How does a stone picker work to remove stones and debris from fields efficiently?
Preparing farmland for planting can involve tedious manual labor, like loosening soil and removing stones. Using machinery like a stone picker boosts the efficiency of this necessary task. A stone picker is an implement pulled behind a tractor that lifts unwanted debris from the soil's surface for easy collection and disposal. As the stone pickers is driven across a field, its tines or teeth agitate the top few inches of soil. This action causes stones and other material like plant residue to become dislodged from the dirt. The stone picker features a conveyor belt that runs along the implement, just above the soil. Raised dividers guide any unearthed rocks, roots, or other debris onto the moving belt. Vibration from the tines helps shake loose objects free of their burial spots. As the conveyor carries collected material steadily to the rear of the machine, a series of fins or squeeze bars work to release clinging soil back to the field. This leaves just the stones and tras...