A MILDURA manufacturer could soon be sending grape harvesters overseas.

Having built a working prototype, Leda Farm Equipment and Bearings is following up interest from wineries and contractors in the US.

The LEDA grape harvester was on show at last month's Mildura Horticultural field days.

General manager Paul Crouch said in the eight months since work had begun on the prototype, local, interstate and overseas interest had been strong.

"We have travelled to the US and shown some key west-coast wineries and contractors our plans and they are keen to see one in the flesh," Paul said.

Judging by the LEDA harvester shown at Mildura, the potential customers won't have to wait long. In fact, Paul said he hoped to ship a demonstration model to the US in about a month.

The trailled harvester has 400 hours of harvesting under its belt and Paul said it had operated flawlessly.

"It's been used in some hard going and in heavy crops and it has not missed a beat," Paul said.

The LEDA Grape Harvester has many unique design features, including a new picking head that significantly reduces noise and improves the harvest quality with less damage to vines, according to Paul.

"We've also improved the hydraulics and they combine with the latest electronics so the operator can control all the functions of the harvester from the tractor cabin," Paul said.

Monitoring and controlling the hydraulic functions such as discharge and bucket speed can be done in the cabin via a joystick and display screen or via a control box mounted on the harvester.

"We have our own inhouse software programmer, so we can program the controller to suit different needs," Paul said.

LEDA has incorporated a new bucket system for improved reliability, better quality grape sample and non-grape material removal.

Paul said the buckets on the harvester had a three-litre capacity and an auto-reversing capability.

"If there is a blockage, the buckets will run backwards for half a second," he said.

"The harvester will automatically do that three times and then alert the operator if the blockage remains."

Paul said the prototype harvester required a 75kW tractor to tow it and operate it smoothly.

"We have plans to start work on a self-propelled model as well and that will be ready for next year's grape harvest," Paul said.

One of the reasons the LEDA harvester has such an innovative design is the quality of the staff employed by LEDA, according to Paul.

"We employ nine staff from a former Australian grape harvester manufacturer and their experience and ideas have greatly assisted the design and manufacturing process of the new harvester," he said.

For more details, phone Paul Crouch on 0434 549731.