Do-it-yourself potato digger for walk-behind tractor, dimensions and drawings

The bulk of Russians' garden space is traditionally allocated to potatoes, because our people also call it the second bread. Many have transferred part of the labor of growing potatoes onto their shoulders, or rather onto trailed small-scale mechanization equipment: walk-behind tractors and mini tractors.

And if planting potatoes is not a big job, then hilling them, and most importantly, digging them up is not an easy task. For hilling and weeding, the hiller included with walk-behind tractors is most often used, but for digging in its pure form it is not entirely suitable. Let's figure out what to dig and how to make a potato digger for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands.

There are several known designs of potato diggers for walk-behind tractors and mini tractors. Let's look at them: from the simplest to the most technologically advanced.

Fan potato diggers

The simplest ones to manufacture are also produced industrially, but most require some modifications.

It is immediately clear that they are based on the same hiller; it is this hiller, buried below the level of the tubers, that loosens and turns the soil. But he brings up the dug potatoes - a fan welded to the back of the hiller. Its role is played by metal rods, welded at a distance of 3–4 cm from each other, diverging and curved in the upper part.

The amount of depth is regulated by thrust wheels, and the transverse bar serves as a footrest, upon which a person, with his weight, provides the required depth to the device.

It is this type of fan potato digger that seems to us to be the most productive. The digging process itself can be seen here:

You will have to modify the shape, angle of attack and other nuances yourself, taking into account your soil, the power and driving performance of the walk-behind tractor on which you plan to install the potato digger, and even the varieties of potatoes that form tubers at different depths.

A type of similar digger without a fan, designed for two people:

Which is better: “Tornado” or “American”

The “American” is an improved, but still a shovel; it has all the disadvantages of an ordinary bayonet shovel . They are aggravated by the greater load that is created by the recess in the canvas. In addition to straining your arms, legs and back, you have to constantly bend down to the ground to extract potato tubers from the earthen clod.

The Tornado manual potato digger is free from most of these shortcomings . It does not require bending over either during operation or to remove potatoes from the soil, since the soil is removed through the teeth.

Potato diggers with a roar

This is the most common type of potato digger, produced by various machine-building plants in Russia and abroad. It has slight design differences, primarily in the design of the screen drive - oscillating during operation of the pan, which allows the potatoes to be partially cleared of the soil while the potato digger is moving.

The knife of such a digger can have different configurations. It can be fixed motionless, or it can be hinged and oscillate slightly during movement, simplifying the process of digging up tubers. The width of the knife is 35 – 40 cm.

Manufacturers

These devices are produced at many enterprises in Russia and the CIS countries. Below is a list of the most famous companies producing potato diggers:

1. , located in Starokonstantinov (Ukraine), produces the KM-1P potato digger. This device is recognized as one of the best on the Russian and CIS markets. It is certified according to all requirements of the ISO 9001:2009 standard.
2. IP Akimov (Cheboksary, Russia) produces the KKM-2 potato digger. It is widely used by Russian farms.
3. Mechanical Plant LLC, located in Molodechno, Belarus, produces high-quality and reliable potato digger KM and its variety KM-2.
4. SAZ LLC (Smorgon, Belarus) produces the KFT-2 digger. This is a powerful and reliable digger, powered by a Belarus walk-behind tractor.
5. Beltractora LLC (Brest, Belarus) produces the KT-5 potato digger. Its designers are constantly working to improve the model and improve its performance.

DIY drawings

It is this type of potato digger, despite being quite difficult to manufacture, that is made by home craftsmen with their own hands more often than others. We offer approximate drawings with the main dimensions of such a potato digger for a walk-behind tractor.

A large number of joints of moving parts makes this device regularly serviced, but the result of its work is of better quality than that of fan-shaped potato diggers:

Potatoes are peeled better from the ground and are located on its surface.

The magnitude and frequency of oscillations of the screen may vary and depend on the design of the drive, but even with minor oscillations, cleaning occurs quite well:

Varieties

Any potato digger for a mini tractor is made to loosen the soil and dig potato tubers onto its surface. However, despite the fact that all potato diggers for walk-behind tractors perform the same function, such designs may still differ. There are several types of diggers that you can make yourself or purchase in a store.

Vibrating or screening

The potato grinder is made of a vibrating sieve and a ploughshare. The vibration product has a fairly simple principle of operation. During operation, the digger is placed in the soil and gradually removes ripened tubers from there. Together with the soil, they fall into a sieve to shake off unnecessary soil. This kind of potato digging has a serious drawback - it is very difficult to do it yourself.

Simple or fan

This fan potato digger for a mini tractor has the simplest design. It is made from a plow to which several arrows must be attached. During harvesting with a motorized cultivator with a simple digger installed, the plow will go deeper into the ground and the dug up tubers will begin to rise along its rods. The advantages of this digger include its versatility. It can be installed on any model of walk-behind tractors and mini tractors.

Transport

A transport-type potato digger is perfect for walk-behind tractors of a model such as the Neva and therefore should be used with them. The design of such a digger is very simple and consists only of a mobile conveyor and a ploughshare. The conveyor has a special hook that holds the tubers and helps separate them from the ground. A transport potato digger should be used only in areas with heavy soil, since this model does not dig up tubers well from soil with a low degree of density.

Conveyor potato diggers

They are much easier to make yourself, but in our opinion they are no worse at peeling potatoes from soil.

Their knives are the same as those of the screening ones, and the potatoes are peeled while they move along the conveyor belt. It is clear that the longer it is, the better the potatoes will be peeled, but long conveyor belts can only be installed on potato diggers used with tractors. On walk-behind tractors, they will interfere with the person walking behind him.

The conveyor belt drive may be different. If it is taken from the wheels of the digger itself, then they must have good lugs so that they do not lock on wet or very loose soil.

Also interesting in this design are the rear guides, which more compactly place the potatoes behind the belt.

In this self-assembled conveyor potato digger, the belt drive is carried out from the power take-off shaft of a homemade walk-behind tractor and is transmitted by a motorcycle chain.

To view a picture, click on its thumbnail on the right

When manufacturing a potato digger of this type, the main problem will be selecting the rotation speed of the conveyor drive gear and matching it with the speed of the power take-off shaft. In this model, the power take-off shaft rotates at a speed of 500 - 800 rpm, and the gearbox is taken from a motor boat with a gear ratio of approximately 1:2. The rest is selected by the size of the stars for an approximate walking speed when digging 2-3 km/h.

And yet, the connection between the speed of the conveyor belt and the wheel speed seems more appropriate to us.

There are models designed for specific walk-behind tractors and mini tractors, like this one for mechanisms with a side power take-off shaft:

Criteria for choosing a potato digger

If you choose the wrong device, you may be left without a harvester. It is not only financial capabilities that need to be taken into account. What matters is productivity, convenience, safety and soil. Some diggers will not be able to handle very hard ground. The assistant must be powerful. It is necessary to correlate the power of a walk-behind tractor or a walk-behind tractor. If the machine has good power, but the digger is not up to par, there will be no result from the work. Everything will have to be redone yourself.

See also Potato Nevsky early: characteristics and reviews of the variety

Drum potato diggers

This is a rather rare type of equipment for mini-equipment, so it is mostly homemade. Peeling potatoes from soil in such devices occurs quite efficiently, as does laying them on the ground, but the design itself is quite controversial, and the tubers are more damaged than when digging with the above-mentioned potato diggers, and therefore are worse preserved.

What is simpler about them is the direct drive of rotation from the power take-off shaft. Everything else: making the drum, thrust rollers and bearings is clearly more complicated. The design of the knife does not have any special features, except that it is preferable for it to have a more rounded shape in the back so that the potatoes are not further damaged when they get into the drum.

Rating of the best models and their features

Depending on performance and cost, the best models of potato diggers attached to walk-behind tractors are the following.

"Neva"

The unit is ideal for use in gardens, as it is designed for processing small areas. It has a relatively light weight (34 kg) with a width of 36 cm and a working depth of about 20 cm. With an average walk-behind tractor movement of 2 km per hour, the productivity is 0.2 hectares per hour.

"KKM-1"

A potato digger of a screening type, which is equipped with powerful wheels, which significantly reduces the load on the walk-behind tractor. The soil is grabbed at a depth of about 20 cm. The working width is 37 cm with a unit weight of 40 kg.

"KT-51"

Designed for connection to medium walk-behind tractors that have a keyed power take-off shaft. The conveyor-type device has a mass of about 50 kg with a width of the processed strip of 45 cm. The depth is adjusted manually (maximum - 30 cm).

"KVM-3"

The vibration-type potato digger is designed for use in hard and loamy soils. It has an additional knife, which is used to cut the layer of soil in which the potatoes are located. At a relatively low price, this model is loved by gardeners for the speed and quality of the work done.

"Soyuzmash KKBS reinforced"

The most primitive, but no less popular version of potato diggers. The unit is a small plow from which rods extend in rays. The plow goes 20 cm deep into the soil, loosens it and brings the potatoes to the surface, where they are retained in the twigs, cleared of soil and laid out on the surface.

Horse-mounted potato digger

There are still quite a lot of them for sale on the Internet. They are imported mainly from Poland and converted into mini tractors and walk-behind tractors.

At the same time, taking into account the higher speed of movement of this equipment in comparison with a horse, in addition to modifying the towing device, a limiter-shield is placed on it on the side on which the dug potatoes are thrown. Otherwise, it will have to be collected in neighboring areas. A wedge-shaped paw digs up the potatoes, as in fan diggers, and the drive of the device that removes the tubers from the ground is carried out by wheels with lugs. The higher the travel speed, the faster this potato extractor rotates.

Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

Attachments for different types of equipment cost an impressive amount of money.

That is why one of the options to save money is to make it yourself, from scrap and purchased materials.

One of the most popular additional devices for a mini-tractor or walk-behind tractor is a homemade potato digger.

It allows you to fully automate the process of harvesting potatoes, which is extremely labor-intensive if done manually.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of a potato digger is that it significantly speeds up and facilitates work

This is an important advantage, especially when large areas have to be processed. Among the advantages of this device, it is also worth highlighting the ability to work in any weather

If, in very dry or wet weather, digging potatoes by hand becomes too difficult a task, then with such a unit it is greatly simplified.

A potato digger allows you to get potatoes in good presentation. After all, the tubers will not only have minimal damage, but will also be practically clean

It is important to note that potato diggers of all types are easy to operate and do not require any special skills. The main disadvantage of such a unit can be considered cost, since models of active type diggers can cost a lot

And also some note the inconvenience of having to plant potatoes in even rows. However, this is not difficult if you use special equipment for a walk-behind tractor.

Where to begin?

Do not rush headlong into tools and pieces of metal. First of all, you should decide on some very important points.

• What type of equipment will the potato digger be used with?
• How much can be spent on this event?
• What type of potato digger and according to what drawings will it be assembled?
• How will the individual parts be connected?
• Where and how will materials for construction be selected?

Additional functions

A potato digger is a multifunctional gardening tool that simplifies many tasks. You can replace an outdated shovel and fork using the Harvest potato digger. It allows you not only to dig up root crops, but also to dig up beds and loosen the soil. Design features:

• forks made of tool steel with fine teeth (7 pieces);
• a pedal on hinges that acts as a lever.

The furrow width is 28 cm, the loosening depth is 25 cm, the weight of the unit is 3 kg.

Long pins not only dig up the soil, but also break up clods of earth, making the soil homogeneous. The bush of the plant is easily removed from the ground; the potatoes are not pierced or cut. When moving to the next potato bush, you do not need to lift the tool; you just need to step back and pull it towards you.

Another modern unit is the “Farmer”, which combines 5 tools. They can dig potatoes, harrow, loosen and turn up the ground. In addition, it is used for spreading manure. To activate the “potato digger” function, you need to secure the plates along the arched lever. Pressing the lever raises the forks upward. Shaking the tool by the lever releases the potatoes from the soil.

Design parameters:

• length of teeth and working blades – 25 cm;
• depth of penetration into the ground – 20 cm;
• size – 120 cm;
• unit weight – 3 kg.

There are also potato diggers that work on a different principle. They are a versatile alternative to a shovel. The entire unit rests on one metal pin stuck into the ground. Rotating the handles clockwise moves the curved teeth made of hardened steel. The tubers are picked up along with the soil and turned to the side.

Connection method - welding or bolt-nut?

There are two ways to connect individual parts of metal structures (sheets, corners and others) that you will have to use when constructing a potato digger.

Contact welding method using electricity or gas

– more aesthetically pleasing, but less reliable in most cases.

If there is a large load on the structure, which may occur when used on hard and rocky soil, there is a possibility of the seam between the metal structures breaking.

Another way is using a bolt, locknuts and nuts.

Using such fasteners, you can connect the metal structure quite firmly.

A bolted connection has other advantages over a welded seam.

If necessary, the structure can be easily disassembled - for example, if you need to transport a potato digger over a long distance.

To connect individual parts you do not need special equipment: a drill, a drill bit and a pair of keys are enough.

Tools for work

Initially, you need to prepare the tools that you will need to create a potato digger for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands, as well as other consumables.

Working tools that you can’t do without in the process of assembling a potato digger -

• welding machine,
• angle grinder,
• electric drill,
• square,
• level,
• perforated mounting plates,
• steel bolts with nuts.

What is needed to assemble a homemade potato digger?

The basis of this type of attachment is usually a welded frame made of metal corners. The thickness of the metal is selected taking into account the load it will experience.

The larger it is, the thicker the sheet of metal should be. The most commonly used corners are those with overall dimensions of 63×40 mm. You will also need an iron channel made of durable metal.

Ideally for this case, a part marked with number 8 is suitable. In addition, sheets of metal of various sizes, with a thickness of at least 8 mm, are required.

If everything will be connected with bolts, you should purchase the required amount of hardware.

You will also need:

• a chain that will transmit torque;
• wheels - metal or rubber, depending on the type of soil on which you will have to work;
• metal drum;
• gas pipe with a diameter of ¼.

General information about the mechanism

A potato digger is a special towed device for a walk-behind tractor or mini-tractor, which allows you to separate the tubers from the soil and dump them on the surface. Afterwards, all that remains is to collect the tubers in a suitable container. The potato business will develop successfully with such a device thanks to mechanization.

Device types:

• ogival;
• screening or vibrating;
• conveyor

The lancet potato digger has a simple design and is easily suitable for any mini-tractor. There are no moving parts in the device, which simplifies manufacturing. The digger cuts the soil with a knife. Next, the earth falls on steel bars, from where the visa is poured. Potato fruits are retained by the twigs and fall on top of the ground in their pure form.

This device is effective only on soft and dry soil. Wet soil will be cut in clumps, making it impossible to separate the potatoes from it. This will require additional effort. The simplicity of the design should not captivate farmers in the northern regions - the device simply will not work. However, a homemade potato digger for a lancet-type mini-tractor can be made quickly, even without drawings - this is a significant advantage.

The vibration-type mechanism (also called a screening mechanism) consists of a ploughshare, a barrel and a drive. This is a productive device, but difficult to manufacture. Moving parts add challenges to assembly. Operating principle:

1. The ploughshare undermines the earth along with the fruits.
2. The material falls on a table made of twigs, where the soil is loosened and spills down through the sieve.
3. On the opposite side, tubers are poured on top of the ground.

The vibrating table complicates the design, but allows you to work on hard and wet ground. Thanks to vibration, lumps of earth are broken up, and the fruits become relatively clean.

Installation with a conveyor allows you to work on any type of walk-behind tractor or mini-tractor. The design is similar to a rumble digger, but there is a conveyor immediately behind the plowshare. Its purpose is to support the tubers on the platform to better clean them from adhering earth. The device is more practical than a vibrating digger and is suitable for all types of soil. It is not advisable to use a digger with a conveyor on soft, loose soil.

The choice of design must be made depending on the type of soil on which to work. The rule is simple: the lighter the soil, the simpler the potato digger needed. You can also make a conveyor, but it will not be useful on dry sand. These will be extra costs. However, if you need to make a potato digger for a mini-tractor with your own hands, the drawings and dimensions should be selected so that the mechanism harmoniously fits the traction device.

Operating principle and assembly of a homemade potato digger

The operating principle of a potato digger is quite simple.
The design contains two steel knives that cut the ground. Afterwards, they collect the tubers along with the soil and feed it all along a special transport grid into a collection bunker.

The lattice moves and vibrates, as a result of which the stuck clods of earth are easily separated from the potato tubers.

If there is a lack of material, the bunker can not be made, and the potatoes, cleared of adhering soil, can be dumped directly on the field. Then it is simply assembled by hand.

Assembling the potato digger is carried out in several stages. They are all equally important, each detail performs its function.

The stronger all connections are made, the longer the assembled device will last.

First of all, the frame is assembled from corners and metal channels. It is the supporting basis of the entire structure. After its assembly, all other components are attached to the frame.

One of the largest and most important parts of a potato digger is the elevator.

It consists of a vibrating grid on which the potatoes are fed, and high metal sides made of thick sheet metal.

The entire elevator structure is welded or bolted from metal angles.

The elevator is equipped with special shafts, which transmit the force from the rotating wheels - it causes the grate to vibrate.

After the elevator is completely assembled and fixed to the supporting frame of the potato digger, a ploughshare is attached to it. This is a plow, which is the direct working part that turns potato tubers out of the ground.

It can be made from a variety of metal objects. Both from a real, most ordinary plow, and from a specially sharpened and curved piece of pipe with a diameter of 200 mm.

It is advisable to attach the ploughshare to the elevator using bolts, since this part of the potato digger experiences the greatest load during operation. 10mm bolts are exactly what is needed in this case.

The penultimate stage is the design and assembly of the support and transport unit. It consists of wheels, discs to which they will be attached, two roller chains and a metal rod. There are also sprockets and bearings.

All these assembled parts will make moving the potato digger during operation extremely simple and easy. Roller chains are used to transmit rotation to special shafts that create vibration on the elevator grate.

The sprockets are mounted on a metal rod, which acts as a bridge and rotates as it moves. Metal disks are welded to the rod, and wheels are subsequently attached to them.

Special attention should be paid to the method of connecting the equipment to the agricultural machinery that will set it in motion.

The construction of this device is the last stage in assembling a potato digger with your own hands.

If you have any attachments for a tractor or walk-behind tractor, you should simply make a structurally similar mount.

Although some well-known manufacturers of mini tractors create an individual and rather complex system for connecting attachments.

In this case, you should show engineering thought and find an approach to solve this problem. Perhaps a way out of the situation could be to make changes to the design of the tractor itself.

Instructions for making a fan version

The fan-type potato digger is the easiest to make, requiring only basic skills in handling plumbing supplies and power tools. Sometimes it is even possible to do without a welding machine, replacing the seams with threaded connections, but using electric welding will still give a faster and more predictable result. We will take this technique as a basis.

Required tools and materials

To make a potato digger at home, you will need the following tools:

The role of materials is played by rolled metal of various types (angle, channel, pipe, rod) and dimensions, sheet steel with a thickness of at least 6 mm, fasteners. Often you can use semi-finished products left over after construction or renovation. In addition, you will need two wheels with a diameter of 5-20 inches, preferably with rubber wheels. They can be found in almost any large hardware store.

Manufacturing and assembly algorithm

The process of making a potato digger begins with the creation of a detailed drawing of the future device. It must take into account the parameters of the available materials and the properties required from the potato digger, including the width and depth of the grip.

After the drawings have been completed and checked, we begin directly to manufacture the device. This work includes the following stages:

The last point involves adapting the assembled device to specific conditions of use. For this purpose, at the design stage, customizable components are provided, for example, adjusting the height of the wheels, which, in turn, affects the digging depth.

Thickness of the metal used to assemble the potato digger

The optimal metal thickness that should be used for this type of homemade equipment is 5-7 mm. It is this size that guarantees fairly high strength and not excessive weight.

If the work of harvesting potatoes will have to be done on land that has excess moisture, then the lighter the machine, the better. In this case, you can use material of smaller thickness.

If the soil is hard and rocky, then the greater the weight of the potato digger, the better. With its weight it will create the force necessary for work.

It will be easier for the ploughshare to cut into the ground and turn the layers of earth outward along with the potato tubers.

What can a miracle shovel do?

This tool provides additional opportunities for the farmer.

The miracle shovel provides the summer resident with the following advantages:

1. When digging the ground with its help, much less effort is required compared to using a conventional tool.
2. The quality of loosening the soil with this treatment increases. If lumps form, they break into pieces during operation.
3. Some designs include a back stop. While digging the soil, you can step on it to help you immerse the tool in dense and heavy soil.
4. If there are weed roots in the ground, then a shovel for the lazy will take them out as a whole, and not cut them into pieces.
5. This tool is convenient to use for digging up potatoes.
6. The digging speed is much higher than when working in a conventional way.

Miracle shovel

In appearance, the excavator shovel resembles a pitchfork with additional details.

It contains the following parts:

1. The shaft by which a person holds the instrument.
2. Metal forks, the teeth of which are approximately the same length as regular ones, but approximately twice as wide. They usually have 6 to 8 teeth.
3. A metal stop going back is attached to the forks. When the miracle shovel is immersed in the ground, you can press on it with your weight so that the tool penetrates the dense soil more easily. It also serves as a stop when turning the shovel out of the ground.
4. A horizontal grid is attached in the forward direction, installed in such a way that the fork teeth, rising, pass through it. With this movement, clods of earth end up between the forks and the grate, as a result they crumble into small pieces.

Here we talk about the typical design of a KrotChel shovel. In practice, several different versions of its design are used.

Garden ripper "KROTCHEL"

What wheels to use to construct a homemade potato digger

For the type of equipment under consideration, three types of wheels can be used:

• rubber with regular tread;
• rubber with tractor tread;
• metal.

Each type has both its advantages and disadvantages. The use of any of them is fully justified in different cases.

If the soil is wet and loose and easily collapses under heavy weight, you should focus on rubber wheels.

They are quite light, and the tractor tread of the rubber tires will easily rake the ground, which will allow the equipment to move off without difficulty, without slipping or getting stuck.

Also, when designing a potato digger, you should choose the widest possible wheels, otherwise movement will be somewhat difficult.

Metal wheels are perfect for working on hard ground.

They will significantly increase the overall weight of the structure, which in this case is only beneficial: it will be easier for the plow to stick into the ground and perform its function.

It is also advisable to choose a tractor tread for all-metal wheels in order to avoid getting stuck and skidding when driving on loose and marshy soil.

Application of a walk-behind tractor

Walk-behind tractors are assistants on plantings with an area of ​​20 acres or more. They cope with plowing, hilling, planting, harvesting fruits, cutting grass and weeding. They can be light. Used for working on cultivated soils. They have little power and weight. Medium ones cope with dense soils. It is distinguished by its heavy weight and stability. Heavy machines are suitable for cultivation, transportation. Recommended for large areas and difficult soil.

Digging

Before plowing, install attachments. It is recommended to take heavy lugs for normal traction. You can take additional cargo. In addition, a plow with adjustable parameters is installed. Gardeners advise changing the direction of movement annually. For hard soil, use a digger in two passes.

Hilling

When installing the hiller, adjust the angle of attack and depth of immersion. It is important to ensure that the stand is vertical. To hill potatoes, set the distance between the points of the disks and the angle of attack.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

Ask a Question

Important! The right and left dial settings should be the same.

Finger drum

If possible, a finger drum can be installed on the elevator. It is a piece of pipe onto which fingers of the required length are welded.

The part should be of such a size that it does not reach the grill by just a couple of centimeters. The drum is mounted on a special axis, which has a welded sprocket.

Using a chain drive, the drum axis is connected to the wheel shaft.

If everything is done correctly and the calculations are correct, your fingers will break up the hard, dried soil, which falls along with the tubers onto the elevator grate. As a result, the potatoes will be as free as possible from adhering soil.

To make this option you will need:

• 
  large diameter pipe cut
• round sheets of metal
  , which will subsequently cover both holes in the pipe;
• steel rod
  , which will serve as an axis of rotation;
• long cylindrical metal fingers
  (you can use reinforcement used to reinforce concrete).

The entire structure is manufactured using resistance welding.

Buying a factory potato digger is a very expensive undertaking. Therefore, if you don’t have extra money and have a lot of time, as well as a well-working head and hands, you can easily save a decent amount.

After watching the video, we can conclude that it is important to be careful and conscientious about your work, then a homemade potato digger will be able to serve you without breakdowns or downtime for a very long time:

Probably, every owner of a large personal plot or vegetable garden wants to minimize the labor intensity of land work and reduce the time of tillage to a minimum, which is why gardeners strive to acquire a walk-behind tractor and various equipment for it. If you are the happy owner of this useful equipment and like to grow a lot of potatoes on your plot, then it makes sense to think about the need for a potato digger for mechanical harvesting. Now you can buy various designs and improved equipment for all types of walk-behind tractors, or you can put in a little effort and make a digger for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands. In this article we will introduce you to the varieties of this device and tell you how to make a potato digger yourself.

Conveyor for better cleaning

A vibrating digger simplifies cutting the layer of soil with potatoes. However, cleaning the tubers from the remaining soil is not always successful, since the cut layer moves along the rods under pressure. There is no additional impact, and the rods often become clogged, which creates inconvenience during the digging process - you have to make stops for cleaning.

A conveyor is a moving part in a potato digger where soil with tubers is supplied. This mechanism allows you to separate the cut layer. As a result, the tubers are clean, with virtually no adhering soil. The conveyor can be directed to the receiving bunker, which eliminates manual labor on the field.

In general, the design is similar to a vibrating digger, only instead of rods there is a conveyor. It is made of metal rods or tubes that are located parallel to each other. They are installed in a moving rim or chain. You can make a conveyor from steel mesh or rubber fabric.

The mechanism is driven from the shaft of agricultural machinery through a gearbox. The torque is then transmitted through a chain or gear train. Before making such a device, it is better to study the factory diagrams. Craftsmen presented many designs, and everyone strives to offer something original that will improve the mechanism.

Steps to create a conveyor digger:

1. Making the frame. For this, a steel profile with a rectangular cross-section is used.
2. The plowshare knife is made of sheet steel.
3. Rollers for the conveyor belt are attached to the frame.
4. Assemble the conveyor belt and install it.
5. Install brackets for the gearbox and chain or gear drive, after which the devices themselves are secured.
6. They put on the wheels.

A homemade digger for a mini-tractor when installing a receiving hopper will allow you to mechanize the entire harvesting process. The main thing is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create such a device. The necessary material can be found at home or in a landfill. As a last resort, you can use old mechanisms.

Do-it-yourself potato digger - design features

There are two types of household potato diggers:

simple and vibration. The principle of operation of potato diggers of all types is the same - the rawl, ploughshare or tines are immersed in the soil and extract potato tubers onto its surface. Thus, the gardener will not need to manually dig out potatoes from each hole - the gardening unit will do it for him. Both types of diggers can be made independently from available materials or you can buy some components, the cost of which is low, and save your budget.

Simple digger

is an attachment in the form of a pointed curved iron sheet to which rods are welded in a fan-shaped manner. This mini-ploughshare cuts the soil and lifts the tubers along an expanding fan of twigs, while sifting out excess soil. A simple digger, which is attached to a walk-behind tractor, mechanizes potato harvesting.

The vibrating digger
is a conveyor potato digger for use when working with a walk-behind tractor. Complete with screening grid and wheels. The harvesting mechanism with such a digger is simple: the soil is cut with a rake, which goes along with the potato tubers onto a grid, where the root crops are sifted from the clods of earth and then rolled along the screening grid to the soil surface.

Important! It makes sense to make a potato digger yourself for cultivating areas with light and medium-heavy soils.

Kinds

Depending on the design features, there are drum-type diggers, fan-type, rotary, mechanisms with a cardan drive, with a power take-off shaft and geared ones.

According to the principle of operation, there are three types of potato diggers:

• thunderous;
• simple;
• conveyor

Screening or vibration

A vibrating type digger is considered the most effective in comparison with all other types of equipment. It consists of a special lattice table, as well as a drive and a ploughshare. The principle of operation is quite simple: one of the main elements of the potato digger, the flatbread, goes deep into the ground and, together with the potatoes, picks up the upper layers of the earth, which are transferred to the table grid. After which, under the influence of slight vibration, the excess soil begins to peel off and “go” through the cracks back into the ground, and the root crops themselves, already cleaned, fall out from the back side of the unit.

This system allows you to collect up to 98% of all tubers from the ground. The mower blades are buried 21-25 cm into the ground and capture a layer of soil 35-40 cm wide. Thanks to this mechanism, a fairly large planting area can be processed at once. The screen-type model successfully copes even with heavy soils; after digging, absolutely all the tubers remain on the ground, so the farmer does not have to dig into earthen clods and look for the remaining tubers there.

However, there were some downsides. The cost of such a digger is very high, in addition, it is unprofitable to use it in small areas, since the cost of its purchase and fuel consumption simply will not pay off. Also, vibration is often transmitted from the mower to the walk-behind tractor, and from there to the operator, which can cause some discomfort for the operator.

Simple or lancet

The simplest version of a potato digger is considered to be a universal lancet digger. It is a mechanism that visually resembles a shovel to which rods are attached. Due to the pointed edge, the device digs up the soil between the rows, and the potatoes fall on the teeth of the device. After this, all unnecessary soil is crumbled, and the potatoes are thrown onto the surface of the sown area.

This scheme has many advantages:

• the device is universal, therefore it can be mounted on a wide variety of modifications of walk-behind tractors;
• the digger can be used even with low-power walk-behind tractors;
• There are several types of universal devices on the modern market, which allows the farmer to choose the best option based on the structure and moisture of the soil, as well as the depth of placement of potatoes;
• increased speed and productivity of the unit; by connecting such a digger to a walk-behind tractor, it can even be put into second or third gear;
• the universal modification is relatively inexpensive and therefore available to most Russian summer residents and homestead owners.

The universal model also has its disadvantages:

• the digger is buried in the ground no more than 15 cm, and its width does not exceed 20 cm;
• after harvesting, at least 15-20% of all potatoes remain in the ground;
• the sharp edges of the shovel often cut the tubers while digging them up, however, with the manual assembly method this figure is much higher;
• The harvest can only be harvested in rows - before you start digging up potatoes, you must dig up the previous row.

Conveyor

Potato digger designed for heavy traction walk-behind tractors. The only drawback of such equipment is its very high cost. A unit with a belt mechanism is a bit reminiscent of a vibrating type of device, however, instead of a special table there is a moving belt. During operation of the unit, the tubers move along it and are completely cleaned of soil residues. This model is optimal for large farms that grow large quantities of root crops for commercial purposes. The harvest with such a digger can be harvested quite quickly, even on a large sown area.

How to make a potato digger with your own hands: choosing material and tools

In order to make a regular homemade potato digger for a walk-behind tractor, you will need the following materials:

• frame made of welded corners, the size of which is 40 by 40 mm;
• sections of pipe or channel 1.3 m long;
• fittings with a diameter of 10 mm;
• metal sheet with a thickness of 7 mm or more for the sides of the fence and ploughshare;
• pieces of square pipes or channels for metal racks - 8-10 pieces;
• rotary metal drum and chain for transmitting rotation;
• wheels, bolts and hardware.

Did you know?
A vibrating potato digger for a walk-behind tractor ensures harvesting up to 95% of the entire potato harvest, and a simple fan one – up to 85%.
Equipment and tools needed to create a potato digger with your own hands:

• welding machine;
• drill and drill bits;
• metal scissors;
• hammer, wrenches;
• Bulgarian.

A homemade design should consist of several basic elements

Any homemade version has a basic set of elements that will be required during manufacture. List:

• a metal channel, preferably a stainless steel type, with a thickness of about 1 cm;
• metal-type corners of 3 and 4 cm in cross-section;
• steel reinforcement with a diametrical cross-section of 1 cm;
• sheet metal 0.5 cm;
• set of nuts and bolts.

Additionally, you always need tools, including standard ones, for example, a wrench for the size of bolts and nuts.

You also need a tape measure and a grinder. Any type of welding machine is often used. This can be either a gas-electric welding machine or a portable electric welding machine. To create fasteners and holes you will need not only a drill, but also a set of drills that are suitable in size.

All materials must be prepared before work begins. The list is compiled on the basis of the created project, that is, if the drawing is drawn up according to an individual plan, then the set of materials will also be specific.

The specified standard set of materials will be needed to create a standard device.

Important! Digging potatoes with a walk-behind tractor can only be done after the device has been fully assembled and all parts have been adjusted. A preliminary launch and verification of the operation process under the required conditions will also be required.

Features of making a simple potato digger

A simple potato digger is an improved curved shovel that plunges into the ground below the level of potato tubers and pushes them to the surface. By correctly calculating the width of the digger and the angle of inclination of the cutting tool, during harvesting you can loosen the soil, which will not need digging. Making a simple potato digger is simple - three sheets of iron are welded together and attached to the walk-behind tractor with a special fastener. The simplicity of the design and the small number of component parts allow it to be manufactured by a novice agricultural machine operator who knows how to work with a welding machine.

How to make a hiller

The simplest hiller is the lister type, which consists of two peak-shaped welded wings made of sheet iron with a thickness of at least 2-3 mm. This device has a fixed grip length due to fixed elements, the tip of which pierces and loosens the ground, so every gardener planning to make a simple potato digger with his own hands must first make drawings of the device, taking into account the row spacing that is acceptable for him, which he usually maintains when planting potatoes. As a rule, this is about 60 cm, and industrial hillers are only 30 cm wide. To make a hiller, you need to take a sheet of metal at least 3 mm thick, triangular in shape, the base length of which is from 30 to 60 cm, and the height is about 30 cm. This element The hiller is bent along the height of the triangle, thereby creating a point that pierces the ground; small rectangles in the form of wings are welded to it, the span of which will be equal to the width of the rows. 7-10 rods approximately 30 cm long are welded to the main triangle in a fan-shaped manner. For better rigidity, the tip of the triangle is reinforced with an iron strip no less than 3 mm thick.

Important!
A rigid stand-mount will prevent overloading the walk-behind tractor engine during operation.

Attaching the potato digger

To attach the potato digger to the walk-behind tractor, you will need a metal rectangle 50*520 mm, the metal thickness of which is at least 10 mm. Holes are drilled on it to regulate the depth of immersion of the digging tip into the ground to avoid cutting the tubers. It makes sense to strengthen the rigidity of the tip and wings by connecting the edges of the wings with an iron plate, to which a structural post will be welded, bearing the entire load of earthworks when harvesting potatoes; if possible, this metal part can be pre-hardened.

How to hill potatoes with a walk-behind tractor

Hilling is a necessary, but unloved procedure by gardeners. The bushes need to be covered with soil from time to time, otherwise the roots will grow and the potatoes themselves will turn out small. The soil layer provides protection from pests and prevents the growth of weeds. Manual work takes a lot of time and effort, so it is quite possible to mechanize it.

Hilling up using a walk-behind tractor is best done after rain, so that the ground absorbs the water. There is a special device - a hiller, it can be lister or disk. It is convenient when this tool is equipped with an adjustment mechanism, which makes it possible to use it at different row spacings.

The attachment may have one or more pairs of disks made of sheet steel with a thickness of at least 2 mm. The discs are fastened at an angle to each other. Rotation is provided by bushings.

Before you start processing potato beds, you need to take some time to set up. Important parameters are the angle of inclination and the depth of the backlog. The speed of work should be low. The first procedure is carried out immediately after the sprouts appear. The second - after the shoots reach a height of 40 cm.

How to make a screen-type potato digger with your own hands

Making a potato screening type digger with your own hands is a little more complicated, but very realistic to implement. First, you need to make the individual components of this useful unit, connect them together, check the operation of the mechanism, and the do-it-yourself vibrating potato digger for a walk-behind tractor is ready for harvesting potatoes. Let's study all the stages of making a potato digger for a walk-behind tractor. Before manufacturing this mechanism, it is recommended to make a schematic drawing of a potato digger for a walk-behind tractor, indicating the dimensions of the parts for clarity when measuring the material and further welding work.

To begin with, it is recommended to make a frame for the screen digger. To do this, you should weld a rectangle measuring 120*80 cm from a square pipe of 40*40 mm (or corners), which needs to be well sanded with a grinder. Then a section of 40*40 mm square pipe is welded to a quarter of the length of this frame rectangle for a jumper and further installation of rods. In another part of the frame we make a mount for the wheel axle; to do this, from the outside in the corners, we need to vertically position and weld two 15 cm long pipes with a diameter of 30 mm, and use a drill to drill a hole with a diameter of 10 mm in each pipe.

Then you should install several vertical posts - to do this, you need to step back 5 cm from the built-in jumpers on both sides and weld them in a square measuring 3*3 cm and 50 cm long, then step back another 20 cm and weld 40 cm posts, after which step back 40 cm and weld 30 cm posts, the result will be a kind of ladder. Now you need to connect the racks with a metal strip, the thickness of which is 0.4 mm, at an angle of 45 degrees, the result is a triangular structure.

Did you know?
The first horse-drawn potato digger was created by a Russian blacksmith in 1847.

How to make a pitched board and ralo

The next stage of making a potato digger with your own hands is welding the working part of our device - the raal and the pitched board. Ralo is necessary for digging potato tubers from the soil and then feeding them onto a ramp made of iron rods. For the construction of the rahl, two metal sheets measuring 400 * 400 mm, 0.3 mm thick, are needed, in each of which you need to make a hole for a bolt, and also drill a hole in the racks, stepping back 5 cm from the edge, and firmly screw these metal plates to frame with bolts. Then a metal plate measuring 30*70 cm is bent cone-shaped in the central part using hammer blows and butt-welded to the side sheets - it turns out to be a rawl, the edge of which needs to be sharpened for better penetration into the ground.

The pitched board is welded from 8-10 metal rods or pieces of reinforcement approximately 1.2 m long, one end of which is welded below to the raft, and the second extends beyond the boundaries of the digger and moves quite freely.
The rods are welded parallel at a distance of about 40 mm. To strengthen the structure, a channel about 30 cm long can be welded at the end of the frame on both sides - these will be risers to which the bar is welded.
Rods will then be welded to it at a distance of two-thirds of their length to strengthen the pitched board. During the harvesting process, the free edges of the rods will vibrate and break the soil adhering to the root crops. It is also recommended to weld metal plates on the side of the bars of the pitched board to prevent potato tubers from falling out of the lattice structure.

Selection of wheels for the design

We have already familiarized ourselves with the main steps of how to make a potato digger with our own hands; now we need to choose wheels for the design from the following options:

• metal – suitable for use on hard soil, their weight makes the digger heavier and improves the work of the rake;
• simple rubber ones - used for working on loose soil; on wet soil they will not make it possible to transport garden equipment;
• rubber ones with a tractor tread - will make it possible to use the structure in wet soil without slipping; they are bulky and heavy.

Rubber wheels with tractor tread are the best option for making a potato digger. The wheel is equipped with a mount shaped like the letter “G”, which is attached to an axle mounted on the frame of the digger. The wheel can be fixed with a “pin” by analogy with a garden wheelbarrow.

Important!
Wider wheels will make it easier to move the potato digger around garden beds.

Making fasteners

And here we are at the final stage of making a potato digger with our own hands - making the mount and final assembly of the mechanism. The gearbox unit is attached to the axle using bearings, and the transport mechanism is assembled from wheels, roller chains, and metal disks. The axle, as a connecting bridge, should be attached with sprockets; discs are welded to it, to which the wheels are attached. The chain will transmit energy and rotate the shafts, driving the potato digger mechanism.

Then a holder is made with the letter “G”. The long end is attached to a radial part connected to the walk-behind tractor, and the short end is welded to the tip of the rahl. To control the angle of the rafter, the best option would be to connect the beam to the potato digger with two or more bolts.

As a result of all the work done, you will have a potato digger for a walk-behind tractor, very easy to use, in addition, it will be partially dismountable and transportable due to the mechanism being bolted together. This potato digger will help remove potato tubers from the soil, clear a little of the soil and carefully place them on the surface of the furrows. The owner of a personal plot will only have to harvest the crop and provide it with optimal conditions for storage.

Was this article helpful? Not really

For those who know first-hand what it is to work in the field, grow your own potato crop, and even more so harvest it, understand what a difficult task it is. It’s good that after a long time of this practice, a person came up with a simple invention to facilitate potato harvesting - a do-it-yourself potato digger

. In this case, our grandfathers used an ordinary shovel, and this mechanical device was created specifically to automate the collection of potatoes. The function of a potato digger is to separate tubers from the soil and place them on the surface of the field.

Of course, there are factory versions of this device, but for a more or less experienced gardener it will not be difficult to assemble a potato digger yourself, which will be little inferior to these samples.

Potato digger design

The simple design makes it much easier. It is based on a welded frame, which is assembled from a special corner measuring 63x40 mm, an iron channel number 8, and 8 mm metal plates. A ploughshare is made from the plates, which in principle can be made from an ordinary circular saw. The ploughshare is attached to the elevator casing with 4 bolts tightened with nuts. Thanks to the round sharpening of the part, potato tubers are almost impossible to cut.

The tilt of the elevator can be changed by changing the fastening of the casing to the frame, and at the same time the angle at which the opener digs also changes. The editorial unit is made from two cylindrical metal bodies. They have the form of a glass and a bushing and connect two shafts made of steel - the drive and the driven. These shafts should rotate without difficulty, and special sprockets with welded hubs are mounted on prismatic keys. As a rule, they are made from a piece of gas pipeline measuring approximately 25 mm.

potato digger for a mini tractor can do without a cleaning drum.

, however, creating it is the most difficult part in making a potato digger. Its design includes two roller chains with 94 links, mounted on rods. This design, due to its shape, was called the “squirrel wheel”. This wheel is mounted on two bent disks for strength. In some cases, a bicycle wheel rim is used instead of disks. The “squirrel wheel” is welded to the disks and fixed on two fixed welded axles, on which it then rotates. The shaft rotates on the bearings, and with it the driven sprockets rotate, on which the rotation of the drum itself depends.

The best material for a slider so that the chain-bar tape can easily slide over it is fluoroplastic. The tape itself looks like a “squirrel wheel”, but the rods on it are shorter and there are fewer of them. Sliders are also needed to protect the chain from damage and act as a support.

The easiest part of making a potato digger is its support and transport unit. Each person makes it according to his own calculations. Usually there are no special difficulties in creating it. By the way, similar mechanisms are used in

It is worth making a manual potato digger for compact areas. It is better to buy industrial types of equipment for large areas from manufacturers.

Simple vibration equipment can be easily made from the following materials:

1. Iron channel.
2. The pieces of steel were no thinner than 5 millimeters. Strong steel will be required for the plowshare. A used blade from a circular saw or any other high-speed steel is perfect.
3. Iron corners from rolled metal.
4. Steel or iron rods. It is better to use fittings of small diameter.

The vibration model must be made from a base or frame. The design must include:

• base (the above-mentioned frame);
• suspension system;
• rods for adjustment;
• moving elements (wheels or lugs).

Drawing of a vibrating potato digger for a walk-behind tractor:

Constructions

In addition to the option shown above (called “Tornado”, “Digger” or “Plowman”), there are several more variants of miracle shovel designs under different names.

Assembly drawing of a miracle shovel

Soil ripper without front support

This design also has working and support forks, but does not have a front stop. Because it is less bulky and weighs a little less. But the front stop gives increased stability during operation. And the weight when dragging is not so important.

The handle is attached to the working forks, the back stop is welded to the comb of the second forks. Both of these structures are movably connected to each other (even door hinges can be used).

Ripper miracle shovel for easy tillage

The photo shows one of the implementations, which is made on the basis of a corner and a round pipe. When working, the pins are driven into the ground by pressing on the crossbar, and not on the stop, as in most models.

Digger

An option called “Digger” is essentially a wide fork with a stop for easier turning and a high, powerful handle.

Miracle shovel "Digger"

The peculiarity of this design is the stop and the adjustable handle. It is fixed with two bolts and adjusted to the height of the working person.

The emphasis is not stationary, but movable. It is fixed to the frame. When plunging the pins into the ground, press on it with your foot, then, without removing your foot, turn it out by pressing the handle of the fork out of the ground.

Digger in action

The physical load during work is low, the work progresses quickly. But this miracle shovel will not work for hard and lumpy soils: it does not crush the soil. She collapses through the pitchfork under her own weight. But this is only possible on loose soils. On clay or black soil it is better to have a second comb with pins.

How to make a miracle digger, see the following video.

Lightcop

This miracle shovel design is slightly different from the previous one. The stops in it are rounded, the handle is arched, but the basic structure is the same. There is some drawback - there is no way to adjust the handle, but otherwise everything is the same - a movable stop and working forks.

Two options called "Lightcop". The simplest ripper for the vegetable garden, garden and cottage

It’s hard to say whether this variation is better or worse. It would be possible to evaluate only by comparing the performance of both copies on the same site.

Work on creating a vibration model

Rules for manufacturing each part separately and assembling the entire mechanism.

The basis

It is optimal to use a square profile pipe 40 by 40 mm. It is better to take a 4-meter piece of rolled metal and divide it into segments of 120 and 80 centimeters. We get four support beams.

From them you need to weld a base in the form of a rectangle at a right angle. Its dimensions will be 120 by 80 centimeters.

Rod mount

It is necessary to weld the jumpers not in the middle of the frame (rectangle), but at a quarter of its length.
On the back side of the base, we fix the square tubes in a vertical position by welding. They are placed outside the base to install the axle. Wheels are then installed on the axle.

Or an engraver makes a 1 centimeter hole in a place convenient for fastening.

Vertical racks

We retreat 5 centimeters from the edge of the frame and secure the square profile by welding. Its length is no more than 50 centimeters. After 15-20 cm, we also fix the square profile by welding, but already 40 centimeters long. After the second rack, we measure 40 centimeters and secure the 30 centimeter profile with welding.

As a result, the design is similar to a metal pair of descending stairs.

Rigidity for racks

It is necessary to secure the racks at the bottom of the structure. To do this, use a strip of metal 0.4 - 0.5 mm. The racks should be connected by welding at 45 degrees, additionally welding the strips together.

Plowshare or ralo

Creating the working part of a potato digger.
A homemade ploughshare must sink into the soil, digging through potato rows for harvesting. To make a ralo, you need metal from 0.3 mm thick. Two “working” blades are cut out according to the drawing and a homemade plow is welded. To give it a three-dimensional shape convenient for gripping the soil, you need to tap the center of the blades with a hammer, after securing the entire structure with a fastening rod.

Making pitched boards

The pitched board is a continuation of the design of the potato digger, or rather steel rods welded to the base. The easiest way is to use reinforcing bars with a diameter of no more than 10 mm and a length of up to 120 centimeters. Every 4-5 centimeters you need to weld the reinforcement, as shown in the photo.

Adjustment rods

An optional element, because adjustment is only needed on problematic (watery) soil.

The rods will easily adjust the desired angle for tilting the reinforcement (pitched) board. The easiest way is to make a movable structure in the form of a frame on which the pitched board is located. The frame is tightened with ordinary bolts.

Support wheels

The design of a digger for a walk-behind tractor, created by yourself, must be equipped with movable wheels for ease of operation and movement.

It is most profitable to equip the digger with wheels from a garden wheelbarrow with wide tires. We purchase axles, attach them to the frame and install the wheels. It is easier to secure the wheels with a pin (as in a garden wheelbarrow).

Review of popular models

You need to choose a potato digger from popular models. Price and popularity are not always the result of increased advertising. Why you should pay attention to these options:

1. The popularity of brands and individual models is explained by their reputation among professionals. This means that these options showed their best side and interested farmers and gardeners in quality.

2. Manufacturers who enter a large market care about the quality of parts and assembly.

3. Popular models are more likely to have spare parts if repairs are needed.

KKM-1

KKM-1 is a screening or vibration type digger. It is purchased for working with light loose soils. The advantage will be low soil moisture in the beds. Immersion of the device is 20 centimeters. The width of the cut layer is 38 cm. In 1 hour, a gardener can cultivate 0.2 hectares. The advantage is the ability to adjust the immersion into the ground. The number of engine revolutions changes.

Important! The soil must have a low stone content.

KV M-3

If the previous model cannot cope with heavy soil, then this option is suitable for such purposes. You can connect another knife to the digger. This will increase the vibration. The device is universal. It is most compatible with the Salyut walk-behind tractor. It goes to a depth of 20 centimeters. You can cover 2 km in an hour.

Important! Working with this model is possible in damp and difficult soil.

Poltovchanka

This is another vibrating digger. It is harvested in a small area. “Poltovchanka” weighs only 35 kg, but can cultivate 2 hectares of land. In one hour, 0.2 hectares will be harvested. The recess is inferior to the previous options - 18 cm. And the width is larger - 39. Walk-behind tractors of any manufacture work with it. The soil humidity for harvesting should not be more than 30%. You can adjust the depth yourself.

See also Potato pests: description and control of them

KT-51

This is a conveyor type digger. The model is heavier than the previous ones. Weighs 47 kg. Cultivates a bed 45 centimeters wide. The gardener can independently change the depth of immersion into the soil with the support wheels. The speed is changed by the engine speed of the walk-behind tractor. The digger is recommended for use with heavy and medium-power machines.

KM-2

This device weighs quite a lot - 85 kg. The model is capable of processing a row to a set depth. The tubers are lifted to the surface. Damage is minimal. The digger works on soil of any complexity. Working width – 46 cm. Digging depth – up to 18 centimeters. Produce digger in Belarus.

The simplest potato digger for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands

A lancet-type potato digger is the simplest type of attachment for.
Manufacturing does not require special materials, complex drawings or measurements. You will need a bipod, but it can be easily cut, for example, from an old shovel. Make rods from reinforcement or adapt teeth from old forks. A thrifty owner will always find a use for even old broken garden tools.

To successfully use homemade equipment, you need to know the degree of soil density on the site. Otherwise, using such a potato digger will become inconvenient.

Easy to attach to any model of cultivator or mini-tractor. There are no moving parts in the design, so there is nothing to break.

What is required to create

Tools for making a miracle shovel.

So, to create a frame, you need to stock up on a water pipe with a nominal bore of about 20-25 mm; the backs from old Soviet beds (those made from lightweight duralumin-aluminum pipes) are suitable. The selection of welding equipment depends on the choice of pipe (for aluminum, electrodes and machines for welding non-ferrous metals are used). You also need to purchase rods that will serve as teeth.

The best fitting for these purposes is reinforcement about 0.3 m long. Next, the structure is equipped with a handle, for which an ordinary wooden handle is suitable.

Some are equipped with a carrying handle. The main cost item will be 4 bearings, which should perform the functions of movable fastening of the frames. Everything is completed by one single tool - an inverter welding unit. Why inverter? Because they can cook both non-ferrous and ferrous metals, replacing only the electrodes. And the consumables for it are electrodes of one or two types. After purchasing materials, assembly begins.

First, the pipe is bent so that its shape resembles the letter “P”. If the back of the bed is used as a frame, then all excess should be cut off from it, leaving only the pipes in the letter “P”. To bend a pipe, the required bending points are heated red-hot over a fire, and then bent against a wall or pole.

After preparing such a workpiece, reinforcement is attached to it by welding onto a short crossbar, which is welded parallel to the short frame crossbar (the distance from the frame crossbar to the crossbar with reinforcement is equal to 2 lengths of the reinforcement). This must be done so that the teeth face the jumper.

Next, some semblance of a pitchfork is made from the remaining pipe and fittings. In this case, the width of the forks should be 5 cm shorter than the width of the “P” frame. After which these forks are attached to the frame using bearings. At the final stage, the cutting is inserted into the device.

What and how to make it from

The designs, as you have seen, are different, but the set of materials will be approximately the same. Their number differs, but the cross-section and characteristics remain unchanged.

You can use a round or profiled pipe, metal rods or “parts” from forks

Materials for production

They usually start with making the frame. It is often made from a profiled pipe, the optimal cross-section is 30*30 mm or so. The wall thickness is important - at least 3 mm. Some models used a corner. The shelf width is also about 30 mm, the metal thickness is at least 3 mm.

The handle can be made from the same profile pipe, or you can use a round one. The thickness of the walls is also important. In principle, having made a latch, you can use a wooden shovel holder. Some purchased models provide for the installation of a wooden holder.

The main attention should be paid to the material that is used for the teeth of the working forks. It must be good structural steel

The forks are made from a rod of at least 8 mm in diameter.

What craftsmen make them from:

• They cut it off from an ordinary fork and weld it onto a miracle shovel.
• Straighten the suspension springs.
• Car springs are sawn into narrow strips.

If you can find a good rod - round, square or hexagonal - it doesn't matter, it will be much easier for you. Not a bad option, by the way, with pitchforks

But you have to buy good ones, and this is not cheap. And one more thing: calculate the dimensions of the miracle shovel so that the working forks have 8 pins. Then you will need to buy two jokes of ordinary pitchforks.

If the design is chosen with two forks - working and thrust, you can place pieces of a suitable length of metal rod on the thrust forks. The loads here are not so high, so the strength should be enough. The diameter of the rod is 10 mm; you can use ribbed reinforcement, which is used to reinforce the foundation.

Dimensions

Most companies that produce miracle shovels have a range of sizes for this product. Our people are different in build and physical fitness. For men, you can make more massive models, and for women and older people, smaller and lighter ones. The average sizes are:

• The width of the working part is from 45 cm to 60 cm. There is no need to do more: it will be difficult to dig and productivity will only decrease, not increase.
• The length of the working fork pins is 220-300 mm.
• The distance between the pins is 70-80 mm.
• The length of the handle is according to your height; it is more convenient if it ends near the shoulder.

The dimensions of the miracle shovel can be selected “to suit you” - it is important that it is convenient to work

All other sizes are selected depending on the design and material used.

Blueprints

Miracle shovel working forks

Detailing of the stop and forks

Full design with front stop

Option with single forks and rear support frame

Other dimensions of the digger and different design of the stop