We target customers who want shelling capability, but would never purchase large machines with costs too large to justify for their limited use.  Our machine is intended for smaller operations such as individual growers who wish to shell a portion of their own harvest for personal use, for friends, neighbors, farmers markets, or for limited contract shelling of yard nuts for neighbors, etc.  Ours is not intended for constant production as would be expected in a commercial shelling plant.  

We have been extremely pleased with the response to our unique product.  Our machines have been distributed all over the USA along with exports to Mexico, South America, and South Africa.  We thank our customers for their business and kind reviews.  Information requests have poured in from more than 12 foreign countries all over the world.  Since many countries do not have our 110V, 60Hz electricity service, those customers must provide their own appropriate power supply.

Krak-N-Blo TM PECAN PRO, LLC

OWNER’S MANUAL - Model 1424 Crack and Blow Tower 05/02/2023

Our Made in USA Crack and Blow Tower is an all-in-one shelling machine that cracks and separates a substantial portion of pecan shells from the kernels.  By combining functions this design minimizes floor space, weight, and cost to own and operate.  No other machine on the market is known to match our features or performance.  Except for the blower and gearmotor there is only one moving part.  Our exclusive cracker mechanism and self-lubricating bearing components are molded with specially formulated structural materials.  The latest tower has been upgraded to rugged 16-gauge steel.  A filter bag is no longer needed as shells are now discharged into a trash container of suitable size when placed behind the machine. Nut kernels may be recovered if inadvertently blown in with the shells.  The shorter tower improves stability and ease of loading.  No maintenance is required except for emptying the shells and kernels, and cleaning as necessary.  There are no complicated size adjustments or presorting nut sizes prior to cracking.  Randomly mixed nuts ranging in size between 3/4” to 1-1/4” diameter, for example, may be processed simultaneously.  The machine can be adjusted to crack a range of smaller nuts as desired by the customer down to nearly 5/8” diameter.  However, smaller adjustment may reduce the percentage of undamaged halves for the largest nuts.  The sheller is capable of running up to 150 pounds per hour.  Results will vary.  Due to many nut variables some lots will shell nearly all undamaged halves while others will not.  We make no guarantees for % of halves because we know it will vary widely depending on variety and from lot to lot.  Quality and speed of operation are dependent on many factors including moisture content, shell thickness, tightness of nut meat inside the shell, weight density of the nut meat and shell, average nut size, nut preparation, shell and bucket changes, etc. 

Directions for use:

Handle with care when unpacking.  The shipping crate weighs approximately 100 pounds.  Protect from tipping over or abuse during transport and use.  Machine is portable and may be carried or slid in place by adding floor protection skids under the rails.  Its compact size fits 16-1/4” W X 24” D X 56” H and weighs about 68 pounds.  Caution: Be careful to prevent personal injury when transporting heavy loads.

Locate machine on a solid flat surface protected from the weather and other obstructions.  When in operation rails may be anchored to the floor if desired.   Machine comes fully assembled; just remove packing material, connect power cord to a protected 15-amp, 110V, 60 Hz, single phase power outlet, and it’s ready to run.  Gearmotor and blower fan together use less than 6 amps.  A shell filter bag may be installed under the discharge port to capture blown out shell particles.  Alternatively, a large trash can may be positioned under the discharge port without using a bag. 

While some customers are satisfied when cracking with no pre-treatment, we highly recommend conditioning and sanitizing nuts in advance to optimize efficiency and quality.  Moisture and elevated temperature make nuts more flexible causing less damage to the kernels.

We get best results by submerging a bag of nuts in boiling water or steaming nuts inside a closed pot with boiling water below them for six to ten minutes then dumping them onto a screened box.  Remove any rocks or other foreign objects.  The steam will evaporate off the nuts in 2-3 minutes.  A fan speeds drying but is not required.  As soon as the nuts look dry, we poor them into the sheller nut bin while still hot.  We encourage customers to experiment for themselves to determine which method works best for their operation.  Note: Pre-conditioning is the slowest part of processing.  To maximize through-put consider larger or multiple conditioning stations to keep the sheller busy.

With the shell filter bag or trash can and finished nut meat containers in place, turn on the gearmotor and blower.  Dump nuts into the top bin.  Nuts roll downward into the cracker where the shells are progressively cracked around their perimeter until shells separate from the kernels and pieces fall into the air duct.  Blower may be adjusted with the slide plate to optimize shell and kernel separation.  Shells and poorly filled nut meat will blow into the shell filter bag or trash can while heavier nut meat is discharged below.  Shelled nuts may be re-run through the nut bin and cracker or through the front chute opening below the cracker to remove additional shell particles.  Rerunning is much faster than the initial shelling and causes very little additional kernel damage.  This gives the operator the opportunity to inspect and remove defective kernels.  Hand sorting and picking the nut kernels from the few remaining shell pieces will be necessary to complete the job.  Allow nut meat to dry thoroughly prior to bagging and storing.  Store frozen and in the dark to maximize freshness.

A clean-out door at the bottom of the tower utilizes the machine’s own blower. 

WARNING! Pinch Points. Moving Part Can Crush Or Cut. Keep Clear.

Keep hands out of the machine while running.  Do not allow any rocks or other foreign objects into the machine.  Turn off machine before attempting to remove any foreign object.  Damage caused by abuse voids the warranty.

 Shipping:  Machine can be crated and packed for shipment for an additional $250.00 charge.  When crated for shipment, the crate is approximately 24” X 17” X 58” high and weighs approximately 100 pounds.  Shipping and insurance are the responsibility of the purchaser.

Warranty: We provide the manufacturer’s warranty for the gearmotor and blower.  Any damaged parts not caused by abuse within the first year of purchase will be repaired or replaced free of charge for the original purchaser.  Freight, crating, and handling to and from the factory is the responsibility of the purchaser.  Contact the factory for warrantee return authorization.  Shipment outside the continental USA requires additional coordination.

The original tower pictured below has been discontinued.