Mini Combine Helps Field-Test Grain

Mini Combine Helps Field-Test Grain COMBINES Miscellaneous 31-4-34 The Minibatt in-field grain sampler, developed and introduced in Europe, is now available in North America. As first reported in FARM SHOW(Vol. 29, No. 4), it provides a clean grain sample in less than five minutes. "We are marketing it primarily to small grain growers," says Scott Longlet, president, Reichhardt Electronic Innovations, Inc. The hand held unit operates like a mini-combine, harvesting and threshing small grains at a rate of approximately 3 1/2 oz./min. Like a full-size combine, the Minibatt has crop specific concaves available, including field-beans, canola, peas and small grains. A special canola kit allows the unit to be set up in the field and canola stalks fed into the Minibatt for processing. The unit weighs only a little more than 7 lbs. Being able to gather a combine-type sample without the combine eliminates pulling into fields not quite ready for harvest. Crop charts allow the operator to quickly estimate yield by harvesting an area equal to one square ft. Once that length of row has been harvested, the sample can be weighed to determine the yield. In wheat, every 2 grams equals 3.2 bu. To get weight per bushel, the weight in grams is multiplied by 43,560 and divided by 454 grams. "We tested the Minibatt on several farms last fall including Longlet's," says Andrea Reichhardt. "The users were very satisfied." Suggested retail price for the Minibatt is $695. The rechargeable battery can process up to 12 samples on a single charge. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Scott Longlet, Reichhardt Electronic Innovations, 2357 155th Ave SE, Arthur, N. Dak. 58006 (ph 701 967-8369; info@reichhardt.com).

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