How to make a potato tiller for a power tiller with your own hands

All you need to know about potato harvesters for power tillers: drawing for self-made, video

Landowners enjoy the use of mechanized helpers for tilling and harvesting their vegetables. Until very recently, mechanized harvesting of potatoes and other root crops was used only by large private and state agricultural enterprises. Today even small farmers try to reduce the share of manual labor.

If the land is small, then there is no need for a tractor or combine, will help to harvest a single-axle tractor, equipped with attachments. Potato digger for power tiller is in particular demand among small farmers.

Additional equipment allows you to increase productivity, simplify the process and facilitate physical labor.

Manufacturers of agricultural machinery take into account all the wishes of consumers and produce different models of potato harvesters, but the purchase for a small private farm and power tillers, and attachments to it is not always justified (as evidenced by the annual reviews of average prices). That’s why private persons decide to make a trailed device by themselves, using available and inexpensive materials, spare parts from old mechanisms.

Making a self-made potato harvester for power tiller with his own hands

For people who live in rural areas, harvesting potatoes in the autumn remains a labor-intensive activity. Of course, today, few people do this kind of work by hand, with a shovel. Many people buy a variety of mechanical devices for this purpose, and some, so-called “hobbyists”, make their own hands various devices to rid themselves and their loved ones of hard labor. The potato digger, which functions with the help of a power tiller of any modification, whether it is the beloved “Neva” model, or the device from another manufacturer, is in particular demand among agricultural toilers. Here the main thing is to have a clear idea of what is a homemade digger for potatoes, and be able to create drawings according to the necessary calculations.

Design features and types

It is worth recalling at once that this mechanical device, as seen in the photo, to do the work, is hooked to a power tiller. Such a digger, made by hand, as shown in the video, is able to cultivate the land plot not only near the house, but also in the field.

The main purpose of the potato digger is to separate potato tubers from the soil and lay them out on the ground area. Such a machine is easy to operate and has an uncomplicated design. Therefore, it is usually not particularly difficult to design it with your own hands. The most important thing is that this attachment mechanism is suitable for any model of power tiller, whether it is the well-known “Neva” or another modification.

Many readers will say that you can buy such a potato digger at the point of sale of agricultural machinery and equipment, and why make it with your own hands. Such a statement is correct, but not quite. Any experienced vegetable grower will say. a digger, designed in a home workshop will be more practical, because it will be designed under the already known characteristics of the soil, and will be made for the strength of a particular person. Another thing to add here is the price. The device, executed with their own hands, will cost much cheaper than buying it in the store.

Before you start the creative design work on the creation of a potato harvester, remember, it is adapted to work on soils with medium and low density criterion. In order to build machines that are able to work on heavy soils, one must have a deep knowledge of physics and mechanics.

Digger for potatoes, adapted to the power tiller, as shown in the photo, there are such types:

Raking or vibrating mechanism. it mainly consists of a ploughshare and a vibrating screen. The principle of operation of this type of potato digger, which functions with the help of a power tiller, is simple. The soil is undermined together with the potatoes with the ploughshare. Then the immovable transporter grid leaves the tubers on its surface, and the soil is shaken off, as through a sieve, back. This model is effective in operation, but rather difficult to make.

Honda FJ500 Power TIller Field Test

Transporter unit for digging potatoes. it can work freely, for example, on the basis of a motor-block such as “Neva”. By design, the transporter digger consists of a ploughshare and a moving transporter, which has a special hooking device to keep the tubers on the platform and clear the soil. Transporter design for digging potatoes has more practicality than the vibrating type of potato digger. But on the soil with a light degree of density, this type of device is not appropriate.

The winged type. by design it is the simplest mechanism, which can easily be adapted to any model of mini tractor, such as the “Neva”. It contains no movable knots. As shown in the video, the soil with tubers is cut with a knife. Then the cuttings fall on the surface of the special bars, where the soil is poured back, and the fruit in pure form is laid on top of the soil. This digger is very efficient on low density soils, where it is not practical to use other types of digging tools.

Before you begin constructing such a device, you first need to determine exactly the density of the soil on which it will be used. It is worth remembering that where a transporter design with a lancet type would be ideal, it would be difficult to work.

Blueprints of homemade and factory potato harvesters

For a small farm, a small-sized device should be made for convenient harvesting of potatoes. It must be easy to handle and to hitch to single axle tractor.

Potato harvester construction: 1. welded frame, 2. knife, 3. conveyor, 4. pulley, 5. connecting rod, 6. pulley of angular gear. 7. belt, 8. rack, 9. adapter, 10. support wheel, 11. spring tensioner.

In order to make the device under consideration, you need to have:

Coulter made of high quality alloy metal, at least 5 mm thick. A circular saw can be used to make it.

Metal angles in 40 mm and 63 mm sizes.

Steel bars. They are required to make a device as shown in the photo, at least 8 pieces.

To make a device for digging potatoes of the vibrating type, you must first make a frame. It should be easily docked, for example, with a mini tractor “Neva” or other modification.

In general, as shown in the video, such a device consists of the following assemblies:

Adjusting rods of vertical design.

To design such a unit, it is required to make accurate calculations and according to them create drawings. Without following this rule, the process of making with your own hands will be difficult.

The stages of making a potato digger of the screen type

As can be seen from the video, before starting the work, it is required to prepare the following tools:

Also, to make a fixture, you need to prepare bolts and nuts.

Stage. making the frame. To do this, as shown in the photo, a square-shaped tube is sawed into four parts. Two pieces should be. 1200 mm, and two. 800 mm. Pipe size. 4040 mm. Prepared parts are connected by welding into a rectangle.

Stage. Fixing the crosspieces. You can see from the video that they are necessary for the installation of vertical control rods. Fix this element at about a quarter of the base length of the frame. At the other end, the two elements for mounting the wheels are attached. Such element shall be made of two tubes with diameter of 30 mm and length of 150 mm.

The next step is to mount the uprights. On the side where the bars are mounted, at a distance of 5 mm from the edge of the frame, two squares of size 3030 mm and a length of 500 mm are mounted vertically. After that at a distance of 200 mm long uprights of 40 mm are mounted. Then you need to step back another 400 mm and fix the uprights, each 300 mm long. Join the uprights together with a 0.4 mm strip.

Stage. making the frame. First, on a metal sheet 400400 mm thick, having a thickness of 0.3 mm, and at the bottom of the racks are prepared two holes for fastening. The workpiece is rigidly fixed to the uprights. Attach the same piece on the other side. Another square of 700700 mm sheet metal and 0.4 mm thick is welded butt to butt with the first element, and then bent into the desired cone configuration using a sledgehammer.

Stage. constructing the trellis. To do this, a rod with a diameter of 10 mm is attached from below to the finished frame, and the other end goes beyond the perimeter of the frame towards the pulling mechanism, which could be the model “Neva.

Then with your own hands you can install the regulating rods and wheels. They are attached via specially prepared brackets

How to make a potato planter with your own hands

Let’s see what is a homemade potato planter for the mini-tractor.

With the onset of spring the potato tubers are prepared for planting in the ground. To facilitate the process, a special planter is used. The potato planter on the mini-tractor can be one-row or two-row. they also come in a simple form, without wheels and with wheels. Single-row technique is adapted for planting tubers in one row. In the case of the two-row one can simultaneously cultivate and sow two rows. The width of the row spacing can be adjusted.

It is possible to make models with tines. This unit has the function of the wheels as the grousers. They also, thanks to the chain mechanism, set in motion the conveyor belt feeding tubers. to create even rows, this machine has a disc coulter and plough for furrow formation.

The depth of penetration of the plow into the soil is adjustable, allowing you to plant tubers at the desired depth.

Two-row potato planter for minitractor can be well combined with minitractors and has a hydraulic drive. Unlike the single-row planter, this model has two hoppers for filling the planting tubers. The size of the container depends on the machine model.

Potato planting with a mini-tractor completely automates the work. This is a very handy device, but unfortunately many people can’t afford it. One can make such a device himself, preserving the principle of conveyor operation.

To make a potato planter with their own hands for a tractor, you will need:

• a container or hopper for filling the planting tubers;
• frame with wheels;
• a device for digging ditches;
• A belt with attached bowls for picking up potatoes;
• disks for filling in the planted tubers.

First, a frame with wheels is assembled, to which all the other parts will be attached. After that, a mount is welded to hitch the unit to the tractor, and a longitudinal axle is installed, on which the hopper will be held. It can be made of wood, or you can use any suitable container, such as the tank from an old washing machine. A metal tube with a spacious opening can be used as a planter.

Before starting to assemble such a unit, it is necessary to read the relevant literature or watch a video. Do not take up the construction without a preliminary drawing. For planting potatoes digger, made by hand, can be intended for a tractor, or can be combined with another device. Often after assembly, the cost of making the unit is more expensive than anticipated, and the price difference with off-the-shelf equipment is so insignificant that it is better to buy off-the-shelf equipment.

Potato planter, made by hand, must be assembled without errors, otherwise the sowing process will be time-consuming and labor-intensive. In the calculation must include absolutely everything: the width of between the rows, the distance between the planted potatoes, planting depth, etc.д.

Varieties of

Any potato digger for a mini-tractor is made for loosening the soil and digging out potato tubers on its surface. However, despite the fact that all potato diggers for the power tiller perform the same function, such designs can still differ. There are several types of diggers, which you can make yourself or buy in a store.

Vibrating or screen

The potato digger is made of a vibrating screen and a ploughshare. The vibrating product has a fairly simple principle of operation. During work, the digger is placed in the soil and gradually pulls out the ripe tubers. Together with the soil, they fall on a sieve to shake off unwanted soil. Such a potato digger has a serious disadvantage. it is very difficult to make it yourself.

Simple or fan

This fan digger for mini-tractor has the simplest design. It is made of a plow, to which it is necessary to attach several arrows. During harvesting with a motocultivator with a simple digger installed, the plow will go deeper into the ground and the dug tubers will start to rise along its rods. The advantages of this digger include its versatility. It can be installed on any model of power tillers and minitractors.

Transport

The transport type potato digger is perfectly suited for such a model of power tillers as “Neva” and therefore it should be used exactly with them. The design of such a digger is very simple and consists only of a mobile conveyor and plowshare. The transporter has a special hook that holds the tubers and helps separate them from the ground. Transport digger for potatoes should be used only on plots with heavy soil, as from soil with a small degree of density, this model does not dig out tubers well.

Types of potato diggers

Such units differ in size, width of the working strip and design features. If you are interested in self-made potato digger, then first consider the features of each type of such a device. The most popular are the screen and fan units, but more experienced craftsmen are able to make drum and transporter diggers for potatoes. Read more about the types of construction:

• Fan (lancet). Because of the characteristic shape of the plow, manufacturers often call this type of machine “Dolphin”. This is the simplest version of the potato digger and is inexpensive. It can easily be adapted to any model of mini-tractor or power tiller. There are no movable parts. The principle of operation lies in the fact that the soil with tubers is cut with a knife, after which the cut ends up on the surface of the bars, where the soil is poured back. the tubers lie cleanly on top of the soil. This digger is good on low-density soils, but its efficiency is relatively low. it lifts up about 85% of the crop.
• Vibrating (screen). efficient than its predecessors. it extracts up to 98% of tubers from the soil. The mechanism of work is the following: the upper layers, together with potatoes, are picked up and placed on a vibrating table. Then, under the influence of vibration, the soil begins to flake off and escape through the cracks. The potatoes will fall out the other side. Such a potato digger is also suitable for harvesting other vegetables. The disadvantage is the complexity of manufacturing.
• Transporter. Can work freely on the basis of power tillers, such as “Neva. Their construction is very similar to that of vibrating devices. they consist of a ploughshare and a moving conveyor belt. The latter has a special hitch device that supports the tubers on the platform and clears the soil. The transporter unit has more practicality compared to the vibrating one. The disadvantage is that it is not appropriate to use it on soils with a slight degree of density. It costs more than its fan counterpart.
• Drum. Potato digger, equipped with a drum, is used to cultivate the fields with a mini-tractor. The mechanism involves the rotation of the latticework, which cleans the potato tubers from the soil. But users of the drum potato digger note that the drum damages the potato rind. Homemade devices of this type are rare, t. к. Their production is not an easy thing, because it requires study of schemes, drawings.

Fan potato diggers

The easiest to produce, also industrially available, but in most cases requires some modifications.

It is immediately obvious that they are based on the same potato hoe, which is buried below the level of tubers, loosens and unfolds the soil. But the fan that is welded to the back of the tool feeds the dug potatoes to the top. Its role is played by metal bars, welded at a distance of 3. 4 cm from each other, diverging and curving at the top.

The penetration size is regulated by thrust wheels, and the cross bar serves as a support for the feet, standing on which a man with his own weight provides the required penetration device.

Exactly this scheme of the fan potato harvester seems to us the most productive. The digging process itself can be seen here:

Here is an example drawing of such a potato digger, which contains the basic parameters for manufacturing.

But the form, the angle of attack, and other nuances, you have to finalize yourself, taking into account your soils, power and driving qualities of your motor tractor, on which you plan to install a potato spudger, and even the potato varieties that form tubers at different depths.

A variation of such a digger without a fan, designed to work for two people:

The order of making a potato digger with your own hands

Digging potatoes with a power tiller requires the fulfillment of all the rules for the creation of the mechanism by which the process is carried out. Potato planter on a single-axle tractor is made according to the established plan. The order of manufacturing does not change, depending on the features of the mechanism. Stages:

• The choice of the variant of the potato digger;
• Preparation of materials;
• calculations and the creation of a drawing, on the basis of which the mechanism will later be made;
• Creation of the frame and fitting it onto the machine;
• test work.

Test digging potatoes with the tiller is absolutely necessary. The unit cannot be properly adjusted without testing.

The main point is the creation of the mechanism. To begin with, the necessary materials and tools need to be assembled. Then the blanks are created according to the drawings. Each element must have clearly marked dimensions. The framework is first a frame, to which the rest of the machine is fitted, including the blade or ploughshare. After the frame is created, there is preliminary work with fasteners. Only then is the mechanism assembled and fitted to the machine.

Attach the potato-plough to the single axle tractor only after prior testing and adjustment of the attachment. It can be fixed with separate fasteners or a bar that is welded on.

Transporter potato harvester

Transporter, belt or conveyor potato harvester is an attachment to the Neva power tiller, which differs from other models by its device. Instead of a vibrating table, there is a moving belt, which during the digging process perfectly cleans the root crops from the ground, without damaging the tubers.

Rotation of the system occurs due to the fact that the tines rotate, and they activate the entire mechanism. The drive is powered by the wheels. This feature makes the machine easy to operate.

Potato digger is characterized by high quality, reliability, long-term use and high price.

Transporter potato digger has the following technical characteristics:

• overall dimensions 1140x740x47 mm;
• weight of 36 kg;
• speed 2 km/h;
• digging depth 20 cm
• working width of 53 cm;
• productivity of 1 ha/h.

This model can be combined with all heavy power tillers and mini-tractors.

Types of shovels

Purchased

Production potato diggers for the minitractor differ in design from homemade devices. The most common types of purchased units:

• Rattle (vibrating). After the potatoes are picked up, they fall on the table, which succumbs to vibration, shaking off the soil particles.
• Transporter. The construction of the device is the same as that of a screen shovel, but this machine has a grid instead of a table.
• Fan. According to the principle of operation, they have similar features to the vibrating counterpart. It is used more often not on mini tractors, but on motor blocks. There are no movable elements in its design.

Homemade

Homemade digger in terms of functionality, although inferior to the original products of tractor factories, for private property it will be enough. The main thing is to make drawings and select the necessary materials. The process of assembling the device will not take much time. The easiest option is to make a lancet digger. By design, it is a concave shovel with long rods.

The disadvantage of harvesting potatoes with such a device is the inconvenience. One has to make fewer movements than when working with a usual shovel. Such a device is not suitable for a minitractor. This is a common remodel of the tool, which is suitable for working on small vegetable gardens. It is difficult to dig over 1-2 km of planted beds.

Single-row hinged potato digger for mini-tractor, which you can make with your own hands, should be as strong and reliable as possible. The easiest way to assemble the vibrating unit, whose frame is made of metal angles 60 x 40 or 50 x 50. A trellis can be used as a potato table.