Having a cotton picking machine that functions properly is essential for getting the most out of your crop each and every year and for having efficient harvesting processes. Even a single part that’s not working properly could affect the efficiency of the entire piece of machinery, which could result in your harvesting processes slowing down significantly until you’re able to make the repair.
But why exactly do cotton picker parts fail to begin with? As the owner of a cotton picking machine, it’s important that you understand the issues that cause part failure and what you can do to prevent it. Here are a few of the most common issues:
Improper usage of the part: There are times when people will put parts into a cotton picker in a way they’re not supposed to be used. This will, not surprisingly, lead to a failure of the part. Make sure you are using parts that have been designed for your specific machine—work with a manufacturer who will custom-make parts for you, if you’re not able to find the part you need standard on the market.
Low-quality parts: Sometimes there’s no real reason for a part failing other than it being cheap or of low quality. Do some thorough research on the parts you buy and the manufacturers that make them before you purchase the part. You want to be sure you’re making an investment in a high-quality part that you won’t just have to replace again in a couple years. Save yourself some money with this research—you’ll be glad you did.
Poor maintenance habits: Cotton picker parts require a certain level of maintenance to keep them in good operational condition throughout each season. If you have any concerns about your part’s functional capabilities, it’s important you address them immediately before the potential repairs become even more significant. Make it a priority to have your machinery professionally serviced on a regular basis to keep it operating well and to make sure all parts are working exactly as they should.
Bad dealer: The correct maintenance efforts will only do so much for you if you’re working with a bad parts dealer. A dealer or manufacturer who is unreliable and does not have a good reputation for their work is simply not a good choice for purchasing parts for your machinery. An inexperienced or unqualified dealer might recommend the wrong part, or could fail to take certain elements of your machinery into account with their recommendation. You can avoid this issue by thoroughly researching any dealer or manufacturer before deciding to work with them. This research could save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Lack of cleaning: Cotton picker parts should be regularly cleaned and lubricated to ensure smooth operation. Always use the correct oils and lubricating agents for your parts—check the manual for the machinery to see if there are any instructions with regard to this.
For more information about maintaining your cotton picker parts, contact Certi-Pik, USA today.
As a cotton farmer, you know well that the quality and total yield of your cotton crop is heavily influenced by the type of equipment you use to harvest it. Your cotton picker is a significant investment for your operation—a complex piece of machinery that will maximize your harvesting efficiency and help you get the most out of each year’s crop. To be able to maintain optimal levels of efficiency in your operation, it is important to select only high-quality replacement parts for your cotton pickers. In doing so, you will be able to keep the machine operating at maximum efficiency and quality for years to come.
The right dealer leads to the right parts
Perhaps the single most important factor that goes into finding high-quality cotton picker parts is working with a dealer that is familiar with cotton pickers and can work with you personally to address your needs. Any reputable dealer of cotton picker parts will be able to provide you with options specific to your machinery, helping you determine which of these parts will work best with your equipment and provide you with the best results in your harvest. These recommendations will be based on years of experience and an extensive knowledge of cotton pickers and their components.
In addition, it’s helpful to have a relationship directly with a manufacturer of these cotton picker parts, who will be able to create replacement parts that are custom-tailored to fit your machinery. Having these parts custom-manufactured ensures they will meet your exact needs.
The importance of part quality cannot be overstated
So how do you know if you’ve got a high-quality cotton picker part on your hands? One good way to determine this is by asking other consumers about their experience with the part. Finding reviews or testimonials is a great way to determine if a part is truly of high quality. Consider also the reputation a specific manufacturer has when you make your decision. Any manufacturer that places a great deal of emphasis on customer service and satisfaction can typically be trusted to make good equipment.
You should also do some research so you know exactly what you should be looking for. There are many different types of designs and features of the various parts of a cotton picker. Consider which of these features are most important for you to have, and then work with your reliable parts dealer or manufacturer to design or purchase the parts with those features that you need.
Certi-Pik, USA is here for you
At Certi-Pik, USA, we have an outstanding reputation for providing high-quality customer service and cotton picker parts. Our supplies help you maximize the efficiency of your machines and will assist you in getting the most out of your harvest this year. If you have a machine that simply isn’t working as well as you would like it to, contact us and we’ll provide you with some advice about potential parts replacements and information about how we can help.
Cotton continues to be one of the most important crops grown in the United States, especially in the southeast, where massive cotton operations produce enormous harvests every single year. Still, cotton farmers are always looking for new ways they can boost their crop yield. Many times, it’s just a few basic things that can help these farmers achieve greater efficiency and profitability out of their crops.
With this in mind, here are a few cotton growing tips that can help you achieve productive results with high quality cotton picker parts this season and beyond at your cotton farm.
Begin cleaning and weeding early on
Weed management is important in the cotton growing industry. It’s especially important to get rid of pigweed, as it can wreak havoc on a cotton crop.
You should aim to have a completely clean field upon planting the crop, and after that you should follow a meticulously laid out herbicide schedule, and use post-emergence products as needed. Pigweed tends to emerge within 18 to 21 days after you plant the cotton, so the first three weeks of the crop’s life are especially important for weed management so you can maintain better control over the weeds in the area. It also allows you to reduce the amount of money you spend in the long run on labor and herbicide.
Manage your irrigation
Tweaking your irrigation plans can help you get the best results out of your overall crop yields and your resulting profits. Many studies have shown that using higher volumes of water during the later growth periods of the crop can help provide greater yields.
Choose the correct cotton varieties
Any cotton varieties you grow should fit well with your operation. Beyond just the yield you’re trying to get, you should consider the conditions of your field, including soil texture and type, pest and weed pressure and whether the land is dry or irrigated. You should also have several variety tests performed. You might even consider planting several varieties one year to analyze which produces the best results at your farm.
Make bug control a priority
It’s never a good idea to skimp on bug control. An insect infestation could prove devastating to your operation, both in terms of crop loss and the financial hit. Therefore, to save money and prevent potential losses, try to plant as early as possible and make sure you isolate your cotton crops from any other crops that tend to serve as major hosts for pests, like corn.
Quality over everything
Quality is the most important aspect of your product. High-quality cotton is not as common as you might think on a global scale, so your profitability could be linked more to the quality of your cotton than the amount you produce. The previous tips should help you increase this quality.
For more information about how you can get the best results out of your cotton harvest this year and every year, contact the team at Certi-Pik, USA. We specialize in the fabrication and sale of a wide range of cotton picker parts, and look forward to assisting you soon!
Because cotton is your livelihood, you need to know that your cotton harvester equipment will work when you need it to. But who do you call when you need replacement parts? A reliable source, naturally! Here are some reasons why you should always buy your replacement cotton picker parts from a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited manufacturer.
A better guarantee
After doing your research you’ll learn that there are many places that sell cotton harvester and picker parts. However, not all sellers are selling quality parts. Low-quality parts may be fast to fail, and may even cause damage to other machine parts. In cases where a new replacement part breaks well before it should, it would be fantastic to be able to get a refund or replacement, but you may not get these options if you did not buy from a reputable source to begin with.
With a disreputable manufacturer, you will have to search for the right contact information, report them to the BBB and wait weeks, even months, for a replacement part to arrive or get your money back—if at all. Don’t risk your business and your cotton crop! Buy your cotton picker parts from a reputable source from the start.
Know you are getting quality
A huge reason why you want to do business with a BBB accredited cotton harvester parts manufacturer is because you will know you are buying good quality products. Here’s how the BBB rates businesses: First, they take every customer comment into account, the good, the bad and the ugly. They weigh all the issues a manufacturer has had with customers in the past. If a company is reputable, the BBB will give them a good rating so future customers know they are likely to get quality services or products.
Why is it important that you check the BBB’s website? While you could read comments on online forums or social media, keep in mind that professionals probably have not assessed these kinds of customer ratings. No matter what, do plenty of research before moving forward on an expensive purchase.
Price
Buying off-brand or significantly lower priced picker parts can be tempting, especially considering how quickly maintenance and repair costs can pile up. If there is a noticeable price difference from one manufacturer to another, find out why. In this industry, cheaper parts often mean lower quality, though not always. You need to consider that these parts are for a pretty specific piece of machinery, meaning you want quality parts, which require time, skill and elbow grease to make—and that means they will be more expensive. It should make you wonder how a manufacturer can offer the same part for so much less!
Get the right parts
A lot of times, off-brand parts don’t fit or function correctly. They could even lead to costly problems down the road. This is why it’s important that you buy the brands that match your cotton harvester or a brand recommended by your mechanic.
Reach out to Certi-Pik, USA today for a selection of quality cotton picker parts made by the industry’s leading manufacturers!
Cotton, one of the world’s oldest and most well established cash crops, thrives in areas with long, hot summers. For many centuries, cotton bolls and seeds were picked by hand in a tedious, labor-intensive process. Thankfully, technological innovations in the 19th and 20th centuries removed the vast bulk of manual labor necessary to pick and process cotton effectively. The development of the cotton picker spindle made the process of cotton harvesting substantially easier than previously imagined.
Today, cotton is picked using large cotton picker machines. They have small mechanical digits, called cotton picker spindles, that remove the bolls from the plant, while leaving the plant itself largely intact. The bolls themselves contain both the cotton fibers and the cottonseeds.
Unlike most commodity crops, cottonseeds come second compared to the cushiony fiber’s they’re protected in. Cottonseeds aren’t completely useless, however. Savvy cotton farmers typically use every possible part of the cotton plant, including the cottonseed.
Once the ripe bolls are removed from the stalks using the cotton picker spindles, they are brought into a facility with a cotton gin. The cotton gin strips the seeds, dirt and leftover plant material away from the cotton fibers. After ginning, the cotton fibers go on to be further refined into textiles, yarn, stuffing, thread and myriad other products. Cottonseeds, however, are also refined. Here are just some of the products produced using cottonseeds:
Cooking oil: One of the most lucrative uses of cottonseeds is for cooking oil. High-quality cotton seeds are cleaned and pressed into an edible oil known for its flavor stability. Cottonseed oil appears in a number of household products, including mayonnaise and salad dressing.
Planting seed: Of course, savvy cotton farmers save some of the most viable seeds for future planting. That way, they can continue to plant new cotton fields and reap the rewards of farming each season. Once seeds are past viability, however, farmers may still put them into the ground—they can improve soil as they break down.
Livestock feed: Cottonseeds are a healthy snack for many livestock animals, including hogs. Cottonseed is crushed and all lint is removed before being added to livestock feeds. Cottonseed hull and meal is a high-protein and high-fiber food item for a number of animals.
Cosmetics: Because of its clean, moisturizing oil, cottonseeds are becoming an increasingly popular ingredient in many cosmetic products. Cottonseed oil now appears in soaps, lotions, makeup and more.
Certi-Pik, USA has been the nation’s most trusted provider of cotton picker spindles since 1988. We provide our clients with a wide range of manufactured and fabricated cotton picker parts. We specialize in creating components for rebuilding units, including drumheads, spindles, cam tracks, spindle nuts, idle gears, lubrication hoses and more. Regardless of your needs, we’re here to help. Certi-Pik, USA is proud of its ability to help American farming communities remain competitive and reach their production goals.
To learn more about our extensive range of products and services, reach out to one of our knowledgeable representatives at your earliest possible convenience.
