Potato Plow

[bxsjut]

I was thinking about making a potato plow. Attached is the only picture I have found so far. Does anyone have any better pictures or have any ideas on how best to go about putting one together? Has anyone seen them for sale anywhere?

Appreciate the help,
Jack

 

[greenmule]

Guess theres different kinds of potato plows,mine and others I've seen/used,don't look like that.

Was going to say,why,when you can buy one cheaper than making one but the one you got,don't know. looks like its on a troy built tiller?

 

[ampsucker]

looks pretty neat.

but, unless you're growing large amounts, why plow at all? i've grown in tires, cardboard boxes, and in rows of straw and mulch.

you don't have to dig anymore!

amp

 

[milkman]

That looks like the one at EarthTools that is used behind a BCS two wheeled tractor, I've often wondered how well they work. Looks like it would work if the ground is dry.
http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/equipcatalog.pdf

 

[charlz]

That one from EarthTools kinda looks like a beet sweep that has been closed up and 'fingers' welded on. Search through my back posts and you will see where I made a middlebuster using a corrugator shank. Those shanks will bolt on all kinds of shovels and sweeps.

 

[ToadHill]

It looks like a middle buster from TS with some re-bar welded on it.

 

[elalexander]

I agree with Toad. Looks like a middle buster w rebar welded to it. That would let the dirt fall through and keep the taters up. Not a bad idea really.

 

[radioman]

My potatoe plow is the FEL. I would scoop up dirt, lift, let kids do some hand digging, letting dirt fall off the FEL and picking up potatoes and in put in bucket. repeat. doesnt get any easier, kids have fun getting dirty, everything is at waist hieght. Everyone is happy- except wife who gotta tell the kids go take a bath afterwards -

 

[PineRidge]

That gadget looks like it would be a lot easier than hand digging. And if you have large rocks in the garden it will help you get rid of those too.

 

[kthompson]

The design shown is simple and should do a good job. My dislike is the plow shank is in the middle of the potatoes before they are really where they can role freely or so it looks. If you could put a shank on each side or the shank behind the plow so the potatoes would be able to role around it should save damaging them.

 

[wnymudd]

Radioman,
Glad to see someone else found another use for the bucket. I discovered it last fall also, works great!!

 

[Oldmax]

This is my verson of a patato Plow.

 

[2manyrocks]

There was a design for a plow that was sort of U shaped with round bars coming off the middle part of the U to separate potatoes from the dirt. The center section of the U was flat instead of rounded. I built one and then found that my dirt was just too hard for my tractor to pull it or maybe I messed up the angles cuz mine turned out to be more of a really narrow rear blade than a plow.

 

[bxsjut]

Thanks for everyones's help. It does look like it's the one Earthtools sells and from that lead I found a couple better pictures. I liked the idea about the shanks on each side. I can't quite picture the "U" shaped plow that was mentioned, any photographs? Attached are some little pictures of some antique designs I found. Sorry, I couldn't find anything bigger.

 

[Bret4207]

Thanks for the Earth Tools link. lots of that stuff can be adapted to my Gravelys.

 

[rco]

If the original post was fabricated why not add some rebar side walls and then a rebar basket on the back to catch the spuds? you could space the rebar so that the dirt falls through along with the really small potatoes and just stop periodically to pick out the larger ones.

Just sayin...

but then again, I'm lazy like that.

 

[wawajake]

If a guy like me only had three rows 30 feet long of potatoes to harvest this fall...........would middle buster make do , or is better to just use FEL bucket from sides after rest of garden harvested ?

I am worried my wife planted rows to close anyway for my BX2660 with 42" wheel width ...........but what are thoughts for a small farmer/garden like me ?

I have middle buster , FEL or tiller to chose from

jake

 

[radioman]

I used the FEL last fall to harvest my potatoes. I would scoop them up, lift to arms hieght, let the wife and kids paw through the dirt for potatoes and put in basket. dump rest dirt, move over and repeat! Works great for me for 2 rows of 25 ft long.

 

[2manyrocks]

Sorry for the late reply.

This is a photo of the digger I referred to in post #13. The original plans called for round rods to be welded on the back much like the photo in the OP. I didn't bother because my ground was so hard that I couldn't get it to dig. It might work on elevated potato hills, but I can't say.....

Now if anybody has any ideas how to make this thing work, let's hear them. It's just sitting in the barn collecting dust right now.

The sides and the bottom cutting edge are made from an old grader blade edge.

 

[Ford850]

Sorry for the late reply.

This is a photo of the digger I referred to in post #13. The original plans called for round rods to be welded on the back much like the photo in the OP. I didn't bother because my ground was so hard that I couldn't get it to dig. It might work on elevated potato hills, but I can't say.....

Now if anybody has any ideas how to make this thing work, let's hear them. It's just sitting in the barn collecting dust right now.

The sides and the bottom cutting edge are made from an old grader blade edge.

Since the 3ph doesn't have down pressure, you will need a tooth or 2 to bite into the ground and start the digging action. Maybe a tooth welded flat on each side (left and right sides) of the cutting blade, extending a few inches forward of the blade edge. That might catch the soil enough to pull the main blade into the ground.