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Potato Digger

N

NewEnglandFarmer

Member
So, I"m thinking of expanding my potato crop this year to a point where I would benefit from a potato digger. What I have in mind is something used, pulled with a tractor. Doesn"t matter if it"s PTO or ground driven.

Am I ignorant or just plain disgusted that 99% of the search results are of potato diggers in China!?!? Do anyone in the US (not in China) make them?? John Deere? New Holland? Kuhn, Vicon? Case? anybody??

Is there really not a market for a small one or two row potato digger anymore??
 
I ran into the same issue when I wanted to expand
the amount of spuds.Most of the small scale potato harvesters I saw on U-tube were used in
Europe and the far east.I decided to refurbish an old two wheel David Bradley and make a potato
plow using a cultivatior sweep and rods welded
to the shank.Crude but it works well.It is
sad to say but most people in this country are
so divorced from there food source that no one
makes small scale implements any more.When was the last time you saw a tractor with cultivators mounted?If you grow your own food then you need
to fend for yourself on the tools to do it with.
Thats how I see it at least.
 
Are you just as disgusted that there's a good chance the computer you typed this on was made in China along with about 75% of everything else you have? That's the reality.
 
If you're in New England then put some feelers out in potato country. Wanted ads on Craigs List in Maine or western NY's potato country should get you results. Or check with some of the horsedrawn equipment dealers like BW Macknair. Hers a link to his page with a digger on it- http://www.macknair.com/equipment1.htm
 
They don't come up for sale to often, I have been looking for years. I know of two in my area but the first one is in poor condition and the owner won't sell. The second one is like new (one row ground driven) but it is in an old barn that is falling down. Owner said I could have it when they take the barn down. I can only hope it don't get destroyed.
 
You should be able to find a chain type potatoe plow used. Also you can just use a winged potatoe plow/spade. IF you are not doing too many they work well.
a106965.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 19:01:29 03/14/13) So, I"m thinking of expanding my potato crop this year to a point where I would benefit from a potato digger. What I have in mind is something used, pulled with a tractor. Doesn"t matter if it"s PTO or ground driven.

Am I ignorant or just plain disgusted that 99% of the search results are of potato diggers in China!?!? Do anyone in the US (not in China) make them?? John Deere? New Holland? Kuhn, Vicon? Case? anybody??

Is there really not a market for a small one or two row potato digger anymore??
Click to expand...

Here's a guy in PA that makes 'em.

http://jonespotatodigger.com/
 
The kind folks at <a href="http://www.everythingattachments.com">Everything Attachments</a> have 2 different kinds available. <a href="http://www.everythingattachments.com/Potato-Digger-p/spedo-cpp-t.htm">PTO powered potato digger</a> or a <a href="http://www.everythingattachments.com/Everything-Attachments-Potato-Plow-Middle-Buster-p/eta-potato-plow.htm">Potato Plow</a>
 
Here's a home made one, but I think you're meaning something the big boys would use. This thing beats a potato fork. . .
a106966.jpg
 
Forget the plows if you Are going to do many potatoes and I would think long and hard before I got an old ground driven one. I Plant several acres of taters here in Maine and use an old McCormack pto drive and it works fine. It is the best way to go and it takes very little Horsepower to drive it. Even and 8N or 9N will drive it fine. A live pto on the tractor is a great advantage too. These Pto drive diggers really separate taters from soil. Usually when we start digging in the fall all the neighbors get wind of us digging and turn out to help pick potatoes once they are on top of the ground.
Check out Wengers of Meyerstown, Pa. they have used ones almost all the time.
Do you have a planter? If you do not,you are going to want one. There are still very good one row planters out there. It is worth the investment.... then you will want a hiller. I built one from parts and it works slick. I hope this helps a bit.
Cal
 
Where are you in MA? I'm just north of Quabbin Res. I have a Champion one-row PTO digger I'd sell for a little more than scrap price. Email is bearlysane43atyahoodotcom...att digger.
 
There"s a guy making some 1-2 row potato harvesters in Idaho.
I like his because it picks them up off the ground into a bin.

Also, there are options for chains that can even do small bulbs and fingerlings.
Here"s a link to their page.
http://e-zwaymch.com/
 
(quoted from post at 18:18:01 03/16/13) There"s a guy making some 1-2 row potato harvesters in Idaho.
I like his because it picks them up off the ground into a bin.

Also, there are options for chains that can even do small bulbs and fingerlings.
Here"s a link to their page.
http://e-zwaymch.com/
Click to expand...
helped phil with some of the design on that digger the idea is to put the product into the back of a pickup or a small trailer so you dont have to pick things up again.
 
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