Now Here's a Potato Digger

John B. · Feb 1, 2013

This is a 3-row digger built by an owner operator. Looks like an IH trac-tractor unit on top powering the digger and an F20 pulling the digger.

John B. · Feb 1, 2013

After I got looking at this picture, I saw the chains coming off the crawler axles and the chain appears to go down and drive the crawler tracks that are hardly visible under the digger.

rrlund · Feb 1, 2013

Here's what they look like around here these days. Built by Lenco Machine about 20 miles from here. All the big boys run'em. If you saw the place,you'd think they didn't even have enough space to work on the engine out of one if you brought it to them in a truck,but they keep cranking out new ones and rebuilding older ones.

Lenco harvesters

rrlund · Feb 1, 2013

A few other models that they build.

John B. · Feb 1, 2013

Those looks a lot like a Horseradish Digger that one local Farmer has here in a town called Caseyville. I think it digs 3 or 4 rows at a time. I believe it's an IH. I had pictures of it years ago but can't find them.

Harvey 2 · Feb 1, 2013

I likeum old pictures: Boy wouldn't the EPA have a hissy fit with all those exposed chains.

W_B · Feb 1, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:30:54 02/01/13) I likeum old pictures: Boy wouldn't the EPA have a hissy fit with all those exposed chains.

I think you mean OSHA?

John B. · Feb 1, 2013

You mean OSHA don't you Harvey 2?

I agree though.

We still have people in our present day lives that are living proof why OSHA exists today.

samn40 · Feb 1, 2013

Nice old harvester and very inventive!
For anyone interested...here are some Grimme harvesters that are built in Europe.
Sam

rrlund · Feb 1, 2013

What do they do,carry the spuds right with them and dump in to a truck then? All of them here have the truck driving along beside.

Dick2 · Feb 1, 2013

Fields are generally shorter in Europe. That hopper wouldn't get them very far with 1/2 mile field length in the potato areas in most states.

RayP(MI) · Feb 1, 2013

Well, rrlund beat me to it - was going to comment you ought to see the rigs they use around here but rr showed them. Now, back to the origional picture, anyone want to guess what the origional tractor was that they built that thing from?

rrlund · Feb 1, 2013

That's quite the differential. Might even be a big Cat or something.

bradley martin · Feb 1, 2013

That old machine sure wouldn't be very good in the mud!!

ihman73 · Feb 1, 2013

John if you are referring to Keller's in Collinsville their digger was custom built by Lenco for them. It digs 4 36" rows and has a conveyor to run the horseradish into a dump cart pulled alongside. I worked for them for almost 2 years. It's quite a machine and very maintenance intensive. I'm glad I don't pay the repair bills on it. Since rrlund is on this thread I will say this If given the choice of raising horseradish or milking cows, I'll take the cows any day. This coming from a 9 year now recovering dairyman.

samn40 · Feb 1, 2013

No truck would move in our fields when harvesting spuds! We have to carry them ...just like a combine carries grain.Spuds are usually hauled by tractor and bulk tipping trailer back to the farm store...after picking/grading they go in trucks.

rrlund · Feb 1, 2013

They build cucumber harvesters too.

jm. · Feb 1, 2013

I think the two small plates covering the steering clutches there on the back pretty much make it a t 6 ih or so.

Now Here's a Potato Digger

John B.

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John B.

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rrlund

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rrlund

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John B.

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Harvey 2

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W_B

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John B.

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samn40

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rrlund

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Dick2

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RayP(MI)

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