Potato digging advice.

Fullers Farmalls · Aug 11, 2014

Well on Wednesday(if the weather cooperates) we will be digging our potatoes. Last year the digger plate snapped after i let it go to deep and hit unplowed ground. I made a new plate and installed it. I changed the angle to make it easier to scoop the potatoes up to the shaker chain. I'm pulling it with a Super M and a 3 point add on hitch. Any suggestions to help smooth the process out? Seemed we were having potatoes falling off the sides now going up to the chain. Here are a few pictures from last year. I'll take some more tomorrow to show the changes and maybe you guys can help me make a few more changes

Mike (WA) · Aug 11, 2014

Looks like you could extend the side panels down further, to keep everything on the mechanism instead of falling off. I assume they're falling off just above the plate, before the side panels start.

gbs · Aug 11, 2014

three things that make a digger work good are polish the blade so the dirt slides easy,mow off the vines if there are any left and bar off your rows to match the width of the digger, looks like you have too much distance between the blade and digging chain the dirt will have a tendency to go between the blade and causing it to beat the potatoes if it appears to have that problem temporarily tack a piece of metal under the blade and narrow the gap to see if it helps, more or less depends on the texture of the dirt,good looking old machine hope it works well for you

Robin Hood · Aug 12, 2014

I believe I have the same model. Always wondered who made it. Saw a little dark green on the side. Was wondering if Oliver made them?

Fullers Farmalls · Aug 12, 2014

I wondered too. I had it torn down pretty far and saw that dark green as well. I don't know who made it but it sure beats hand digging them.

Spudm · Aug 12, 2014

A PTO driven potato digger works much better than one with pick wheels. Cutting the tops help, and your rows have to be clean, no weeds or summer grass. However, potatoes will still roll off the side of the lift plate and not onto the chain, simply because it is not wide enough. Not much you can do about it, just the way they were built. Still better than digging by hand, sometimes.....

Farmall43 · Aug 12, 2014

Looks like it would be much easier than hand digging them. Keep us posted on how it goes. I normally plant 4 rows/hills about 100' long. If it works really well maybe I will have to look for one myself.

wijim · Aug 12, 2014

Around here you would need a D8 to pull that thing. LOL

John_PA · Aug 13, 2014

Looks like the weather should be fine, but, after those lines that passed us yesterday and today, I would think the bottom ground down there would be quite muddy, still. Friday, maybe Saturday, the ground should be really REALLY loose and not so much mud.

Wish I could come over and help with a garden fork. If you have taters dropping over the table, then you did real good!

If you can get that thing shined up, it should dig a lot better, but, to do that, you need to run it through a ton of sandy clay ground to get all that big rust off.

I think you should be fine, no matter what you do, because if you had to do all that by hand, you wouldn't get any tractor time in! It's better to get to drive the tractor, than trudge through the field with a garden fork anyday.

I wish you good luck! Any ideas for all the potatoes? Try East Liberty Farmers Market. People dahn'ere pay a pream-yuhn for dem spuds! Plus, the people you will meet are just crazy hysterical! It's a fun day for sure.

Potato digging advice.

Fullers Farmalls

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Mike (WA)

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gbs

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Robin Hood

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Fullers Farmalls

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Spudm

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Farmall43

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wijim

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John_PA

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