We make a homemade potato digger for the tiller with our own hands
Drawings of homemade and factory potato diggers
Stages of manufacturing a potato digger of a roaring type
For people living in rural areas, harvesting potatoes in the fall remains a laborious task. Of course, today, few people perform such work by hand, using a shovel. Many people buy various mechanical devices for this, and some, the so-called “Kulibins”, make various devices with their own hands to save themselves and their loved ones from hard work. The potato digger, which operates with the help of a tiller of any modification, be it the favorite Neva model, or an apparatus from another manufacturer, is in particular demand among rural workers. The main thing here is to have a clear idea of what a homemade potato digger is, and to be able to create drawings according to the necessary calculations.
Design features and types
It is worth recalling right away that this mechanical device, as can be seen from the photo, clings to the tiller to do the job. Such a hand-made digger, as shown in the video, is capable of processing a land plot not only near the house, but also in the field..
The main purpose of the potato digger is to separate the potato tubers from the soil and lay them out on the ground area. Such a unit is easy to operate and has a simple design. Therefore, constructing it with your own hands is usually not difficult. The most important thing is that this hinged mechanism is suitable for any model of the tiller, be it the well-known “Neva” or another modification.
Before you start creative constructive work on the creation of a potato digger, you need to remember that it is adapted to work on soils with medium and low density criteria. For the manufacture of units adapted to work on heavy soils, it is necessary to have a deep knowledge of physics and mechanics..
A potato digger adapted to a tiller, as shown in the photo, is of the following types:
Rumbling or Vibrating Mechanism – It consists mainly of a share and a vibrating sieve. The principle of operation of this type of potato digger, operating with the help of a tiller, is simple. The soil, together with the potatoes, is undermined by the share. Then the immovable conveyor grate leaves the tubers on its surface, and the soil shakes off, like through a sieve, back. Such a model is effective in work, but rather difficult to manufacture..
A conveyor installation for digging potatoes – it can work freely, for example, on the basis of such a tiller as “Neva”. By design, the conveyor digger consists of a ploughshare and a moving conveyor, which has a special hooking device for supporting tubers on the platform and clearing soil. The conveyor structure for digging potatoes is more practical than the vibrating type of potato digger. But on soil with a light degree of density, it is impractical to use this type of device..
Pointed view – in terms of its structure, this is the simplest mechanism that can easily be adapted to any model of a mini tractor, for example, such as the “Neva”. It contains no movable parts. As shown in the video, the soil with the tubers is trimmed with a knife. Then the cut falls on the surface of special rods, where the earth is poured back, and the pure fruits lie on top of the soil. This digger is effective on the ground with a low degree of density, where it is not practical to use other types of devices..
Before you start designing such a device, first of all, you need to accurately determine the density of the soil on which it will be used. It is worth remembering that where the conveyor structure with a lancet appearance can be ideally applied, it will be difficult to work.
Drawings of homemade and factory potato diggers
For a small farm, so that it is convenient to harvest potatoes, you need to make a small device. It should be convenient during operation and can be easily hung on the tiller..
Potato digger design: 1-welded frame, 2 – knife, 3 – conveyor, 4 – pulley, 5 – connecting rod, 6 – bevel gear pulley. 7 – belt, 8 – post, 9 – adapter, 10 – support wheel, 11 – spring tensioner.
In order to make the device in question, you must have:
The coulter is cast from a high-quality metal alloy, with a thickness of at least 5 mm. To make it, you can use a saw from a circulation machine.
Metal corners in sizes 40 and 63 mm.
Steel bars. They are required to make a device, as shown in the photo, at least 8 pieces.
For the manufacture of a vibration-type potato digging device, it is required, first of all, to make a frame. It should be easily docked, for example, with the Neva mini-tractor or with another modification.
In general, as shown in the video, such a device consists of the following components:
Vertical adjustment rods.
To design such a unit, it is required to make accurate calculations and create drawings for them. Without following this rule, the DIY manufacturing process will be difficult..
Stages of manufacturing a potato digger of a roaring type
As you can see from the video, before starting work, you need to prepare the following tool:
angle grinder;
engraver or drill.
Also, to make the device, you need to prepare bolts and nuts.
stage – making the frame. To do this, as shown in the photo, a square pipe is cut into four parts. Two pieces should be 1200 mm and two should be 800 mm. The pipe size is 4040 mm. The prepared parts are connected by welding in a rectangle.
stage – Fastening the jumpers. It can be seen from the video that they are necessary to install the vertical control rods. This element is attached, about a quarter of the length of the base of the frame. At the other end, two wheel mounting elements are attached. A similar element should be made of two tubes with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of 150 mm.
stage – the establishment of vertical racks. On the side where the lintels are mounted, at a distance of 5 mm from the edge of the frame, two squares with a size of 3030 mm and a length of 500 mm are mounted vertically. After that, at a distance of 200 mm, racks with a length of 40 mm are installed. Then you need to retreat another 400 mm and fix the racks with a length of 300 mm. We connect the racks to each other with a strip of 0.4 mm.
stage – Ral making. First, on a metal sheet 400-400 mm, having a thickness of 0.3 mm, and at the bottom of the racks, two holes are prepared for fastening. The workpiece is rigidly attached to the racks. The same workpiece is attached on the other side. Another square of sheet metal 700-700 mm and 0.4 mm thick is butt-welded to the first element, and then using a sledgehammer is bent into the desired conical configuration.
stage – lattice design. For this, a rod with a diameter of 10 mm is attached from below to the finished ral, and the other end extends beyond the perimeter of the frame towards the traction mechanism, which may be the “Neva” model.
Next, you can install adjusting rods and wheels with your own hands. They are attached using specially prepared fasteners
There are several types of potato diggers:
- Passive devices. Such potato diggers are equipped with a modernized concave shovel. It sinks into the soil 5-10 cm below the occurrence of potato tubers and raises a layer of soil with tubers outward. The soil layer with tubers will be loosened if the angle of inclination was chosen correctly. Before picking potatoes, you will need to peel them by hand..
- Active type potato diggers maximally automate the harvesting process. Such devices are equipped with their own frame. On it are shovels for raising the earth and screens – devices for screening out the soil using vibration. The shovel lifts a layer of soil with potatoes, which, under the pressure of the next portions of soil, moves to a grate connected to a vibration mechanism. Thanks to the shaking, clods of soil are separated from the tubers and fall through the bars of the grate. Clean tubers accumulate on the net or fall over the sifted soil.
How to make a potato digger for a tiller with your own hands
Mechanization has become a part of our life. Most of the devices for cultivating the land and harvesting, used on collective farms and on farms, are used in a modified form by private traders..
One of these mechanized assistants is the potato digger. Now almost no one digs up potatoes by hand, exhausted from fatigue and back pain. Potato diggers automate the harvesting process, making it easy, fast and enjoyable. We will tell you how to make a potato digger for a tiller with your own hands.
The principle of operation of the potato digger is very simple: the loosening attachment is immersed under the potato tubers and extracts them outside with minimal losses. Potato diggers are installed on a tiller or mini tractor. Most Belarusians make potato diggers for MTZ mini tractors and tillers.
How to make a potato digger for a passive tiller
Please note that for the manufacture of the device, you will need not only the materials themselves, but the ability to handle the tool: an arc welding machine, a drill and a gas torch.
- Sheet metal 3-5 mm thick for a share. The stronger the steel, the less often the shovel will need to be sharpened..
- Rebar or steel circle with a diameter of 8-10 cm to create a screening grid.
- Suspension strip or channel for the manufacture of a suspension device
- Corner 30 mm to strengthen the resulting structure.
- Fasteners
The ploughshare is made according to the principle of a dovetail cultivator and then welded to the back of the rods. To create a rack, a steel strip is used, and the suspension is made from a channel.
The resulting homemade potato digger for tiller is convenient and easy to use.
How to make a potato digger with a rattling mechanism
The productivity of a potato digger with a roaring mechanism is about 2-3 times higher, but it is also much more difficult to manufacture it.
Necessary materials:
- Frame pipe
- Steel sheet 3-4 mm for making a bucket
- Steel reinforcement or circle for lattice
- Front hub from rear wheel drive vehicle.
- Reducer from the rear axle VAZ
- Splined connection from old gearbox
- Wheel
- Fasteners
Modified Horse Drawn Potato Digger In Action.
Required tools: welding machine, drill and angle grinder.
The tiller potato digger with a sifting mechanism rests on the ground using a wheel. A gearbox is connected to the wheel. The spline connection drives the share and the roar. To understand the principle of operation, take a look at the illustration..
The peeled tubers accumulate on the net. To unload the harvested tubers, you will have to stop the potato digger. If you set the grate at an angle, the tubers will fall on the loosened ground. You just have to collect them.
Experts who are well versed in technology write in this category and can describe in detail the advantages of this or that equipment:
reviews on motorcycles and scooters;
articles in question-answer mode;
lists of required accessories.
DIY potato digger for tiller
With the onset of the summer cottage season, many summer residents begin to cultivate their gardens. Some gardeners are accustomed to working with the land on their own, without the help of technology. But there are those who are used to cultivating the soil with the help of tillers, thereby making their work easier. The most popular adaptation to the tiller is the potato digger. Since buying an additional tool can be an expensive investment. You can assemble the potato digger yourself.
Potato diggers are of two types
Simple (similar to a regular shovel, only with welded iron bars)
Vibrating (a more complex design, for which you need an accurate drawing) Most often, a potato digger is used in summer cottages. Therefore, the size of the unit should be made small for convenient use..
In order to assemble a simple potato digger you will need:
Before starting work, you must decide which potato digger you need. A simple option is more suitable if the soil is light. For denser soil, a complex tool version is suitable..
In order to assemble a vibrating potato digger you need:
It is necessary to weld the frame, but before starting work, be sure to read the instructions. The frame must be welded from an iron channel and an angle of 63 by 40 millimeters. The frame size is approximately 120 centimeters. The channel must be welded, one from the base of the frame, and the second from the front edge (approximately 1/6). The channel is needed for the mounting base, part of the potato digger that you can adjust. Weld metal racks of different lengths to the edges of the side of the frame, at a distance of 10 cm. The base for the grating rods will be fixed to these posts. The remains of the channel must be welded to the short posts on both sides..
From sheet metal, you will need to cut a piece, 30 millimeters wide, and weld the edge to any of the triangles. To make a ploughshare you need a metal plate. The plate must be bent in the form of a plow and sharpened with a rounded type so that the potato is not damaged during use of the potato digger. The ploughshare must be fixed to the elevator casing using 4 bolts.
Next, you need to cut the reinforcement in order to weld one end of the rods to the plate, and the other could protrude beyond the frame of the tiller’s digger. So that the potatoes do not fall out from the side during work, you need to weld metal strips on the rods. Also, you need to make a mobility bracket. To do this, you need to take the ends of the reinforcement and weld them onto a metal bracket. Reinforce the bracket with the hinges at the end of the frame. You can install a cleaning drum. A drum can be made in the form of a cylinder from metal strips. Install the reduction unit on the slider rod, with which it will be possible to change the angle of inclination of the elevator itself and the share. Using the stars, attach the bridge post. Weld metal discs on both sides and you can attach the wheels.
You can attach the potato digger to the tiller in the same way as any other attachment.
In any case, self-assembled equipment will greatly facilitate your work and save time..
Features of screening structures
The second name for this design is a vibrating digger. This kind of potato digger for a tiller works according to the following principle: one of the elements – flat bread, goes deeper under the ground, and a fixed grate, leaving the tubers, sifts the soil, as if through a sieve. The tumble tiller potato digger is usually not capable of working large areas in one go. The driver is forced to traverse thin strips of land, which takes a lot of fuel and time to harvest.
The procedure for making a potato digger with your own hands
Before making the equipment, you will need to prepare the material and equipment. To work you need:
- Several sheets of metal, channels and metal corners;
- Bolts and nuts;
- Welding machine;
- Angle Grinder;
- Roulette;
- Sledgehammer.
Having collected everything you need, you can start studying the drawings. They indicate the material of each of the elements and their sizes..
It is very important to thoroughly study the scheme so as not to be distracted by the search for the necessary information during work..
Potato digger for tiller – DIY manufacturing features
Earlier, harvesting potatoes took a lot of time and effort. Today, the life of farmers has become easier, because there is an opportunity to purchase a potato digger for a tiller, which greatly simplifies the process, and allows you to save time and energy. And if you are not too lazy, then you can assemble a digger for the tiller with your own hands. In this case, the farm will also save a good amount of money..
Types of potato diggers
There is a considerable amount of inventory for digging potatoes with a tiller. All equipment is divided into several types:
- Roaring potato diggers;
- Devices equipped with a conveyor system;
- Pointed structures.
The speed and quality of digging potatoes by the tiller depends on what type of equipment you prefer. Below we will consider each of the types of inventory in more detail..
Construction of lancet potato diggers
The lancet, or fan design, is considered one of the simplest. During operation, the soil is trimmed with knives, and together with the crop it falls on special rods. The soil quickly crumbles from them, and the potatoes remain on their surface..
This type of fixture has been shown to be effective on soft, loose ground..
A potato digger for a tiller of this type has one drawback – when processing uneven areas, the claws get stuck in the ground, which is why the farmer has to constantly stop work.
Equipment with conveyor
This construction consists of a cube and a moving conveyor. Before digging potatoes, you will need to check the area for thick weeds so that they do not wind up on the “tray” of the device.
The Spedo Potato Digger for the BCS Tractor
The construction conveyor is equipped with a hook element, which is designed to hold the potatoes on a special platform. In this case, the soil is simply poured from the platform, thanks to which the farmer gets clean potatoes..
This type of equipment is quite practical, but should not be used on wet ground..
The entire homemade design should consist of several basic elements:
- Ploughshare;
- Support and transport mechanism;
- Reliable frame;
- Shafts;
- Elevator.
Transporter potato diggers
They are much easier to make on their own, but in our opinion they peel potatoes from the ground just as well..
Their knives are the same as those of the screening machines, and the potatoes are peeled while moving along the conveyor belt. It is clear that the longer it is, the better the potatoes will peel, but long conveyor belts can only be placed on potato diggers used with tractors. On tillers, they will interfere with the person following him.
The conveyor belt drive can be different. If it is taken from the wheels of the digger itself, then they should be with good lugs so that they do not get stuck on wet or very loose ground..
Interesting in this design and rear guides, more compactly stacking potatoes behind the belt.
In this do-it-yourself conveyor potato picker, the belt is driven from the power take-off shaft of a homemade tiller and transmitted by a motorcycle chain.
To view a picture, click on its thumbnail to the right
In the manufacture of this type of potato digger, the main problem will be the selection of the speed of rotation of the drive gear of the conveyor and its coordination with the revolutions 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 matched 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 to us to be more expedient..
There are models designed for specific tillers and mini tractors, like this one for mechanisms with a side PTO:
Roaring potato diggers
This is the most common type of potato diggers produced by various machine-building plants in Russia and abroad. It has small design differences, primarily in the design of the drive of the screen grate – the pallet oscillates during operation, which allows the potatoes to be partially cleared of the ground during the movement of the potato digger.
The knife of such a digger can have different configurations. It can be fixed motionless, or it can be hinged and fluctuate slightly during movement, simplifying the process of digging out tubers. Knife width is 35 – 40 cm.
Fan potato diggers
The easiest to manufacture, also produced industrially, but most of them require some modifications.
It is immediately clear that they are based on the same hiller, it is he, buried below the level of occurrence of tubers, loosens and unfolds the soil. And here 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 at the top.
The depth of penetration is regulated by thrust wheels, and the transverse bar serves as a support for the legs, standing on which a person, with his own weight, provides the required penetration to the device.
It is this scheme of the fan potato digger that seems to us the most productive. The digging process itself can be seen here:
The following is an exemplary drawing of such a potato digger, containing the main parameters for manufacturing.
You will have to modify the shape, angle of attack and other nuances yourself, taking into account your soil, power and driving characteristics of the tiller on which you plan to install the potato digger, and even potato varieties that form tubers at different depths.
A kind of such a digger without a fan, designed for two people:
DIY drawings
It is this type of potato digger, despite the sufficient difficulty in manufacturing, is made by home craftsmen with their own hands more often than others. We offer rough drawings with the main dimensions of such a potato digger for a tiller.
A large number of joints of moving parts makes this device regularly serviced, but the result of its work is better than that of fan potato diggers:
Potatoes are better cleaned from the ground and located on its surface.
The magnitude and frequency of vibrations of the screen can be different and depends on the design of the drive, but even with minor vibrations, the cleaning proceeds quite well:
Drum potato diggers
This is a rather rare version of equipment for mini-equipment, therefore, it is mostly homemade. Cleaning potatoes from soil in such devices is quite high quality, as well as laying it on the ground, but the design itself is quite controversial, and the tubers are more damaged than when digging with the above potato diggers, and therefore they are worse preserved.
What is simpler in them is a direct rotation drive from the power take-off shaft. Everything else – making the drum, thrust rollers and bearings – is clearly more complicated. The design of the knife has no special features, except that it is preferable for it to have a more rounded shape in the back, so that the potatoes are not additionally damaged when they enter the drum.
Potato digger for tiller, types of structures, drawings for making by hand
The main part of the garden areas of Russians is traditionally allotted for potatoes, because among our people it is also called the second loaf. Many have shifted part of the work of growing potatoes onto their shoulders, or rather onto trailed equipment for small-scale mechanization: tillers and mini tractors..
And if planting potatoes is not a lot of work, then hilling, and most importantly, digging up is not an easy task. For hilling and weeding, the hiller supplied with the tillers is most often used, but for digging in its pure form it is not quite suitable. Let’s figure out what to dig and how to make a potato digger for a tiller with our own hands.
Several designs of potato diggers for tillers and mini tractors are known. Let’s consider them: from the simplest to high-tech.
Equestrian potato digger
There are still quite a few of them on sale on the Internet. They are imported mainly from Poland and are converted into mini tractors and tillery..
At the same time, given the higher speed of movement of this technique in comparison with the horse, in addition to altering the trailing device, a limiter-shield is placed on it from the side onto which the dug potatoes are thrown. Otherwise, it will have to be collected in neighboring areas. A wedge-shaped paw digs in potatoes, as in fan diggers, and the drive of the device that takes out tubers from the ground is carried out from wheels with lugs. The higher the travel speed, the faster this potato remover rotates..
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