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Post By Yvonne's hubby
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12/11/12, 11:52 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ontario
Posts: 812
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Potato harvester
I am thinking of buying a potato harvester. Anyone ever use one for harvesting anything besides potatoes? I am thinking turnips, onions, carrots... There are some ground operated ones close by, but I was told the pto ones are worth the extra money.
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12/11/12, 12:52 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 10,942
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I used to harvest seedling trees with one. The pto is the beat you can buy you can use the ground ones fairly well but the pto is the best.
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God must have loved stupid people because he made so many of them.
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12/11/12, 12:54 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Northern Michigan (U.P.)
Posts: 9,491
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Can you identify a worn out potato digger? Many folks cannot.
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12/11/12, 01:04 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,313
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People will always tell you that ptos are best, and I wont argue that, My bailer has a ground drive pk. My bale loader is ground drive, Hadnt had any problems with either
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12/11/12, 01:19 PM
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Outstanding in my field
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Western Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,186
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Will work on onions for sure. The ground driven ones usually have one speed... with the pto models you can slow down the tractor and run the chain faster which is sometimes advantageous. The early pto driven IHC I had was equipped with a 3 speed transmission. Also the pto models tend to be wider.... narrower machines will tend to cut or miss potatoes especially if not aimed precisely down the middle of the row. I once had a small field badly infested with quack grass. I tilled the field to loosen the soil then with the tractor in low gear and the digger in high I went through the field and the digger picked up the quack grass roots, shook off the soil and laid the plant debris nicely on top making it easy to rake up and remove. Be sure to look for excessive wear on the chain and sprockets. Also check out youtube .... there are new models which are simple .... they lift the ground into a shaking basket. If you have metal working skills and time you can build one. Otherwise probably gonna take about two thousand to smell new paint which is way too much for the average homesteader.
Last edited by Johnny Dolittle; 12/11/12 at 01:22 PM.
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12/11/12, 03:33 PM
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construction and Garden b
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: east ont canada
Posts: 7,380
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we have a pto digger, basically a ground drive digger with a pto and gear box. neigbour uses theirs to dig garlic not sure what else.
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àigeach carnaid
chaora dhubh
" Don't raise your voice, improve your argument."
cruachan 
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12/11/12, 03:41 PM
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Outstanding in my field
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Western Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,186
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Found these on you tube.... I had looked at them earlier this year. They don't look difficult to build. Could be made 3ph and even powered by a small engine instead of pto
Also .... if you did find a ground driven one in decent shape you might adapt it to run from a separate small engine .... a few hp would work
(this one looks home made)
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12/11/12, 04:55 PM
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Murphy was an optimist ;)
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 21,541
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haypoint
Can you identify a worn out potato digger? Many folks cannot.
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I would check the conveyer chains for wear where they link together first... then of course the blade, followed up with sprockets and bearings.
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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain
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12/11/12, 06:23 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ontario
Posts: 812
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First of all; checking wear and tear. I would check the chain for excessive wear. I would also check all the sprockets. Is there something in particular I should be looking for?
I have debated on trying to make one, but it depends on if I can find a reasonable priced unit.
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12/11/12, 08:51 PM
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Outstanding in my field
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Western Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,186
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Rob how much land will you be farming root crops? Is it flat land and what are the soil conditions .... sandy rocky etc and do you intend to hill or slightly raise beds?
I have an old Rodale publication which is a huge catalog of tools and implements appropriate scale for homesteaders and small farmers published in the 70's. It had some 3ph lifters for root crops. Made kind of like a potato plow but more sophisticated.
Meanwhile what I find on youtube is for your information or entertainment. These basket shaking designs are noting new but never used in America but now they are imported. About 14 years ago they were demonstrated at a Pennsylvania State University Field Day and they did a great job.
I like DIY if I have time.... now I am wondering if you could use the rubber track off a snowmobile for a web chain ????
This one is belt drive and could be scaled up a bit for on a real tractor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=GJxO6g36caE
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12/11/12, 09:09 PM
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Outstanding in my field
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Western Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,186
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The one I watched at PSU field day was more like this one with a basket which gently rocked back and forth like this one
Last edited by Johnny Dolittle; 12/11/12 at 09:18 PM.
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12/12/12, 08:47 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,443
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Okay, now that I have seen those video's, I've gotta have one!
Thanks! Now I'll have to come up with some more money somewhere!
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r.h. in oklahoma
Raised a country boy, and will die a country boy. 
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12/13/12, 02:11 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 10,942
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sorry I was talking about a 3 row one that is 3 times as big as those in the picture. It worked great and we used that one until we came out with a seedling harvester that covered a 6 feet swath.
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12/13/12, 06:42 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,313
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IO doubt if you could buy a new one any cheaper than the blue one with the steel wheeled tractor
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12/13/12, 08:28 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ontario
Posts: 12,685
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Have you seen this web site Rob?
http://willsie.com/
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12/13/12, 09:42 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,313
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Ross I didnt see any diggers at your site.
I wonder how deep those taters were that that garden tractor unit was bringing up. They didnt look that deep.
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12/13/12, 09:55 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Ontario
Posts: 12,685
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__________________
Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........
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12/13/12, 10:20 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 10,942
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That is what I am talking about. I used the same thing and the price is about what I would expect.
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God must have loved stupid people because he made so many of them.
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12/14/12, 08:17 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ontario
Posts: 812
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ROss
that a great site. The prices are a little steep for my operation but I will deffinately keep an eye on what comes up on it.
I am thinking I might try to build one of those potatoe harvesters, and an agintater type vegetable washer for beets and carrots and such.
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