About Us

Founded in 1968, Nelson Manufacturing was originally a welding and repair shop but Nelson soon started building Land Planes, Orchard Fenders for tractors, heavy duty Rear Bumpers for pickups and then Vine Seed harvesting equipment including Seed Harvesters, Washers and Driers.

In 1982 Nelson bought the Air-blast sprayer portion of Hardie sprayers from Lockwood Corporation in Nebraska.  Not long after we re-named the product line “Nelson Hardie.”  Improvements over the years include all stainless steel hoods, doors, panels and plumbing.  In the nineties, Nelson introduced the Nelson “SuperTuff” reinforced composite air blast fans and made the change to John Deere engines.

Also in the early eighties Nelson built the first Nelson Spray Cab for orchard and vineyard tractors.  Soon after the cab was tested and was certified as a Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS).  In 2005, with a new focus toward Operator comfort, we redesigned the cab and re-named it “Orchard Cab”.  Please read the history and details of the evolution of our cab on the Orchard Cab page.

The Tree Squirrel orchard pruning tower line was purchased from Woods Manufacturing in Yuba City in 2006.  Noteworthy improvements to the Nelson Tree Squirrel include the implementation of the dependable Kubota 25HP Diesel engine and Sauer-Danfoss hydraulics that provide smooth action with all hydraulic functions: forward, reverse and turning as well as the lift.

in 2010 we introduced the Nelson ONE SHOT tree recognition system for sprayers.  This inexpensive, yet dependable system not only minimizes spray drift but it offers substantial savings on chemicals and costs!  Also, because you will go farther between fillups, you will see considerable time savings!  Read all about it on the “More Products” page.

All of our product lines have received improvements over the years; always with an emphasis on long lasting durability, superior performance and with attention to operator convenience.

Please see the individual product pages for details on why Nelson machines can help you improve production and ultimately will save you money.