If this year you have not only a rich, but also a high apple harvest, then picking it in the traditional way, shaking the branches, erecting a stepladder, will not be so easy. Many gardeners and summer residents in this situation have opted for an apple picking device. Such a device can easily be purchased at a specialized store, or you can make it yourself from scrap materials. We will present you with both options at once.
Buying an apple picking device
Modern fruit pickers are easy to use, lightweight and compact. Their assortment will also be rich: the tools differ according to the functions of the attachment for picking apples.
Plastic "tulip". The plastic glass nozzle is made in the shape of a tulip. It’s easy to pick fruit with it - place the apple in the “tulip”, placing the stalk between the petals, twist the handle around its axis, thereby safely picking the fruit and bringing it to the basket in a fruit collecting glass. But if the apple is held tightly to the branch, the device will be useless.
Collet devices. The popular type of such fruit collectors is telescopic handle, if desired, extending in length. They are supplemented with a convenient thick bag: in one go you can collect several fruits at once. The operation of the device is simple: tin petals grab the apple, and you, using circular movements of the device around the axis, tear it off. These parts are found both in plastic and equipped with a metal knife for cutting a hard cutting.
Wire fruit pickers. They are a fruit grabber made of thick wire strings. You put the device on the apple, the wire wraps tightly around it, and with the familiar rotation of the device around its axis, you tear off the fruit. It remains captive in the wire frame while you carry it to the basket.
Fruit collector with gripper. There are also models with an extension handle - a telescopic tube. The operating device resembles a plastic beak or a three-fingered hand. Conveniently, it can capture both an apple and a fairly large fruit. The fruit is torn off by the same twisting of the device around itself. But there are also more advanced mechanisms: you need to pull the fishing line or lever, after which the “beak” will grab the fruit, and you pull the fruit collector towards you, tearing the apple off the handle.
After this review, you are convinced that the design of the device is simple and it will be quite easy to assemble a homemade fruit collector. We will borrow the principle of the gripping device from those already presented.
Option number 1: fruit collector from a bottle
We will make a device for collecting apples from a plastic bottle. For the device you will need:
- Plastic bottle.
- The length of the fishing line is 2.5-3 m.
- Awl.
- Scissors.
- A wooden pole, a long mop handle, a piece of PVC pipe - anything that is long and thick can become a fruit collector holder.
Once everything you need is at hand, we get to work:
- Cut the bottom of the bottle so that the edges of the part with the neck resemble a tulip.
- Make holes on each of the petals with an awl.
- Pass the fishing line through the neck of the bottle. Its lower part (the one that remains at the bottom of the bottle) should be approximately equal to the upper.
- Now we thread the fishing line into each of the holes made. Then we take it back through the neck again.
- To build a device for picking apples, all we have to do is secure the gripper to the holder. To do this, stepping back a little from one of its ends, we make a through hole.
- If it is difficult to drill such a hole (for example, on a wooden pole), then you can proceed as follows: take a regular plastic soda cap and drill two holes opposite each other through its sides. Secure the fishing line with the grabber through them. Next, if necessary, sharpen the edge of the holder to the diameter of the cork, and glue them together with strong glue.
- We pass the double fishing line several times through the hole made in the plug or holder and securely fix the gripping structure.
- At the same time, do not forget to leave the long end of the fishing line at such a length that, while on the ground, it would be convenient for you to squeeze and unclench the “petals” with it for a more successful capture of apples.
Option number 2: plastic bottle-bowl
And another do-it-yourself craft made from plastic bottles. The fruit picker tool is made in literally two steps:
- Cut off the bottom of the plastic bottle - you can immediately put it far to the side. Cut sharp teeth on the remaining part. Using an awl, drill two holes in the neck of the bottle exactly opposite each other.
- Now prepare the holder - pole, PVC pipe, mop handle. Adapt the thickness of one of its ends to the diameter of the bottle neck. Having placed the gripping element on the pole, secure it through the holes made with two self-tapping screws on the holder. That's all!
Using this device for picking apples is simple: insert the apple into this bowl so that its stem is between the cloves. A few turns of the device around itself - and the fruit is yours!
Option No. 3: closed bottle fruit collector
And again, a craft made from plastic bottles. Making it yourself is just as easy:
- Make a round hole in the side of the bottle.
- From the bottom side, provide it with sharp teeth.
- Some gardeners advise making a hole in the shape of a heart.
- In one of the ways convenient for you, put the neck of the device on a pole or stick.
The apple is placed inside the bottle through the hole made, after which you scroll the device, and the fruit ends up inside the fruit collector. However, with such a tool it will not be possible to remove more than two fruits at a time.
Option number 4: strong construction from a tin can
An apple stalk does not always lend itself easily to a fruit collector from a plastic bottle. For strong branches, a device made from a large tin can (with enough space to fit an apple) is perfect. This DIY apple picking device is made like this:
- Using a utility knife, cut a shallow line from the top of the can on one side.
- Using pliers, push the sides of the slot apart until it becomes wedge-shaped, with a sharp angle at the bottom.
- Make two holes opposite this “trap” for the cuttings.
- Using strong wire, securely fix the fruit collector on the pole through the holes.
Option No. 5: plastic pipe fruit collector
Another device for difficult to pick fruits. You should try to find a thin plastic pipe of such a size that even a large apple can fit through it easily. And converting it into a fruit collector is simple:
- Make a J-shaped hole in the wall of the top of the pipe.
- Attach the blade to the lower tail of the “letter”, which should point upward. If the cutting is stubborn, you pass it into this trap and cut the branch by sharply lifting your device up.
- Cut the bottom edge of the pipe into the shape of sharp triangular teeth.
- Heat the pipe, after which the teeth can be easily bent to form the bottom of the fruit collector.
- Drill holes in the thickness of the pipe through which you will attach it to the pole with wire.
Option No. 6: from a fishing net
If you have an aquarium or fishing net, then you already have a ready-made fruit collector for apples. Perhaps, to combat unruly cuttings, you will need to attach a device to a hoop that would tear off and cut off the branch. By the way, for convenience, the net can be carefully bent at an angle in relation to the handle.
Having understood the principle of operation of the fruit collector, you can make it from other available materials. Let's see what gardening engineers have already come up with:
- A hoop made of thick wire and a linen bag stretched over it.
- A basket and a galvanized hoop as a knife.
- A design of two metal rings: a bag is pulled over the static one, and a small movable one above it can be tightened using a fishing line around the handle.
- Construction of scissors, spring and pole.
Thus, making a fruit collector from scrap materials is absolutely not difficult. And by giving free rein to your ingenuity, you can even come up with your own unique model of this device.
If the harvest of your apples is “at the top” in every sense, this cannot but rejoice! But to get ripe ones from this height juicy fruits- not an easy task. An ordinary garden stepladder can also help in this matter, but modern gardeners are accustomed to saving time and effort. Therefore, today we will learn together how to make a device for removing apples from a tree, which will help you quickly and without loss collect the entire harvest from any apple tree.
If you have only one or two trees with apples on your plot, then there is no point in making a “major” fruit picker; it is enough to make a simple device from a plastic bottle. Well, if you have a whole apple plantation at your dacha, then it’s best for you to buy a ready-made fruit picker
In the markets gardening tools We have seen ready-made devices for picking fruit more than once. Based on their principle, we will create a fruit picker with our own hands. Our future fruit collector must meet the following requirements: reach high and hold the fruit firmly, and be convenient to use. Let's look at the options that experienced and resourceful gardeners offer us.
As a rule, fruit pickers are made of plastic, but there are metal options. For example, the fruit picker, which is shown in the photo, costs around 700 rubles in stores, it is quite expensive, but the purchase will justify itself and will serve you for many years
But such a device for removing apples from a tree will cost, on average, 1,200 rubles. Its advantage is that it is made of plastic and does not require special care, just store it in some shed and it will serve you for decades
Option number 1: the tenacious hand of the farmer
The device will consist of a grip and a holder. You will need:
- old plastic bottle;
- long fishing line (2.5-3 meters), awl, scissors;
- handle from an old plastic mop (can be replaced with a PVC pipe).
The manufacturing process of this fruit collector in the program “Crazy Hands”:
So let's start our light work.
Step 1. We had enough crafts (a two-liter plastic bottle). We cut the bottom of the bottle crown-shaped to form “petals.” We make 2 holes in each of the petals. To do this, you can use a small hole punch or a regular awl.
Now let's give the bowl some grip. Take the fishing line and pull it through the neck into the bottle so that the latter is just below the middle of the fishing line. We pass the upper end of the fishing line one by one into each hole in a circle and bring it back through the neck of the bottle. Thus, we got a plastic bottle without a bottom with two long ends of fishing line coming out through the neck.
Step 2. We fix the holder. We use a hollow PVC pipe or a handle from an old plastic mop as a holder. A double line made from a plastic bottle is threaded through the hole in the holder and comes out the other side. If your mop handle has a removable handle, you're in luck! The ends of the fishing line should be secured to this part of the holder. Make 2 holes in the handle and thread the fishing line through, securing the ends tightly together. Place the handle back onto the mop handle.
We have plastic bottle, fastened with a fishing line to a holder with a removable handle. Now try to remove the cap again, slightly pulling the line towards you. The cut edges of the bottle are compressed, making grasping movements. Now not a single apple will escape you!
A diagram of another device for collecting fruits from trees: it will take a lot of time to create, so we do not recommend that you undertake its creation. They just showed what other homemade devices can be made
If the mop does not have a removable part, you can simply cut off its end by 15-10 cm. Make 2 holes on its sides, where the ends of the fishing line will be passed. Then secure them by tying them together.
Let us repeat once again: if you have a lot of fruit-bearing trees, then it is better to spend some money and buy a ready-made fruit picker that will serve you for more than one season
For PVC pipes You can use several caps from plastic bottles as a handle. For example, take 10 lids and make a hole in the center of each with an awl. Thread the free ends of the fishing line into the caps one by one and secure them to the last one. For stability, glue the caps together or make a knot from fishing line on the inside of the first cap. It turns out a convenient removable handle from the caps. Use the same method as a mop handle.
Video version of making a fruit picker with your own hands
And another option for creating a capital fruit picker
Option number 2: the simplest device for picking apples
1. Fruit collector with bowl
Step 1. And again we cannot do without such a necessary household item as a plastic bottle. Cut it in half, separating the bottom part from the neck. We won't need the bottom anymore. We cut out deep teeth on the cut edge, and drill 2 opposite holes in the neck.
Step 2. We prepare a wooden pole, one end of which we adapt to the hole of the bottle. A handle from an old garden tool will do. Now we put the bottle neck on the pole and secure it with two self-tapping screws.
Collect apples with this device like this: bring the device to the branch with the apple; Place the apple inside the bottle and rotate the device for removing apples from the tree clockwise. The teeth cut off the fruit and it ends up inside the bottle. You can pick 2-3 apples at a time.
2. Closed fruit collector
You don’t have to cut off the bottom of the bottle, but simply cut a round hole on the side. From the bottom side of the hole, make several cloves. Then put the bottle on the pole in the already known way and start collecting apples. The fruits are placed inside the bottle and picked in one motion. A closed fruit picker picks apples more easily, but can pick no more than two fruits at a time.
Using such a device you won’t be able to collect many apples at one time, but the advantage of this device is the speed of its production: if you have all the materials at hand, you will need a maximum of five minutes, or even less
The design of the device is simple: we cut a heart-shaped hole on the side of a plastic bottle, use a screw or electrical tape to attach the bottle to the holder and we can start picking apples or other fruits
Now you don’t need to master the science of climbing trees and endless maneuvers with garden stepladders, and you no longer have to wonder how to remove apples from a tall tree. The juiciest apples will be picked without difficulty thanks to your skillful hands and desire. A bowl of such homemade fruit collectors will last you a couple of years. Once worn out, it can be easily replaced using a new plastic bottle. Well, all you can do is wish that the fruits of your skill will definitely help you get all the fruits from your apple trees!
How can you still pick an apple if it is on the top branch? If you don’t want to climb on a stepladder, make a fruit picker. At least one like V.S. Krutova from Vyborg. The device is convenient to use, easily separates the fruits from the branch, and does not break the fruits (Fig. 124, A, B).
Rice. 124. Fruit pickers (dimensions in mm): A, B - designs by V.S. Krutova (1 - hole for attaching the bag, 2 - cord, 3 - pole); B - design of I.I. Lyashenko (1 - cutting 3-5 m, 2 - inner stick).
The material is a stainless steel plate with a thickness of 0.2-1 mm. If you don’t have such a plate, a regular tin can will do. But for it to turn into suitable material, additional work is required: rivet the spring from the alarm clock to make the glass elastic and rivet the cutting edge, machined like the edges of scissors. We will make a bag for collecting fruits from a nylon stocking; it contains 5-6 fruits. You will also need a prefabricated pole (like a fishing rod) and a cord. When removing the fruit, we place the puller under it, turn it around its axis, and if the fruit is not separated, we use a cord, then the apple will be cut like with scissors.
Gardener from Sevastopol I.M. Lyashenko also uses a tin can to make a fruit picker, but in a slightly different way. Three cone-shaped cuts are made in it, 35 mm deep and 25 mm at the top (Fig. 124, B). Any pole 3-4 m long and 35-45 mm thick can be attached to the can. Drill two holes in the jar for 3-4 mm bolts, tighten them with screws of the same thickness. For better fastening, a bar is inserted inside the can. In order not to damage the fruit, glue the yarn from the inside of the device.
The largest and delicious apples They are usually located on the upper branches and are very difficult to remove. The fruit pickers sold in the store pick only one fruit at a time. This is very long and inconvenient. You can’t take several pieces at once: the apples break. Gardener from Tula B.F. The storm changed the fruit picker somewhat. I ripped open the textile pocket at the bottom and sewed on an apple duct from 2-3 cotton stockings that had served their time. I cut off their socks, and sewed the stockings themselves to the pocket, one to the other, so that the resulting sleeve did not narrow. In the scheme, each apple, moving apart the walls of the stocking, falls smoothly, without damage. The length of the handle and the number of stockings to be sewn depend on the height of the tree.
N.P. Bezmelnitsyn from Volgograd made a device for removing fruit from a plastic bottle - packaging for detergent(Fig. 125). It will take only 5-10 minutes to cut out the bottom and make a cut in the form of four petals on the cylindrical part near it, place the neck of the bottle on a wooden stick, and attach it to it with a nail. That's all: you have light in hands(weight about 100 g), does not damage fruits, convenient fruit picker. It is suitable for picking apples and pears; with a diameter of 85 mm, 4 fruits can be placed in it at the same time, with a smaller diameter (76 mm) - 10-15 plums or apricots. The handle can be made removable, and its parts can be connected with an aluminum or duralumin tube.
Rice. 125. Fruit picker design N.P. Bezmelnitsyn (dimensions in mm): 1 - plastic bottle, 2 - wooden part, 3 - metal part.
A resident of Livny, Oryol region, N. Yasinsky, also got a good fruit picker. The device is easy to use and does not damage the fruit when removing thanks to the soft rubber rollers. A wooden pole made of two halves allows you to remove fruits from a great height. The fruit picker consists, according to the gardener, of a catcher, a pusher and a fabric or mesh bag attached to a pole (Fig. 126). The catcher and pusher are made from one piece of wire rod with a diameter of 3-4 mm, “circles” in the form of a figure eight, bent at an angle of 90°. You can harvest fruits up to 140 mm in diameter.
Rice. 126. Fruit picker designed by N. Yasinsky.
On the fruit picker, which was designed by P.I. Dick from the Stavropol Territory, the rims and protrusions for prying the fruits are made of one sheet of durable roofing iron, corrugated along the length of the rim in one line, which gives it additional strength (Fig. 127). After riveting the ends of the rim together, a circle with a diameter of 15 cm is obtained. The 4 cm high protrusions are spaced further apart from each other than on commercially available plastic fruit pickers. A tube made of the same strong iron is riveted obliquely to the rim. A cutting of any length can be inserted into it. Holes are punched at the bottom of the rim, through which a bag is sewn to the rim. When harvesting, it invariably takes a vertical position, so the fruits, and up to one kilogram of them are collected in a bag, do not fall out of it.
Rice. 127. Fruit picker designed by P.I. Dick.
V.D. Saraykin from Donetsk uses a store-bought lopper to remove fruit. Attaches it to the end of a 4-meter wooden pole with a diameter of 40 mm. And just below it attaches a wire ring with a diameter of 400-500 mm with a bag made of rare nylon mesh (Fig. 128). A string of the same length as the pole is tied to the moving end of the lopper.
Rice. 128. Fruit picker design V.D. Saraikina.
Gardener M. Abdusalyamov did not like the purchased fruit picker. I decided to make it to my liking. I took a 6-mm wire and made a ring with a diameter of 15-16 cm from it. I conventionally divided it into four equal parts (Fig. 129). To mark 1 I welded a tube at approximately an angle of 120° to the plane of the ring for the handle, to marks 2 and 4 - teeth at an angle of 60°, to mark 3 - a cutter at the same angle. The teeth, 45 mm high and 10-12 mm wide at the base, are made of bent 5 mm wire, and the cutter is made of a 1.5 mm thick steel plate sharpened from the inside. A 25 cm long bag made of durable fabric is attached to the ring. The cutter helps to pick any fruit from a freely swinging branch without damaging the buds or shaking off the fruits growing nearby. Using his device, the gardener picks up to 15 apples, pears or peaches at a time. During a working day, without any ladder, he collects 300-400 kg of fruit. According to the gardener, the device is also suitable for harvesting grapes.
Rice. 129. Fruit picker designed by M. Abdusalyamov (dimensions in mm):
1, 2, 3, 4 - conditional marks; 5 - ring; 6 - tooth; 7 - cutter; 8 - cloth bag.
His device for picking fruits A.M. Stetsko from the Dnepropetrovsk region makes it using a bench vice or pliers. With the help of these devices, two figures of different shapes are bent from 4-5 mm wire, they are connected at the top and tied together to a pole. A mesh with small cells is attached to the fruit picker (Fig. 130). The stem of an apple or pear is occupied by the corner of the inner figure and is broken off from the stem by turning left and right.
Rice. 130. Fruit picker designed by A.M. Stetsko (dimensions in mm):
1, 2 - parts of the fruit picker, 3 - combined parts, 4 - connection with a pole, 5 - ready-made fruit picker, 6 - fruit clamped in the fruit picker.
The next fruit picker (Fig. 131) was invented by M.I. Shetnev from Brovary. The device also consists of two wire rings (wire cross-section 3-4 mm) with a diameter of 150 mm and two aluminum tubes 300 mm long (from an old clamshell). The ends of the wire wheels are pressed into a tube and riveted. For the bolt that fastens both parts of the fruit picker, holes are made in the tubes 160 mm from the ring. Near it, on a long tube, there is a block for the cord, the end of which is fixed near the second ring. The second tube is connected to the first spring or rubber band to keep both rings at a given distance. A stocking bag is attached to the first ring, and a piece of tarpaulin is sewn to the second ring according to its size. The free end of the first tube is connected to a collapsible pole. When harvesting, the gardener brings the device to the fruit, connects the rings by pulling the cord, the fruit is pressed against the ring and the tarpaulin, the bag opens, and the apple falls into it. If the fruit does not come off immediately, then the fruit picker must be turned in one direction or the other, and the cord should not be released. This can be done when the fruit is already in the bag. It is better to remove 3-5 apples or pears at one time, otherwise the device will be difficult to hold.
Rice. 131. Fruit picker designed by M.I. Shetnev: 1 - ring, 2 - block, 3 - pipe, 4 - bolt, 5 - pole,
6 - stocking, 7 - tarpaulin, 8 - lever, 9 - cord, 10 - spring.
Before covering the rings, the gardener wraps the wire in three layers with insulating tape so as not to damage the fruit. To pick apricots, plums and cherries, he uses a fruit picker of the same design, but with rings of a smaller diameter (25 mm).
And G.I. Tsybulnik from Dnepropetrovsk wanted to help elderly people collect fruits from the ground, especially those that had rolled into the prickly gooseberry bushes. He designed an original collecting device using a thin-walled stainless steel tube with an outer diameter of 12 and a length of 800-850 mm. At one end of the device, the gardener welds a handle made from the same tube, and at the other end he attaches two aluminum tablespoons connected like scissors (Fig. 132). He first bends the same tube, and attaches two aluminum tablespoons to the second one, connected like scissors (Fig. 132). Preliminarily bends the handles of spoons at an angle of 90°, holding them in a vice. Three holes are drilled on the handle of the top spoon, and a weight weighing 40 g is secured at the end of it.
Rice. 132. Fruit picker designed by G.I. Tsybulnik (dimensions in mm):
1 - cork, 2 - plastic ball, 3 - string, 4 - weight.
To the top spoon of EI. Tsybulnik ties a non-stretch cord, the second end of which is tucked into the hole and clamped with a wooden stopper. The cord is secured with a plastic ball with a diameter of 16 mm and a hole of 3.5 mm. The tension of the lace and the distance of the ball from the handle are set at your discretion. With one hand, the collector grabs the handle, brings it to the fruit lying on the ground, presses the ball with his index finger - the spoons clamp the fruit, and when he brings it to a bucket or basket, he releases the ball, the spoons, under the action of the load, release the fruit.
That's all about apple trees. However, not only they grow in the garden, but also other species fruit trees. Their specific characteristics and the ability of gardeners to “please” their pets will also be discussed in the book.
When the trees in the garden are large and spreading, reaching down the stairs, trying to get the next ripe fruit from the tangle of branches is not the best or fastest thing to do. Harvesting this way can take hours, and the result will not be the best, because if it is not done, you won’t be able to get the apples from the top. But since ancient times, if someone could not reach the upper branches, then they took a stick in their hands. She will help us out again.
Picking apples with a pole
So, we will need a long pole, on the basis of which we will combine the main functions of a nail puller and a basketball hoop: from the first - to catch, from the second - to pass a round object through itself. The task seems difficult, but in fact we need 2 pins on the top of the rod (which can be telescopic, for example, an old fishing rod), perpendicular to the axis of the pole. The apple stalk should easily fit into the gap between these protrusions.
Below we attach a small copy of a basketball hoop made of wire, for example, from a thick aluminum core from a cable. Only the usual through mesh will be replaced by a linen or similar mesh bag. Raise the device as high as possible, moving your hands over it until you grab the lower end of the pole. We place the ring under the apple so that the stem falls into the “nail puller”. We pull towards ourselves, the fruit breaks off and falls through the ring into the bag.
In the old days, it was a very fashionable game when a wooden cup or glass made of the same material, or a small wicker basket was attached to the top of a stick with a handle. A ball was tied to this device, which was called a bilboke, with a long cord, which had to be thrown higher and caught in the hole. We suggest doing something similar to pick apples from a great height when maneuvering with a stepladder is difficult.
The simplest option is a plastic bottle. We cut off its bottom and, turning it over, place the neck on the upper end of a long pole, specially planed to the required diameter, so that both parts are tightly connected.
Stick with plastic bottle for picking fruits
Next, we make slits from the edge of the resulting glass to a quarter of its length in increments of 2.5–3 centimeters so that they divide the bottle into equal sectors. Moreover, the resulting cracks should be wedge-shaped, that is, narrow downwards. Now you just need to reach for the apple, place the device under it and catch it in the container so that the stem ends up in the slot. We pull to the side, and the fruit is trapped, we catch the next one. When the bottle is filled to the slots, tilt the tool and pour the collected apples into a basket or box.
Another option is a pole-mounted wicker basket, which can be made from wicker or wire. The second type is preferable, since in this case several vertical rods can be made longer and their ends bent inward, this will result in a hybrid of a bielboke hole with the previously used nail puller function. You can, on the contrary, simplify the tool and put a two-liter plastic bottle on a pole without cutting it, but by making a round hole in the middle of its wall with a small wedge-shaped slit of 2 centimeters, directed towards the bottom.
Any of the above devices is suitable only if the apples easily break off and even fall on their own when the tree is slightly shaken. But what to do if the cutting is firmly attached to the trunk? The “nail puller” can accidentally damage the flesh, and the “bielboke” itself can break or become deformed with a strong tug. Tin cans will help you out here.
The first option is the simplest. We simply screw a large, deep tin can onto a stick with wire, making small holes in the wall. Next, we cut a wedge-shaped slit in the edge for the handle and slightly move it outward from top to bottom, creating something like a spout on a coffee pot. The sharp edge of the tin will easily cut the apple from the branch.
Device for collecting fruits
The second option is from plastic pipe large diameter, such as those used for gutters or sewers. We cut a piece about 40 centimeters long on one side into petals, which we bend inward, thus creating a closed end (even with slots). We make a slot in the upper part, which should bend to the side, and then slightly upward, that is, in the shape of a fish hook. To finish it off, use two screws to fasten a blade from a pencil sharpener or just a sharpened strip of metal. Now it is enough to catch an apple stalk in this slot, bring it to the blade, and the fruit will fall into the tube.
The third device is the most difficult to implement, but will last the longest. So, you will need a piece of metal pipe, a washer or a circle of large diameter (about 3-4 centimeters) and a dozen metal rods with a centimeter section and up to half a meter in length. We weld a washer or a metal circle to the end of the pipe (a stick will be inserted into it on the other). Next, with equal steps, we weld the rods at a slight angle so that they diverge from the center upward.
From the outside you will get the classic shape of a janitor's broom. The welding must be done very securely so that the rods can be bent slightly if necessary. Now we simply hook the apple so that it is inside the structure, turn the device, and the fruit will come off. For any device, it is better to take not a long wooden pole, but a telescopic rod or a rod assembled from several separate sections in order to adjust the length as needed.
In stores they sell special nozzles for collecting fruits, made in the shape of a crown, with teeth facing upward, to which a bag is attached below. They are quite reliable, but short-lived, since thin galvanized metal is usually used. In addition, the teeth can easily damage the fruit, so a large number of protruding parts on the fruit collector is undesirable. However, such devices are used in a small country house where there are no large harvests and you can work slowly.
Crown attachment for fruit harvesting
If you don't feel like messing around, a net can be made to quickly collect apples from a regular (old) fishing net. At the point farthest from the handle, you need to make a bend so that you get the shape of a beak; it will replace the wedge-shaped slot in this device. Now all you have to do is catch the apple and pull it so that it lands right in the net. You can repeat until the grid is full.