Labour for harvesting is costly and hard to find. Is a walk behind self propelled reaper a good buy for 8 acres of wheat and paddy?
A self propelled reaper cuts and windrows the crop quickly and is far cheaper than a combine, so it suits small and medium farms where hiring a combine for a few acres is not economical or the combine cannot reach. It saves a lot of labour cost and time over manual cutting, and leaves the crop in neat rows for threshing. The trade off is you still need separate threshing, and reapers struggle in lodged or very wet crop. For 8 acres of wheat and paddy where labour is scarce, it often pays back in two or three seasons, especially if you also do a little custom work. Many states give subsidy on reapers, so check your local SMAM or state scheme.
I bought a reaper after labour became impossible to find at harvest. It cuts my wheat in a fraction of the time and I rent it out a few days too. Just keep spare blades handy.
I hired a reaper for two seasons before buying to be sure it suited my crop and soil. Hiring first saved me from a wrong purchase, since in my lodged paddy it did not work well. Try before you buy if you can.
Spare blades and a mechanic who knows the machine matter as much as the reaper itself. Mine broke down once mid harvest and no parts were nearby, costing me time. Check local service and keep wear parts in stock before the season.
Get free daily mandi prices, MSP changes, scheme cut-offs and weather alerts - and your own Kisan ID.
Today's rates, MSP moves, scheme deadlines and weather - the moment they matter.
Join Bharat Annadata Sangh free - get a digital farmer ID card and free answers from our Krishi Team.
100% free · No spam · Prices from Agmarknet · Unsubscribe anytime
