Recently launched in South Africa by Multispray, the Monchiero 2095 is a self propelled 4WD all-purpose nut harvester. It is powered by a fourcylinder Yanmar engine rated at 64kW, and the hydrostatic transmission allows for infinitely variable speeds up to 25km/h.
Twin floating, counterrotating discs with rubber blades sweep the nuts into the path of the main double rotor pick-up. The latter, which can be opened up for cleaning, feeds the nuts on to the elevator belt and vibrating screen. The rear fan, with hydraulically adjustable speed, separates the nuts from lighter material such as leaves and dust.
A lateral fan with electro-hydraulic control blows the nuts from between the rows, switching off automatically at the row end. The bin capacity is 1,3m³ and it can discharge into a trailer at a height of 2,65m. An optional sensor informs the operator when the bin is full.
Gentle on orchards
The Monchiero 2095 is unlikely to disturb the top soil and mulch cover in the orchard. It can be adjusted to suit orchard conditions and is relatively gentle on the soil surface. Material swept up with the nuts is deposited behind the machine.
The harvester can be operated in orchards with relatively low branches, without damaging the trees. A demonstration on a pecan farm in the Britsarea showed that the machine was ideal for the fairly flat conditions encountered there. With the trees being relatively high, it worked at a reasonably high speed.
Depending on the terrain, the 2095 can harvest from 0,5ha/ hour to 0,7ha/hour, and
probably more in young orchards.
