Cashew Nut Shelling Machine Price
Cashew shelling machine cost is set by head or knife count and throughput — from a 4-knife machine at 230 kg/h to a 4 × 10-knife line at 1,000–1,200 kg/h. Contact us for price.
The cost of a cashew nut shelling (cutting) machine depends mainly on head or knife count and the throughput that follows from it. TTQ builds two families: head-machine lines (10 Head at 350 kg/h, 16 Head at 560 kg/h, 2 × 10 Head at 700 kg/h) and knife machines and lines (4-knife at 230 kg/h, 10-knife at 400–500 kg/h, 16-knife line at 700 kg/h, up to a 4 × 10-knife line at 1,000–1,200 kg/h). All capacities are Size A input; capacity varies with raw-nut size. Multi-machine lines are quoted as a line, not as a single machine, and fully automatic builds with compressed-air actuation and PLC control sit at the top of the range. The best value is the machine matched to your capacity — oversizing wastes capital, undersizing bottlenecks the line. Contact us for price.
The honest answer to "what does a shelling machine cost" has three parts: the machine, what it costs to run, and what it costs to land in your country. The third one surprises people most — import duty and VAT can add more to the delivered price than the difference between two machine sizes. This page covers all three.
What sets the machine price
Head count
the dominant factor. Throughput scales roughly with heads, and so does price.
Automation level
the same head count as a bare machine, a semi-automatic line or a fully automatic line can differ by 2–3× in price and by 3–4 operators in running cost.
Build quality
stainless frame against painted steel, tungsten carbide blades against carbon steel, branded bearings against generic. Each is a real durability difference, not a badge.
Control system
manual controls against PLC automation with recipe management.
What is in the box
spare parts coverage, installation, training and commissioning are either included or they are extra, and quotes are rarely explicit about which.
Configurations compared
| Model | Automation | Capacity | Operators | Power | Cutting rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Head line | Semi-auto | ~140 kg/h | 2–3 | 1 HP | 85–90% | 20–26 months |
| 4 Head line | Automatic | ~140 kg/h | 1–2 | 3 HP | 85–90% | 18–22 months |
| 10 Head line | Automatic | 350 kg/h | 2 | 12.25 HP | 85–90% | 18–24 months |
| 16 Head line | Automatic | 560 kg/h | 2 | 13.25 HP | 85–90% | 15–18 months |
| 16-knife line | Automatic | 700 kg/h | 2 | 8 HP | 85–90% | 15–18 months |
| 4 × 10-knife line | Automatic | 1,000–1,200 kg/h | 4 | 23 HP | 85–90% | 14–18 months |
Capacity is input kg/h on Size A, per 8-hour shift, and varies with raw-nut size. The first four rows are head lines, the last two knife lines — the families are separate ranges, so compare within one. Payback periods assume steady raw-nut supply and are indicative only: they move with RCN cost and local labour rates.
Cost per kilogram over time
Capital cost is the wrong number to compare on. What matters is cost per kg of raw nuts processed, and it falls sharply once the machine is paid down — which is why the cheapest machine is rarely the cheapest option.
| Configuration | Daily capacity | Annual capacity | Cost per kg, year 1 | Cost per kg, year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Head line | 1,120 kg | 336,000 kg | 0.0065 | 0.0022 |
| 10 Head line | 2,800 kg | 840,000 kg | 0.0176 | 0.0059 |
| 16 Head line | 4,480 kg | 1,344,000 kg | 0.0106 | 0.0035 |
Machine cost spread over throughput. By year three the automatic configurations are competitive per kg despite higher capital, because the volume is larger and the crew is smaller.
Import duty and landed cost
This is the part most buyers discover late. Duty and VAT on machinery imported from Vietnam vary enormously by destination, and in some markets they add more than a third to the delivered price. Confirm current rates before you commit — several of these are actively changing.
| Destination | Machinery tariff from Vietnam | Total added cost | Best route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 5% | 10–16% | Agro-processing waiver available |
| Guinea | 5% | 10–18% | Direct import |
| Senegal | 5% | 10–18% | Direct import |
| Tanzania | 5–10% | 24–29% | Direct import |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 5–10% | 12–18% | Local assembly worth considering |
| Guinea-Bissau | 5–10% | 12–20% | Direct import |
| Gambia | 5% | 15–25% | Direct import |
| Burkina Faso | 0–10% | 13–25% | Direct import |
| Kenya | 0–10% | 18–28% | Manufacturing-under-bond scheme if you export |
| South Africa | 0–10% | 16–28% | Direct import |
| Mozambique | 5–10% | 21–41% | SEZ / free-zone exemptions |
| Nigeria | 20% | 25–35% | Policy unstable — confirm before ordering |
| Brazil | 9–16% | 24–45% | Highest rates of any market listed |
Total added cost combines tariff, VAT and typical clearance. Rates change; treat this as a planning guide and verify with your customs broker before ordering.
Where upgrading is worth it
| Component | Standard | Premium | Worth it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting blades | Carbon steel | Tungsten carbide | Almost always — blade life drives both downtime and whole-kernel consistency |
| Frame | Painted steel | Stainless steel | Anywhere the frame is washed down, and any food-contact surface |
| Control system | Manual | PLC automated | When labour is expensive or you run multiple nut sizes per day |
| Motors | Standard | Energy-efficient | When you run long shifts — the saving is in the electricity bill, not the purchase |
| Bearings | Standard | Branded, sealed | Humid or dusty environments, where standard bearings fail early |
Blades and bearings pay back through uptime; the frame pays back through hygiene compliance and resale value.
Costs to check for before comparing quotes
Shipping and customs
see the table above; this is the big one.
Installation and commissioning
included with some suppliers, charged with others.
Operator training
a real cost whether or not the supplier itemises it.
Spare parts markup and lead time
a cheap machine with expensive, slow spares is not cheap.
Infrastructure
three-phase supply installation, workspace preparation, ventilation and dust extraction.
Extended warranty
worth pricing at purchase rather than after the first failure.
Choosing a price point
Small operations
a 4-head cutting machine or semi-automatic line, suited to 500–1,000 kg daily raw-nut throughput.
Growing operations
a 10-head machine, with the automatic version worth the premium wherever labour is scarce or seasonal.
Industrial
16-head automatic, where the operator saving and the shortest payback both sit.
Phase it
buying the cutting machine first and adding automation later is a legitimate strategy and often the right one when capital is tight.
Consider financing
equipment loans, lease-to-own, and government agro-processing subsidy schemes; several African markets have programmes specifically for this equipment.
TTQ quotes per configuration and per destination rather than publishing a price list, because the landed cost varies so widely by market that a headline figure would mislead more than it helps. Capacities are input kg/h on Size A, per 8-hour shift. For the machine itself see cashew nut shelling machine; for whole-line budgeting see processing machine price guide.
| Configuration | Throughput (Size A input) | Family |
|---|---|---|
| 4-knife machine | 230 kg/h | Knife |
| 10-knife machine | 400–500 kg/h | Knife |
| 10 Head line | 350 kg/h | Head |
| 16 Head line | 560 kg/h | Head |
| 16-knife line | 700 kg/h | Knife |
| 2 × 10 Head line | 700 kg/h | Head |
| 4 × 10-knife line | 1,000–1,200 kg/h | Knife |
Capacity varies with raw-nut size. Automatic feed, PLC and air systems move the cost — contact us for price.
See the machine itself: cashew nut shelling machine.
Capacities are Size A input, per 8-hour shift. Request a quote for your exact head or knife count, capacity and automation — contact us for price.
The process, drawn
Two shelling families — compare within one, never across
Head machines and knife machines are separate ranges, not points on one scale. Reading a head-line capacity against a knife-line capacity is how "16 Head" ends up quoted at 700 kg/h.
- 4 Head line ~140 kg/h
- 10 Head line 350 kg/h
- 16 Head line 560 kg/h
- 2 × 10 Head line 700 kg/h
- 4-knife machine 230 kg/h
- 10-knife machine 400–500 kg/h
- 16-knife line 700 kg/h
- 4 × 10-knife line 1,000–1,200 kg/h
All capacities are Size A input, per 8-hour shift; capacity varies with raw-nut size. "16 Head" is 560 kg/h always. 700 kg/h belongs to the 16-knife line or the 2 × 10 Head line. 1,000–1,200 kg/h comes only from the 4 × 10-knife line.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a cashew shelling machine?
Which shelling machine gives best value?
Related reading & machines
Talk to a cashew engineer
Tell us your target capacity, grades and location — we’ll come back with a costed proposal.