Potato Harvesting

[N1ST]

I'm looking for ideas on how to harvest potatos planted in a row. Last year I used a pitch fork and got lots of skewered potatos. I've got to come up with a better approach this year. I don't have thousands to spend on a harvester, and my potato plot is not large yet anyways. I have a 3 pt chisle tine cultivator - could that be used?

Newbie question: is a potato plow just for making the trench or for harvesting too?

 

[Glowplug]

Potato Plow! AKA Middle Buster. That's what I used last year. Just went along the row and out popped the potatoes. Sure beat the heck out of the year before with using a hoe and fork. With 3 or 4 of us working it took several days that year. You can get a new one for less than $150. And I pulled it very carefully behind my 62hp tractor.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I haven't tried using a middlebuster / potato plow for harvesting my potatoes yet, but may try that this year. I would test it first to make sure it went deeply enough quickly, but many folks use them, and claim good results. I have used a "potato hook" which has a handle but still spear some potatoes...... usually the best ones! This year I spaced my rows so I would have plenty of room to use a tractor.

 

[N1ST]

Thanks folks. It sounds like a very useful tool. This is what TSC has to say about it. Anyone know if the TSC one is a good value/good quality?


Solid steel shank. Forged lift pins. Heavy duty steel frame. 14" heat treated furrower. King Kutters middle busters have a solid shank and a complete welded heavy-duty frame with a standard 14" furrower. It fits all 3-point hitches with category 1 specifications. The middle buster is great for laying off rows, digging potatoes, pointing a ditch, general field preparation and many other farm, field and garden uses.

 

[Bird]

Aah yes, I've dug potatoes by hand with a shovel or fork; lots of hard, slow work. The middle buster behind the tractor is the fast easy way and works great.

 

[GaryE]

Last year I was not in real great shape when it came to harvesting time. So I decided to try to harvest the potatoes with my FEL. Much to my surprise, it worked quite well. I would dig down, get a bucket load full of dirt, get off the tractor, take the taters out of the bucket and do it again. Took no time at all!

 

[Glowplug]

You know, before I had my potatoe plow I thought that a rock bucket on the FEL would be great! The potatoes would stay in the bucket while the dirt would fall though.