What Is a Mobile Thresher? Differences Between Hopper and Pick-Up Models

A mobile thresher is a type of thresher machine that moves across the field behind a tractor, threshing the crop right where it lies. While stationary threshers require the cut crop to be carried to a threshing floor, these machines largely eliminate the need for transport. Today, the most popular models are the hopper thresher and the pick-up thresher. Although both work while moving through the field, they differ in how the crop is fed into the machine and in how much labour they require.

How does a mobile thresher work?

The machine takes its power from the tractor’s power take-off (PTO) shaft and transfers it to the drum (beater) system. As it moves through the field, the cut crop reaches the drum, which beats the crop to separate the grain from the stalk. The sieves and fan system then clean the grain. While the clean grain is sent to the hopper or into sacks, the stalks are turned into straw and blown into the trailer behind.

Thanks to this working layout, threshing, cleaning and straw production take place at the same time. These machines offer a practical solution for farms where gathering stalks in one place leads to lost time and fuel.

What are the main advantages of a mobile thresher?

• Threshes the crop in the field, right where it lies.

• Reduces the need to carry stalks to a threshing floor.

• Threshes and produces straw in a single operation.

• Helps lower transport and labour costs.

• Can be used for both cereals and pulses.

These advantages make the machine a viable option not only for small and medium-sized farms but also for growers working large areas of land.

What is a hopper thresher?

A hopper thresher is a model that stores the threshed and cleaned grain in a grain hopper on the machine instead of filling it into sacks. In this system, also known as a hopper threshing machine, an elevator carries the clean grain to the hopper. When the hopper is full, the grain is unloaded into a trailer by a hydraulic unloading system.

Çetinkayalar Tarım’s NCK-02 DM hopper threshing machine works with a 750 kg grain hopper and a single-elevator filling system; a double-elevator version of the model is also available. The hydraulic balancing system on the axle helps keep the machine stable on sloping land.

What are the key features of a hopper thresher?

• Stores the grain in a hopper on the machine.

• Reduces the need for bagging labour and sack costs.

• Unloads the grain into a trailer hydraulically when the hopper is full.

• Can operate on sloping land with its hydraulic balancing system.

• Can also be used for pulse harvesting with the right sieve and pulley settings.

With the hopper model, the crop is fed into the machine by hand or with a pitchfork. This makes the hopper thresher suitable for farms that want to eliminate bagging labour but can still allocate workers for feeding.

What is a pick-up thresher?

A pick-up thresher is a model that picks up crop that has already been cut and laid in windrows and threshes it by itself. The pick-up unit at the front of the machine lifts the crop from the ground and delivers it to the drum. As a result, no extra workers are needed to feed the crop into the machine. Because of the way it works, this machine is also commonly referred to as a combine thresher.

The Çetinkayalar NCK-04 TD pick-up threshing machine works with a 1700 mm wide pick-up unit, a 1000 kg grain hopper and 54 drum fingers. A tractor of at least 48 HP is recommended for this model.

What are the advantages of a pick-up thresher?

• Automatically picks up windrowed crop from the ground.

• Eliminates the need for workers to feed the machine.

• Picks up, threshes and stores the grain in one operation.

• Reduces the workload when harvesting chickpeas, lentils, beans and vetch.

• Can also be used for cereals such as barley, wheat and oats.

For this model to work efficiently, the crop must be cut and windrowed in advance. Level ground also improves the performance of the pick-up unit.

What are the differences between hopper and pick-up threshers?

Both models thresh while moving through the field. The main difference between them is how the crop reaches the machine. With a hopper thresher, the crop is fed in by hand or with a pitchfork, whereas on a pick-up thresher the pick-up unit lifts the crop from the ground by itself.

This difference also affects labour requirements, tractor power and machine weight. Among Çetinkayalar models, the NCK-02 DM can work with tractors between 35 and 90 HP, while the NCK-04 TD requires at least 48 HP. Hopper capacity is 750 kg on the NCK-02 DM and 1000 kg on the NCK-04 TD.

Which model is right for you?

• If you can allocate workers for feeding, a hopper thresher may be sufficient.

• If you want to keep labour costs to a minimum, the pick-up thresher stands out.

• If your tractor is below 48 HP, the hopper model is a better starting point.

• On large, pulse-focused farms, the advantage of the pick-up model grows.

• On sloping land, models with a hydraulic balancing system should be preferred.

To choose the right model, you need to consider the crop to be processed, the terrain and your tractor’s power together.

What affects mobile thresher prices?

Mobile thresher prices vary depending on the model’s feeding system, hopper capacity, number of elevators and equipment. Pick-up thresher prices are generally higher than those of hopper models because of the automatic pick-up unit and larger hopper. When researching new mobile thresher prices, you should look not only at the purchase price but also at spare parts and service support.

What should you look at when comparing prices?

• Feeding system (manual feeding or pick-up)

• Hopper capacity and number of elevators

• Drum width and number of fingers

• Required tractor power

• Hydraulic balancing system for sloping land

• Availability of spare parts and service

Comparing models with the same equipment allows for a more reliable assessment of price. For current price ranges, take a look at our article on 2026 threshing machine prices.

Çetinkayalar mobile thresher models

With production experience dating back to the 1970s, Çetinkayalar Tarım manufactures threshing machine models for different needs at its facilities in Konya. In this group, the NCK-02 DM hopper and NCK-04 TD pick-up models are offered with single and double elevator options. With a capacity of 2200 kg per hour, these models can be used for both cereal and pulse harvesting.

Contact Çetinkayalar Tarım to find the model that suits your needs and to get up-to-date pricing information. A well-chosen mobile thresher saves time, fuel and labour during the harvest season.