Small Thresher

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I'm looking for a small threshing machine or plans to build one. I have a small (1/2 acre) wheat plot, and I hope to have oats and barley later. It seems that most of the equipment out there is designed for big operations. Thanks for any help you might be able to give me. Ron

-- Ron Quick (lightning@worldinter.net), October 05, 2000

Answers

Here's an idea - hire out a handful of the local juvie kids, give them flails and let them go at it - work out some of their issues on the grain! Contact your local city gvt. and see if any of the troubled youth of the area are available for "work-training". An employer of my husband's used to hire these kids to throw hay. Surly, but strong and it's either work or stay at the "house". I think they come with a chaperone, but in any case, the violent ones aren't generally out with the others. Just don't leave them alone with any equipment or other "portable" goods.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 06, 2000.

I have not done this but wonder if you built one of the composters that are mainly a barrel that you can turn if you maybe would cut part of the barrel out and replace with maybe 1/4 inch hardware cloth and placed your wheat heads in it with a few rocks do you think that then by turning the crank it might work as a small thresher? If anyone has any ideas lets think about this. If you grew hulless oats should work for that too. It might not be the best but would think it would be at least as easy and flailing on the floor. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), October 08, 2000.

There are small scale harvesters available, but I'm sure that most would be out of reach financially to justify one for very tiny plots. Here is a url for one such machine. http://www.cicoria.it/ There are test plot combines built not far from where I live, but they cost tens of thousands of dollars. I would suggest an old used combine, but even with those it takes almost a half acre just to get the machine set properly. Conditions vary from year to year so they will need reset as conditions change. Because of salvage values, old combines in our area seldom bring less than $500.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), October 09, 2000.

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