Cotton Pickers/Strippers Upcoming Auctions

About Cotton Pickers & Strippers

Cotton harvesting machines have been around since the 1800s, but John Daniel Rust and his brother Mack Rust are credited with building the first practical cotton picker in the 1920s and International Harvester built what’s considered the first commercially successful cotton picker in the 1940s. John Deere introduced the first two-row, self-propelled cotton picker in 1950. John Deere and International Harvester (now Case IH) are still two of the largest cotton harvester manufacturers.

How They Work

---

John Deere CP690 Cotton Picker

Cotton pickers typically use spindles or prongs to pick the cotton from the open bolls, while cotton strippers strip the cotton bolls from the stalk (regardless of whether they’re ripe) and are ideal for shorter cotton crops. The cotton picker or stripper will then add further processing to separate the bolls and cotton. Pickers and strippers will blow the cotton into a basket, which is then unloaded and put through some type of cotton module builder. Recent advancements have created machines that integrate module building into the harvester, resulting in greater efficiency.

Modern Features

Advancements in harvester and picker technology allow cotton farmers to monitor the harvested cotton using real-time data, ultimately helping farmers make adjustments that preserve lint and seed quality. Operational data might include moisture levels, picking performance, and basket monitoring to help farmers realize the biggest yield and profits. In addition to analyzing the crop, cotton pickers and strippers might also analyze the field with height-sensing systems and the ability to see total acres harvested, the distance covered, and documenting functions.

Module Forming Systems

To give cotton farmers non-stop harvesting capabilities, the latest cotton pickers and strippers can wrap round bales of cotton ready for the gin. The packed modules can even be deposited on a rear handler, so operators can transport the modules directly to a staging area. RFID tags can also be embedded into the module wrap, so operators no longer need to tag the bales. With a protective wrap automatically being placed around the modules, operators are also able to immediately preserve the fiber quality from the elements.

Find Your Cotton Picker Or Cotton Stripper

TractorHouse.com is a great resource for finding new and used cotton pickers and strippers for sale, including machines from popular brands like John Deere and Case IH.