This page catalogues both small and large walnut harvesting equipment used by growers in New Zealand. The owners of the equipment shown here are happy to share information with fellow NZ Walnut Industry Group members. To make an enquiry use our Contact Us Page.
Walk Behind Harvesters Towable Harvesters
Small Self Propelled Harvesters Large Harvesters Other Harvesters
Hand Held Walnut Harvesters
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![]() These hand held wire basket type rollers are a very effective way to harvest walnuts. Most New Zealand walnut growers started with this method. They can be purchased from this web site www.lourdangrove.co.nz/nutharvester |
Walk Behind Walnut Harvesters
![]() Prebble Solid Disk HarvesterThese harvesters are constructed of stainless steel tubing and have solid plastic disks that pick up the nuts. This type of disk doesn’t collect as much orchard floor rubbish as spiky disks do. |
![]() Closeup of solid disks. Solid disk walnut harvesters are used by Ian Sheerin, Jenny and Malcolm Lawrence, Graeme and Barbara Nicholas, and others |
![]() Bag A Nut HarvesterBag A Nut’s are made in Florida and very popular in the United States. |
![]() Above, an older style of Bag A Nut being used near Geraldine. They pick walnuts up well and are quite common on both walnut and hazelnut orchards in NZ. They work well in combination with a washing system that can remove, leaves etc. Alan Mathewson of The Hazelnut Co. acts as our local agent/importer. |
Towable Walnut Harvesters
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Small Self Propelled Walnut Harvesters
![]() Ian Sheerin operated this machine for the first time in the 2015 season and says it’s effective and doesn’t pick up much rubbish in the way of twigs, leaves etc. |
![]() Close up of bins, fingers and disks |
![]() AMB Rousset Harvester No 2This small French self propelled harvester efficiently collects nuts and expels rubbish. It harvests the walnuts into bins. It is very efficient and is suitable for orchards under 10 ha. One downside is that the bins fill quickly and need to be manually emptied. |
Russel Hurst, near Oamaru, and Graeme and Barbara Nicholas, near Lincoln, have these machines. Andrew and Jo Horsbrugh are the local agents for AMB Rousset equipment walnut harvesting machines. Their phone number is 03 347 9414 |
![]() Locally Made Walnut HarvesterThis machine is mounted on an old Kobota F1900 mower and was made by Nelson Hubber at West Melton. |
The walnuts are picked up by a “Bag A Nut spiky roller”. At the time the video was made the machine was in it’s third year of use and it harvested 7.5 tonnes for the season. |
Large Walnut Harvesters
AMB Rousset Harvesters
Andrew and Jo Horsbrugh’s new machine at a parade in West Melton. |
![]() Frank and Margaret Brenmuhl’s machine arrives at their property in Aylesbury. |
![]() Clive Marsh and Heather North’s privately imported machine at their property on Shand’s road near Lincoln. |
Conditions in France are very similar to ours and so these AMB Rousset walnut harvesters fit into our New Zealand situations very well. Andrew and Jo Horsbrugh are New Zealand agents for all AMB Rousset equipment. Their phone number is 03 347 9414 |
Innovative Local Machine.
This machine is owned by Otto and Valda Muller of Cromwell and was designed and made by Otto. It puts its collection “wings” (ie inverted umbrella) under the trees and then vibrates the tree and funnels the nuts into collection bins at the centre of the canopy thus eliminating the need to pick the nuts up off the ground . Thus it replaces the shaker, sweeper and harvester with one machine. If you’d like to find out more about this machine contact Valda, her phone number is 027 446 6112 (evenings are best)
Otto and Valda would be willing to negotiate a price for this to be developed and make it available to other growers. A web search suggests that it would meet criteria for international patent.
We were excited to find this harvester which is made by Harvester Concepts Ltd in Fielding. It’s well priced and can fit in front of a variety of tractors. The collection bin lifts up and over the machine to deliver the harvest. As far as we know no-one uses one of these for walnut harvesting. It has an efficient pick up system so it would be necessary to have equipment that can remove leaves etc once the nuts have been collected. It is designed to pick up a range of nuts so is ideal for those growers with different varieties of nut trees. To find out more see Harvester Concepts web site .
This is a German harvester that as far as we know hasn’t been used for walnuts in New Zealand but it’s a very neat looking machine. It’s primarily been designed to pick up fruit off the ground like cider apples but it has a kit that is added for walnuts. It would be important to find out if it will remove leaves, sticks and rubbish. The company that makes them is called Feucht Obsttechnik and this is the link to the web page for the machine pictured here. Basil and Trudi Meyer have visited the factory and can help you for more information. Phone 03 317 8130
Contact us if you’re in New Zealand and have an interesting Walnut Harvester that we can feature on theses pages.
Hi, Alan Mathewson has parts for Bag a Nuts, or he can get them. Email ajmathewson@xtra.co.nz
Hi Do you have parts for Bag-A-Nut chestnut harvesters. . I am looking for tines and fingers.
Cheers
Thomson