Softrak Typha Harvester

Product Description

Typha (bulrush/cattail) seed heads are a fast-emerging source of sustainable material - used in biomaterials such as BioPuff® as a lightweight alternative to goose down, alongside niche markets in oilseed, baked goods and pollinator feed. Harvesting only the seed heads leaves the stalks, leaves and rhizomes intact, so the crop keeps sequestering carbon and regrows for future seasons - while paludiculture's high water table locks carbon into the peat, supports greater bird biodiversity than drained farmland, and can open up secondary income through carbon-offset schemes like the UK's Peatland Code.

Built on the proven Softrak 75 chassis, the Typha Harvester adds a hydraulic 'Jack-Up' system that raises the whole machine by up to 700mm for a 1,300mm ground clearance, with pilot-operated check valves on every cylinder and flow dividers keeping all the jack legs lifting evenly. A maximum cutting height of 1.8m lets it harvest Typha up to 2m tall, with micro-adjustment handled from the cab via the front linkage.

The 4.5m harvesting head uses the renowned Schumacher "Easy Cut" finger-bar cutter, driven by Schumacher's hydraulic Planetary Drive System for reliable, consistent cutting. A 60cm helical reel with heavy-duty brush strips - adjustable both vertically and horizontally - sweeps the cut seed heads onto a 250mm transverse cross-conveyor, which feeds a 350mm elevator conveyor for a smooth, blockage-free transfer into the rear-mounted 2m³ collection bin; side guides on every conveyor minimise losses.

When it's time to unload, the same hydraulic Jack-Up system tips the collection bin from height, discharging seed heads directly into trailers or containers, or cleanly filling two 1m³ Dumpy bags - minimising downtime between loads.

The Softrak 75 base machine draws on two decades of managing Fens, uplands and other delicate habitats: high-strength steels keep it light yet immensely strong, and the chassis, cab and undercarriage are shot-blasted, zinc-primed and polyester powder-coated for long-term durability. Fully floating bogies and flexible Bridgestone rubber tracks follow ground contours far more closely than rigid cross-bar tracks, riding over undulations rather than shearing vegetation when turning, with triple track rollers minimising the risk of de-tracking on rougher terrain.

A hydrostatic transmission gives step-less speed control with fully automatic braking, and a single joystick handles everything from contra-rotation on the spot to wide sweeping curves at speed, returning to neutral automatically when released. The 3-man cab comes with rubber suspension, tinted glass, full heating and air conditioning, and Margard polycarbonate safety screens as standard, with a heavy-duty suspension seat for the driver and lap belts throughout.