the muzzle of the scoop and preventing spontaneous ripening of the collected berries. The grinder is ready - it remains only to attach the handle. The assembled device can be additionally painted with a metal helmet, first degreasing it.

Wooden crusher

Wood is an excellent material to make a harvester for collecting berries by hand. Drawings of such a device are easy to draw on their own, as all parts have a simple shape. For the grinder, thin slugs with a thickness of up to 10 mm are suitable. The details are cut with a jigsaw or a hacksaw with a small tooth. It is convenient to cut the comb on a circular saw, making even slots 4-5 mm wide. But you can get by using a jig saw, making 2 cuts for each groove and trying not to damage previously cut teeth. Finished parts are sandpapered. The parts are joined by self-tapping, pre-drilling holes, so as not to split thin-walled parts. Before installation, joints of parts can be glued with glue on wood, for example PVA. To the finished construction attach a handle, which can be made of wood, strip of metal or use a finished furniture or door handle. It is desirable to treat the ready grinder with a protective impregnation for wood or varnish in order to extend its service life.

Wood is a traditional material for creativity. Woodcarvers did not bypass these devices, creating true carvings of art. There are grabbers cut from solid pieces of wood and decorated with intricate carvings. Such a harvester can serve as an excellent gift to an inveterate berry.