The invention discloses a fruit picking machine capable of controlling force through manual friction. The fruit picking machine comprises a rack assembly, a transmission rod, a power transmission system, a force adjusting mechanism and a grasping structure, and further comprises a self-locking mechanism, wherein the rack assembly is formed by fixedly connecting a hollow long pipe and a rigid supporting plate; the power transmission system comprises a hand wheel, a bearing seat, an input shaft, a bearing, a friction wheel and a friction transmission piece; the force adjusting mechanism comprises a fixing base, a supporting screw and a movable supporting rod. During working, the hand wheel is rotated, and the friction transmission piece moves forward under the action of friction force, so that the three clamping jaws are opened to allow fruits to enter; after the fruits are put in, the hand wheel is rotated in the reverse direction, the friction transmission piece retreats under the action of friction force, the three clamping jaws are gradually closed, and the fruits are captured. In addition, when no torque is input to the hand wheel, the self-locking mechanism can prevent the clamping force in the apple picking process from disappearing. The fruit picking machine is relatively simple in structure, adopts handheld picking and is convenient to use, the damage rate of picked fruits is reduced, and economic benefits are improved.