Used Leek harvesters

About second-hand Leek harvesters

Lifting leeks has traditionally been one of the most labour-intensive parts of the crop. Leeks grow upright and relatively deep in the soil, meaning every stem has to be loosened with precision without damaging the crop. Harvesting by hand therefore demands a great deal of manpower and time, right at the moment when the whole crop has to come off the field within a short period. A leek harvester takes over this heavy, repetitive work: the machine lifts the leeks, feeds them upward and ensures an efficient, even harvest with a consistent quality.

Duijndam Machines has a changing range of used leek harvesters from well-known manufacturers such as Asa-Lift, Simon, Weremczuk and Basrijs. Whether you cultivate a smaller plot of land and are looking for a simple leek harvester with manual box filling, or run a larger business where a fully automatic machine considerably reduces labour costs: at Duijndam Machines you will find inspected machines that are ready for quick deployment. Our machines can be viewed at our premises and are delivered worldwide, including support with transport and export documentation.

Manual or automatic leek harvester?

Leek harvesters come in various designs, with the main distinction being how the harvested leeks ultimately end up in the crate. This choice largely determines the price of the machine, the number of staff you need during the harvest and the eventual capacity you can run.

Leek harvester with manual box filling With these machines, the leeks are lifted and carried upward by a clamp belt, after which staff standing next to or behind the machine place the leeks into harvest crates by hand. Because the lifting process itself is already mechanised, the heaviest physical work – pulling the leeks out of the ground – is already eliminated, while sorting and packing remain in the hands of the staff. These machines are simpler in construction, have fewer moving parts that can wear or malfunction, and are therefore often attractively priced. They are especially suitable for smaller businesses, growers with varying crops, or businesses that have enough (seasonal) labour available to handle the box filling.

Automatic leek harvester With an automatic leek harvester, the harvested leeks are automatically laid down and placed into a crate after lifting. This means significantly fewer staff are needed during harvesting, and capacity can be substantially increased compared with a machine with manual box filling. The saving lies not only in direct labour costs, but also in reduced dependence on the availability of seasonal staff, which is an increasingly bigger challenge.

Generally speaking, an automatic leek harvester becomes worthwhile from a cultivated area of around 10 hectares. Below this threshold, the higher purchase price often does not outweigh the savings on labour. However, the final choice also depends on local labour costs, the availability of seasonal staff and the available investment budget, so in practice this can vary per business and per country.

How a leek harvester works

A leek harvester lifts the leek out of the ground with a lifting share, just below the root neck, so that the crop is damaged as little as possible. The leek is then gripped between two clamp belts and pulled upward. During this process, excess soil is removed from the roots and stem, after which the leek is transported lying down to the rear of the machine. Depending on the model, the leeks are then collected in a crate either manually or automatically, ready for further transport to the barn or processing line.

To refine this basic operation, many leek harvesters can be equipped with additional options, such as:

• Tappers under the clamp belt, which tap against the leeks to shake off caked-on soil before the crop leaves the machine
• Automatic depth adjustment, which keeps the lifting share at a constant working depth, even where the field is uneven
• Peeling rollers, which remove soil and, at the same time, loosen the outer, older leaves so the end product looks cleaner
• Automatic box filling, with which the machine is upgraded from a manual to a fully automatic version
• Hydraulic adjustment options, which allow the lifting depth, clamp belts or discharge, among other things, to be adjusted from the driver's seat

Which combination of options is most useful strongly depends on the soil type, the desired presentation of the end product and the available labour capacity during the season.

Drive of a leek harvester

Most leek harvesters are mounted on the tractor's three-point linkage and driven via the power take-off (PTO). Depending on the model, the hydraulic functions are supplied by the tractor's hydraulic system, or the machine has its own hydraulic system. In the latter case, the PTO drives a hydraulic pump that supplies the machine with hydraulic oil.

Clamp-belt leek harvesters are additionally mounted at the front or side of the tractor. This means the tractor drives alongside the crop, and the driver retains a clear view of the lifting process.

Well-known manufacturers of leek harvesters

Duijndam Machines regularly has used leek harvesters from well-known brands in its range, including:

• Asa-Lift
• Simon
• Weremczuk
• Basrijs
• DeWulf (some models)
• Samon

Our range changes regularly. Therefore, take a look at our current range or contact us if you are looking for a specific brand or model.

Lifting leeks with a shaking bedlifter

Besides the clamp-belt harvester, the shaking bedlifter is a second, widely used machine for lifting leeks. Where a clamp-belt harvester grips and pulls up the leeks stem by stem between two belts, a shaking bedlifter works on a completely different principle: the machine lifts an entire bed of 3 or 4 rows at once, in a single pass, instead of row by row.

With a shaking bedlifter, a lifting share, working together with shakers, loosens the soil around the leeks across the full width of the bed. The loosened leeks then land, together with the soil, on a screening chain. During transport over the screening chain, the soil is separated from the leeks, so that clean leeks remain at the end of the chain. Staff standing at the end of the screening chain then stack the leeks into leek crates.

Because a shaking bedlifter lifts several rows at once, the capacity per pass is considerably higher than with a clamp-belt harvester. However, stacking into crates with this type of machine is still done by hand, just as with a clamp-belt harvester with manual box filling, meaning sufficient staff are still needed at the end of the line. A shaking bedlifter is therefore particularly interesting for growers who harvest on a larger scale and prefer a higher lifting capacity per pass, without investing directly in fully automatic box filling.

Looking for a used shaking bedlifter? Take a look at the current range of shaking bedlifters from Duijndam Machines.

Why choose a second-hand (automatic) leek harvester?

Harvesting leeks by hand costs a great deal of time and labour. A leek harvester mechanises this process and delivers a number of direct benefits: a higher harvest capacity, less manual labour, lower labour costs, a consistent harvest quality, less physical strain on staff and a more efficient harvesting process overall. For businesses with larger areas in particular, an automatic leek harvester can be an interesting investment: the number of staff required during harvesting decreases considerably, while capacity increases.

A new leek harvester, however, represents a significant investment. A used leek harvester is therefore an attractive alternative for many growers: you mechanise the harvest at a lower cost than purchasing a new machine, without compromising on reliability, provided the machine has been properly inspected and maintained. Thanks to our changing range of used machines from well-known brands, a suitable leek harvester is available for almost every business, whether you are just starting with mechanisation or expanding or replacing your existing machinery fleet.

Our sales specialists are happy to help you choose the right machine and advise you on the available options, transport possibilities and technical specifications. We deliver worldwide and have extensive experience with export to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.