How to use a minecart with hopper in Minecraft

The minecart with hopper is a pretty unique craftable block in Minecraft. Minecarts with hoppers are not used much in Minecraft, which is unfortunate as they can be used to create some very interesting builds. Some of these builds will be discussed below.

Many players will agree that the minecart with hopper is probably one of the least crafted items in Minecraft. Hopefully, readers will change that after reading some of the potential powers of the minecart with hopper.

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Everything to know about minecarts with hoppers in Minecraft

Mechanics

A player using a minecart with hopper to demonstrate the distribution of items into a chest (Image via arqade)

Minecarts with hoppers have a few useful mechanics that players should know about.

Firstly, minecarts with hoppers will pull any items lying on the ground within a very close radius to the cart. They can also pull items from a container that is located above the track. The rate of pulling is 20 blocks per second, which is significantly faster than a regular hopper. Items can be dropped from regular hoppers into the minecart with hopper.

The hopper can be disabled when the minecart passes over a powered activator rail and enabled again when the minecart passes over an unpowered activator rail. The minecart with hopper will also travel farther than regular minecarts when given the same two-block powered rail start.

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Uses for the minecart with hopper

Using a minecart with hopper to create an automatic smeltery system (Image via u/Gocountgrainsofsand on Reddit)

Due to their item-dispensing properties combined with their mobile capability, minecarts with hoppers can be utilized in some interesting builds.

As seen in the image above, the player creates an automatic smeltery with a minecart with hopper. The minecart travels back and forth, which allows for the distribution of resources into the multiple furnaces below. This is a super ingenious way to automate smelting without having to be well versed in redstone.

It is also possible to create auto-loading stations with minecarts with hoppers. The player can load up the minecart with items and send them to another location. Once the minecart arrives, it will automatically load the items up into a chest system. Players also have the option to have the minecart returned.

The video above showcases a version of the minecart with hopper unloader that was discussed.

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