I remember working in the gins all those yrs that those module covers did nothing to keep the bottom of them dry during heavy rains. I just realized my Dad helped my Grandpa farm till he graduated in '57. Then he worked for a farmer in Paragould, Ark during the mid to late '90s working on a module builder.
Just think a decade or two ago there were thousands of cotton trailers hauling the cotton to area gins day and night. Then came the module builders and all the cotton trailers were cut up for scrap or left to rust away. With the advent of the pickers rolling the cotton into bales and wrapping them in plastic it won't be long before all these module builders will be in the same place as the cotton trailers. Now gins are not under the same pressure to get the trailers empty and back to the farmers and area gins have gone the way of many other things and bigger gins can operate more efficiently. Times they are a changing.
I remember cotton trailers being lined up all around the little town of Hollywood, MO all the way until the modules took over. It was where I learned how to be an Assistant Ginner over 3 seasons at the Hollywood Gin.
The 38inch/ 36inch and 40inch rows were established/ used because when mules and horses were used it was easier to cultivate and plow when using them and thus carried over when mechanical harvesters came into being.
In my area (southern Arizona) the old farmer has owned so much land, and we mainly grow cotton. We also have lots it haying operations as well as some people who grow corn. I'm not sure if it's feed corn or sweet corn though, but what they mainly use for a cotton picker is a 9910, then the use a huge bailer, that is pto driven by mainly 4045s and there is even a old 5020 I believe. I remember when he was using old school d9g bulldozers to cultivate the land, those things ran 24 hrs a day some times. I miss it. It's all turned into city and its sad to not see any cotton fields anymore, especially where they keep this old equipment running as long as possible.
Really cool seeing how cotton is harvested. I grew up around and on farms, but no cotton. It’s a unique process. Seems like that module builder’s press could be made Mor efficient though... such a small press. Is there a reason (besides design space) that the press is so narrow? Seems to me like attaching a large steal plate to it fitted for the press could speed that process up quite a bit. Know I say this ignorant of anything cotton related
I grew up on the family farm and ran a module builder for a few years as a kid and teen. I never questioned it but I imagine keeping the tamper narrow allows you to put more pressure on each spot which lets you pack in more cotton per module.
is there a cooperative system for bale smashers or module builder and boll buggies? Seems to be redundant if every farm maintains specialized equipment like that
He is inside of a cab; so he can likely smoke in there. I noticed the breathing puffer too. Smoking and cotton dust is Hell on lungs. I can attest to it but I wisely quit smoking in 2009. Seed cotton isn't near as flammable as clean lint cotton that has been ginned.
The truck pulls the module up into a covered flat bed through a live bottom floor. The trucks are a few days behind the pickers for pick up so BTP was not able to film one this time.
my dad would have killed or something to have 1 of these since he & rest of my family use to pick by hand in 40's & 50's & maybe 60's they just had enough money to make it from season to season beg borrow BUT dint steal to feed the kids and parents
Neat video. Very interesting to see some other crop process. You wouldn't happen to have some footage of the cotton being loaded onto trucks & going into the cotton gin? That might be neat to see. Stay safe.
I'd like to see a video on processing the standing residue left in the field afterward. I've seen how corn and wheat are done. What's the process for cotton after it's harvested? Discing?
They mow it down with a flail mower and then run strip till bending up the field and sowing wheat as a cover crop at the same time. I hope to film that process some time.
I am a not a farmer. I am not sure what they used. As far as the soil goes the Boot-heal of Missouri where this was filmed is sandy. Many places are sandy where cotton is grown. Much of Texas cotton is a sandy soil.
Unfortunately there is not. The trucks from the gin are often a few days behind the pickers. BTP did not have an opportunity to film a truck on this trip. It would have been cool to see one at work. I did see several on the roads.
The baler picker is a huge advancement. BTP was excited to film a basket picker because as more and more baler pickers are sold these basket pickers will be phased out and be a part of farming history.
16:44 Now you're getting carried away. :-)) With all due respect to that guy, this is NOT a "very skilled process". Any five-year-old who ever had a go at a Playstation can do it. Come on! :-))
slightly confused.. you said the harvested holds 1500 pounds, which fills the bull buggy, the press uses 3 buggies to be full. that's 4500 pounds, then you say it leaves the press at 15000 pounds..
bigtractorpower ok I get that But compression doesn't turn 4500 pounds of cotton into 15,000 pounds.. something is off either ammount of loads it takes or weight of bale..
