Ever wanted a closer look at a veg packer? ... Same!

[farmernick06]

Well i got a few pictures a while ago during the lettuce harvest of the veg packers, not really a technical machine as most of it is just a canopy to shield the workers. But nevertheless a striking machine.

Here are a few from the front, as we can see it drives over the rows of lettuce and the workers underneath pick them.

And here are a few of the whole of the 'rig'.

They were running two, one on a Case MX100C and the other on a John Deere 6400

[farmernick06]

Now were going to go a bit closer, i found this one by the edge of a field waiting to be moved. I took my chances and got a few sneaky pictures. Some are a bit absract 

Firstly were going in the front

As we can see the lettuce is picked and then passed onto the raised platform where it is then wrapped.

The wrapped lettuce is then sent down a conveyer into the back

[farmernick06]

And lastly a look in the back which can only be described as a mini warehouse, here it will probably be boxed. Then stacked and another tractor will cart the boxes back to the packhouse or farm warehouse.

And then lastly a few random pictures i took

Emergeny hit button  \ Im not sure

And lastly underneath the raised platform in the front was a small red wire, this being on the end. Im assuming this is like a last chance cable you would find on a chipper machine. Basically if you full under you can pull it and the whole machine would stop. I may be wrong so someone can correct me if i am 

[Massey Boy]

nice wondered how they worked

[Lord Ferguson]

Well done young Nick... I buy tonnes of lettuce... but I've never seen a machine like that working... what sort of lettuce are they picking... looks a bit like green batavia... or possible cos  \

[farmernick06]

Well done young Nick... I buy tonnes of lettuce... but I've never seen a machine like that working... what sort of lettuce are they picking... looks a bit like green batavia... or possible cos  \

Thanks Masseyboy 

Thanks Marky, thought you might post in this topic  The lettuce is iceberg lettuce  It's quite an impressive thing to watch working or to look around when its left on it's own for a few minutes. 

[Lord Ferguson]

Thanks mate.. thats very interesting... I love all the machinary they have in our trade 

[farmernick06]

Thanks mate.. thats very interesting... I love all the machinary they have in our trade 

I do too is a bit different 

[Tractorman810]

heck its a mobile marque  :D how the hell does the drive see where hes going then with that fixed to the front

[farmernick06]

heck its a mobile marque  :D how the hell does the drive see where hes going then with that fixed to the front

You could have a mini disco in the back  :D And im not sure Sean, infact im not sure there is a driver until the end of the row then he jumps in to turn around. I know they do that when planting the lettuce. It's on 'cruise control' almost. Unless there is a driver and if he looks out of the door to see if he can see the tracks between the rows  \ Im not quite sure, i can't really see because of the conveyors  \

[civilpek]

You could have a mini disco in the back  :D And im not sure Sean, infact im not sure there is a driver until the end of the row then he jumps in to turn around. I know they do that when planting the lettuce. It's on 'cruise control' almost. Unless there is a driver and if he looks out of the door to see if he can see the tracks between the rows  \ Im not quite sure, i can't really see because of the conveyors  \

if health and safety heard about that they may not be too impressed 

i was going to ask how he see too,

[farmernick06]

if health and safety heard about that they may not be too impressed 

i was going to ask how he see too,

Im really not sure mate  But i know they do when planting them  [

Don't tell my uncle he's a health and safety officer .. HIIISSSS

[Lady Ferguson]

That's amazing... never seen one of those \ How many people can work at a time Nick sweetheart?

[farmernick06]

That's amazing... never seen one of those \ How many people can work at a time Nick sweetheart?

There quite an interesting machine, there are loads around here  \ Im not quite sure Mandy, at the front theres 6 of those cella-tape stands for wrapping on the platform so im assuming about 12 in the front maybe 4-6 in the back? Something like that, quite a few they need minibuses to shuttle them on the field 

[Lady Ferguson]

There quite an interesting machine, there are loads around here  \ Im not quite sure Mandy, at the front theres 6 of those cella-tape stands for wrapping on the platform so im assuming about 12 in the front maybe 4-6 in the back? Something like that, quite a few they need minibuses to shuttle them on the field 

Awesome - a factory on wheels

[farmernick06]

Awesome - a factory on wheels

Pretty much Mandy, im not sure how much processing or packing or whatever needs to be done on the farm or they may take them straight from the farm to be loaded on a lorry  \

[Lord Ferguson]

Lettuce just say it's one big machine... cos they need it that big to keep up with production...

Oh leaf it out Marky 

[Lady Ferguson]

Lettuce just say it's one big machine... cos they need it that big to keep up with production...

Oh leaf it out Marky 

Hmmm....impressive but that's just the tip of the iceberg I reckon

[Lord Ferguson]

That joke was a LITTLE GEM mandy... didn't fall FLAT at all... I bet the jokes will do the ROUNDs now

[Tractorman810]

That's amazing... never seen one of those \ How many people can work at a time Nick sweetheart?

i have seen a few arround falmouth way before mandy and arround this way to,on the banks of the tamar in the tamar vally,so gunnislake way , but nothing as big as that most are just open fronted platforms, not much wider than the tractor

[FB]

nice pics Nick, ones i see out near Soham are harder to get to! :)

[farmernick06]

nice pics Nick, ones i see out near Soham are harder to get to! :)

Thanks Ben, luckily theres footpaths between every field where i am so you can pretty much get to everything  This was left right next to a path so i just had a butchers hook 

[NewHolland2]

Certainly some piece of kit.....Thanks for posting those pictures mate.....It's a vegetable I've never seen harvested.....

[farmernick06]

Certainly some piece of kit.....Thanks for posting those pictures mate.....It's a vegetable I've never seen harvested.....

Thanks again Mart, no problem i didn't think its a very well known machine so would be good to put it up  And no im quite lucky to see a large variety of unusual crops to see grown and harvested 

[ihatepoundland]

Cheers nick, I learnt something tonight