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The harvesting seasons of berries and soft fruits are already coming to an end – the currant and chokeberry (aronia) harvest has ended, and the end of the late varieties of raspberry harvest will come soon. The Joanna-5 and Joanna-5 Premium harvesters are slowly moving into the garages to spend the winter months there, waiting for the 2025 fruit season. Winter is the perfect time to take care of your machines and prepare them properly for the upcoming harvest. Thanks to this, we will have a guarantee that there will be no breakdowns at key moments.

Joanna-5 Premium harvester at work

What are the benefits of post-season harvester service?

Post-season harvester inspection has one major advantage over servicing it in the spring – it gives users more time to perform the necessary maintenance without the rush of having to leave for the field in a short while. It is therefore worth taking care of your harvesters now and thus ensuring a stress-free start to the season in 2025. In this article, we present several Joanna harvesters service activities that are worth performing after the season and the benefits that this can bring to users of these machines.

Joanna-5 Premium harvesting blackcurrant

Thorough wash of the machine

The first step in preparing the Joanna-line harvester for winterizing is to wash it thoroughly. During harvesting, dust and dirt settle on the harvester, which, if it gets into the rolling elements, such as bearings, can drastically reduce their service life. Fruit juice, which dries on the conveyor belts and other elements of the machine, can also reduce its efficiency and have a negative impact on its components. To prevent this, the machine should be thoroughly washed before putting it away for the winter. This can be done with a pressure washer, but precaution must be taken. Do not direct the jet of pressurized water at the seals, as it can get inside the mechanism and damage it. You should also be careful when washing conveyor belts, as directing high-pressure water from a short distance can damage the surface of the material and tear it. After the entire process, the machine should be left to dry completely.

Visual assessment of the technical condition

Once the harvester is clean, you can proceed to its general inspection. If rust appears on the machine, it should be removed and surfaces without paint coating should be painted with primer and topcoat. This will prevent rust from reappearing in the following seasons.

Then, check whether all hydraulic hoses are tight and undamaged and whether there are no signs of oil leaks on the hydraulic connections. If leaks are observed in the hydraulic system, the faulty elements should be replaced, because working with a leaky system reduces the efficiency of the machine and, in extreme cases, may even result in its damage.

In addition to the hoses, the bearing seals should be checked – if traces of grease that has escaped from the bearing are visible in their area, the seals qualify for replacement.

If, after a general inspection, we no further problems were noticed, we can proceed to more detailed service activities.

Serviceman working on the Joanna-5 Premium harvester

Lubrication of Joanna harvester elements

The next step in preparing the machine for winter is to lubricate all the necessary elements. Lubrication is carried out by using a manual or mechanical grease gun and pumping the grease into the lubrication nipples (grease fittings) located on the machine. Below we remind you of the most important lubrication points in Joanna-5 and Joanna-5 Premium harvesters:

• joints of hydraulic cylinders responsible for height adjustment and the steering drawbar;
• fan bearing;
• upper bearing of the shaker and bearings of the head weights;
• bearings of the passive and drive shafts of both conveyors (transverse and longitudinal).

All these elements should be lubricated with bearing grease specified in the service manual.

Additionally, remember to lubricate the chains of the longitudinal and transverse conveyors. It is best to do this with a brush due to the difficult access to these elements. As a lubricant, use a semi-liquid grease – a solution of graphite grease and machine oil.

It is also worth checking the oil level in the transmission – it should be between MIN and MAX marks. If there is too little, it should be topped up. After the first harvest season, when the new transmission has been run in, both the oil and the oil filter insert should be changed. It is a good practice to repeat this procedure every few years, because over time they lose their properties.

Replacing worn-out consumable parts

Winter is also a good time to check the technical condition of consumable parts such as conveyor belts and chains, as well as shaking fingers. These are elements that wear out during normal use of the machine. It is therefore worth taking care of their possible replacement beyond the season, so that you can work without disruptions and downtime during harvest.

In the case of shaking fingers, check whether none of the fingers are missing from the shaker and whether the others are not damaged. Missing or damaged fingers should be replaced.

In the case of conveyor belts, check their surface for damage. If there are any tears in the material, the entire element should be replaced. This is important because in the case of holes in the surface of the conveyor belts, the losses of fruit will drastically increase, as harvested produce will fall to the ground through damaged fragments of belts.

It is also worth checking the condition of the chains and sprockets of both conveyor drives. If the chains are excessively stretched, they should be replaced. This will ensure continuous and uninterrupted operation of the harvesting unit and both conveyors.

Replacing worn-out consumable parts after the season is much less expensive than facing serious damage during the next harvest season. It is worth taking care of this now and during the season focus solely on the harvest.

Shaker of Joanna-5 harvester with an active module for low-fruiting bushes

Can Joanna harvesters be serviced by the manufacturer?

If you do not have time to carry out the service yourself or want to commission it to professionals to make sure that everything has been repaired correctly – we are here to help! We run a service department in the company, and a team of qualified technicians is at your disposal all year round! We offer warranty and post-warranty service for the machines we sell. We also offer all the necessary spare and consumable parts. The use of original and dedicated elements guarantees their full compatibility, and therefore – peace of mind during the harvest. Do you have any questions or want to arrange a service visit? Contact the Export Service Department by phone at +48 784 911 007 or at mazurkiewicz@weremczukagro.pl – by e-mail.

Additional benefits of maintaining the machine in good condition

It is easy to notice that maintaining the Joanna harvester in good condition is crucial for fruit producers. An efficient machine means no downtime during the often short and intensive harvesting season. This in turn minimizes financial losses associated with the inability to harvest fruit on time. This is important both when the fruit is harvested for the needs of your own farm, and when the harvester is used for providing harvesting service.

An efficient and well-maintained harvester has another advantage – its resale value is higher. This is especially important in case of replacing the machine with a new one or changing the profile of the farm.

Is it worth taking care of your currant harvester?

Of course it is! This brings a number of benefits for the user, regardless of whether the harvesting service is being offered or it is performed for your own needs. The Joanna-5 and Joanna-5 Premium harvesters are an irreplaceable tool on currant and other fruit plantations, and their proper servicing after the harvest season is crucial to maintaining their efficiency and performance in the following years.

Meanwhile, take a look at how the 2024 currant season went in Poland: