What Is a Fruit Picker?
A fruit picker is a tool designed to harvest fruits from high places without dropping them.
It is commonly used during the harvesting of fruit trees such as persimmons and blueberries. As long as the fruit fits into the basket, it can be used for various types of fruits.
Uses of Fruit Picker
A fruit picker is utilized when harvesting fruits from tall trees. Fruits in high places can be challenging to harvest, and dropping them can cause damage.
Damage to fruits directly impacts their value during sales, making it essential to prevent such harm.
Using a fruit picker not only enhances efficiency but also helps maintain the value of the fruit.
Characteristics of Fruit Picker
Advantages
The fruit picker offers several advantages, primarily in terms of efficiency. For example, fruits like blueberries are small, and trees often bear a substantial quantity of them. Using a fruit picker designed for blueberries allows for the rapid harvesting of a large quantity, thereby saving time.
Moreover, it enables the harvest of fruits from high places without dropping them. Fruits like persimmons are heavy, and there is a high likelihood of dropping them during manual harvesting. If fruits are dropped, they may become unsellable, leading to a potential decrease in profits.
Using a dedicated fruit picker allows the harvest of heavier fruits without causing damage.
Disadvantages
One of the drawbacks of a fruit picker is its cost. With various types available, it is necessary to purchase a fruit picker tailored to the target fruit.
Using a fruit picker unsuitable for the target fruit may result in inefficient harvesting or fruit damage. Considering that a single fruit picker can cost several thousand yen, cost considerations are crucial for those wishing to harvest multiple fruit varieties.
Additionally, fruit pickers are manual, requiring users to individually harvest each fruit according to the picker’s design. Even with the use of a fruit picker, some manual effort is still involved in the harvesting process.
Types of Fruit Pickers
The type of fruit picker varies depending on the fruit to be harvested.
1. Berry Picker
A berry picker is designed to efficiently harvest small fruits in bulk. For instance, blueberry bushes often bear numerous small fruits that would be labor-intensive and time-consuming to harvest individually. Berry pickers address this challenge.
2. Large Fruit Picker
Fruits like persimmons, apples, and peaches fall into the category of large fruits. When harvesting these fruits, a fruit picker comes in handy. Different from a berry picker, the structure of a large fruit picker involves a basket attached to the end of a long pole for collecting fruits without damage.
Using a basket for collection allows the careful harvesting of individual heavy fruits. The size of the basket varies based on the size of the fruit. Fruit pickers are lightweight, considering the need for working at elevated positions, making them manageable even with heavier fruits.
How to Choose a Fruit Picker
Selecting a fruit picker depends on the type of fruit to be harvested. As previously mentioned, for the efficient harvesting of berries, a berry picker is recommended. It enables the rapid and mass harvesting of small fruits, reducing overall time spent.
For the harvesting of larger fruits like apples or peaches, choosing a fruit picker with a pole and basket attachment is advisable. Since fruits vary in size, it is desirable to use a fruit picker with a basket tailored to the size of the fruit. The length of the pole also varies between fruit pickers, so it is essential to ensure that the product reaches the desired fruits for harvest.