Need Help/Tips With Automated Sugar Cane Farm

[Awackypenguin]

At the moment, I have an automated sugar cane farm with pistons. It works beautifully, except for one problem. Often times, sugar cane pieces would get stuck onto the blocks the sugar cane is growing on, so it doesn't fall in the water. I use the ItemStacker plugin to reduce lag, and often times this could mean 5-6 pieces of sugar cane per farm being stuck.

Does anyone have any tips for this problem?

Heres a screenshot to help out:

[BurningCake]

Use block breakers and pneumatic tubes instead of pistons and water channel?

[nethervoid]

You could use transposers where the water is. If powered by redstone they'll suck in a 3x3 square of items in front of the input hole. That should gather all the items for you. Would need red alloy wire and a timer.

[Awackypenguin]

Use block breakers and pneumatic tubes instead of pistons and water channel?

Never really used block breakers and pneumatic tubes before, but I'll give them a try.

You could use transposers where the water is. If powered by redstone they'll suck in a 3x3 square of items in front of the input hole. That should gather all the items for you. Would need red alloy wire and a timer.

Can they output through a BC pipe?

[BLAZE MkIV]

Buildcraft has an obsidian pipe that will suck items in.

[Guest Ysharma]

Never really used block breakers and pneumatic tubes before, but I'll give them a try.

Can they output through a BC pipe?

Im not sure, however rp tubes are said to be better, however once dropped off into a chest you can use bc pipes for further transportation.