# Harvesting/Winrowing small grains with a gas trimmer



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

I know for the traditional hand harvesters using a scythe, this is a huge sin, but I don't have a hand scythe ( on the round to it list ), and I do have a Stihl FS120 string/blade trimmer, so here goes......

Tried a small patch of hulless oats this year, trying to grow some cereal grains. First time effort, and between other projects and some really rainy weather this July, the weeds got the best of my patch, AND I waited too long, letting the oats get too cured out. The head are shattering a lot. Well, live and learn. Next year, I'll do better I hope.

Looking around YouTube, I watched the traditional methods using a hand scythe with a grain cradle. Then I ran up on this one using a gas trimmer with a cradle type head on it....guy is in Pakistan, or someplace like that:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjasNdqqaBY[/ame]

SO, I went to the shop this morning to try to copy something like that head for my FS120. I used some 1/2" copper pipe, sweating some fittings as shown, flattened an end and bolted that to the place the guard used to be (hasn't been there in years ). Flattened the ends of another short piece to use as a brace coming off one guard bolt, and ran a couple of self tapping screws in the other end and into the back riser.

I made the curves (using a conduit bender) on the first one about 24" long, with more sticking out the front than the back. It's about 12" tall with the 3 risers. You can't tell it so good in the picture, but the cradle is parallel to, and about 3" above the blade.

After Ver1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, I discovered several things.

1. I made the cradle WAY too big the first time around. WAY over estimated how much cradle is needed. Had it sticking too far out in front of the blade. That won't work....it hits standing stuff that isn't cut yet. (Duh) So, went back and cut it down some. Still to big. Finally cut it down to the size shown in the pic below. The front end of the blade should not stick out past the tip end of the cutting blade. The curve is now about 12", with 8" to the back, and 4" to the front.





















Next thing I discovered after going back to YouTube, was the stock blades used in brush cutting mode is too small....they are like 7-8". So, hunting around the shop, I found one of my used 12" blades that went on a miter saw had the exact same size hole as Stihl uses. So I mounted that bad boy on the trimmer. The specs on the YouTube versions have the engine size at around 43cc. The FS120 is a 30.8cc engine.....smaller. The blade doesn't run at real high speed, since it's so big, but as it turns out, that works fine.

NOW I've got a grain cutting machine !

Starting at the far end of the patch, sweeping from right to left, it cuts anything standing ( including my nice crop of weeds ), and lays it the left side in windrows. It would work just as well for hay too, I think....since about 1/2 of this IS hay.... 




















The traditional thing now would be to go back and tie it in bundles to be stood up for finish drying, but since they are calling for more rain tomorrow, I'm going to gather it up, take it to a greenhouse we're not using right now, and spread it out on tables to dry a bit more.

Then it's on to try threshing and cleaning the oats for use. I'll probably just use a stick and beat it out on a sheet since I don't have a lot. Next year, I hope to have a small threshing machine built and ready.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

outstanding job....i cant wait to see more of how this goes along.estimated times of cutting the patch...what size is it and the yield you get from it.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i went and found this from my saved links....would this work/help....

http://backtotheland.com./html/wheat_thrasher.html


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Yeah, I really like that thresher. It's about 900 bucks, but honestly, I don't see how the guy builds it for that and makes anything. I'd still like to try to build one, maybe a little more simple version.....


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

TnAndy said:


> Yeah, I really like that thresher. It's about 900 bucks, but honestly, I don't see how the guy builds it for that and makes anything. I'd still like to try to build one, maybe a little more simple version.....



i have no dought you can make a similar version with your talents and the shop you have to work with.

just think a cylinder like the one shown hooked to PTO and it being on idle.put a half hood over it for protection and capturing seed heads flying upwards.

just thinking out loud with ya.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

For what its worth.....
I had in vain tried using my "string trimmer' on the thistle and weeds and stuff.....
Not worth a darn.
Bought a "circular" chain saw blade . . .very good on the sumack and branches..

Now I use a blade with 4 wide blades that takes everything down. It would be just the ticket for those grains.........
And like in the video that Andy put up, it cuts even at idle speed . . so no need to run the machine at full tilt.

sorry I don't know how to do pix's...
I got the blade off fleabay.


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## plowhand (Aug 14, 2005)

A few months back a nice all crop combine was under $500 on Craigslist.....they make nice stationary threshers!


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