Marcel Kringe was familiar with the idea of mini combines for sampling grain to test for moisture in his native Germany. So, when he moved to Canada, he brought the concept with him.

   “I realized mini combines weren’t a thing here, but the efficiencies and savings would apply just as well,” Kringe says. “Using fuel, time, and manpower to move a full-sized combine to remote fields just to collect a grain sample for moisture testing is inefficient.”

   Kringe purchased the exclusive North American rights for a France-built mini combine and branded the product as the Bushel Plus Mini Combine.

   The hand-held, rechargeable device works in all grains. It contains a small thrashing drum, fan, and a choice of concaves depending on the crop being sampled.

   “To get the grain heads into the combine, you open the flap and dip it into the crop,” he says. “The flap pushes the grain against the spinning drum which strips the kernels and forces them through the concave.”

   The seed sample is collected in a bottom container and the unit’s fan blows the chaff out the side exit port.

   Kringe explains that drum speed and wind power are adjustable depending on crop density and moisture levels. He says the combine works best in standing grain, but swathed crop can also be fed into the unit through a top funnel-shaped opening.

   The Mini Combine battery holds enough charge for a handful of field tests. Kringe recommends completing several samples in each field for an accurate average with each sample taking about 5 to 15 minutes depending on conditions.

   The Mini Combine retails for $1,945 CAD plus S&H. It comes fully equipped with a charger, battery, two sample containers, and an aluminum carrying case.

   Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Marcel Kringe, Bushel Plus Ltd., P.O. Box 20123, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada R7A 6Y8 (ph 833-376-7726; www.bushelplus.com).