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What is it?

Michaeljp86

Michaeljp86

EVIL GENIUS
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Location
MICHIGAN
Anyone know :wtf: this thing is? Its about 8 miles from me and I cant figure out what it is. Its sitting by a vineyard but theres no way it can be a grape harvester, theres no way a row of grapes will go under it. I was thinking a sweet corn picker or maybe a early blueberry harvester? Its been sitting for years so they must not use it anymore.

Its guarded by a electric fence to keep people from getting to close, the guy who owns it must be evil.
 

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After the snow melts Im going to get a camera with a better zoom and go back. Maybe I can get a name off it.
 
That is an ooooollllld grape harvester, heck that thing might even be homemade. What I can't figure out is how it steers. Front and rear wheels have a direct chain drive.

Modern ones for comparison:
Grape.jpg
pic2.jpg
 
That thing is about as far from potatoes as you can get. Almost from day one a potato harvester has been composed of a blade that is pulled through the soil beneath the tuber that lifts it above ground. Over the years the diggers have advanced to the point of knocking the vines off and sorting rocks from spuds.

Early:
ptotato-digger1.jpg


Modern:
6_Row_Straight_Thru_3.jpg


I need to go find the pics I have of it, but there is a custom built (yes, the whole thing) self-propelled 8-Row digger that operated around the area I grew up. It is powered by a Detroit 8V92 and has a John Deere Soundguard cab. When it moves between fields and travels down the road, it is from white line to white line.
 
83GMCK2500 said:
That is an ooooollllld grape harvester, heck that thing might even be homemade. What I can't figure out is how it steers. Front and rear wheels have a direct chain drive.
Click to expand...

Ive been in the grape business for a long time and dont see how it could be a grape harvester unless the grapes used to be 4 1/2 feet tall. Theres no way it would fit over a row of grapes today.
 
4wdaaron said:
being this is Michigan.. are you all sure this isn't a tomato or green bean harvester?

Get a fiberglass step ladder and get over the fence some night!
Click to expand...

All the green bean harvesters Ive seen look like a combine, this looks like it drives over a row. Ive never seen a tomato harvester, is there such a thing?
 
Michaeljp86 said:
All the green bean harvesters Ive seen look like a combine, this looks like it drives over a row. Ive never seen a tomato harvester, is there such a thing?
Click to expand...

Yes there is.. and not just spanish speaking people... although they normally sit on top of the machine and sort out the bad ones before it gets to the unloading conveyor and goes into a semi trailer being pulled through the field with a tractor.

BTW I don't think this machine has anything to do with tomatoes anymore
 
I was going to say some type of row harvestor as well. It did not look like any bean or potatoe equipment like whee I grew up for sure.
 
OK. My dad says it might be an edible bean pick-up machine. (Yes, that rhymes). He says that they (at least used to) commonly windrow the edible beans in this area. This would explain the size of this machine because it doesn't appear high enough for trees; And the big cylinder on the back is like a vacuum of some kind maybe?

BTW this looks like its driven by hydraulic motors and turns like a skidsteer to us
 
I think its 4 wheel steer, I stopped and looked at it twice before I took the picture. It looks like up top where the sprocket comes off of it has a pin there and the whole chain+wheel turns on all 4 wheels.

I think its to old to be hydraulic drive. It does look like some sort of blowers on back. I have seen blueberry shakers with blowers thats one reason why I thought maybe thats what it is.
 
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