Scrap Iron Potato Digger

Scrap Iron Potato Digger CROPS Miscellaneous Getting potatoes out of the ground doesn t have to be slow back-breaking work nor does it require a large investment in equipment The Hal Martfeld family of Unity Sask made a home-built digger attachment for their tractor
     Although we don t grow potatoes commercially we do grow enough for family and friends and that makes digging them by hand a real chore Hal explains The tool we made fastens to our front-end loader and makes the job go much easier
    The device consists of two heavy 6-ft long steel bars bolted together A cultivator shank attaches to one end An ordinary cultivator sweep is bolted to the shank but the wings of the standard 14-in shovel have been twisted to give them a more aggressive angle Martfeld also welded flat steel plates to the sweep widening it a little on each side
    He bolts the attachment to digger teeth on his loader bucket
     The digger s working depth and angle are adjustable from the tractor seat using the front-end loader controls he explains It must stick out from the loader far enough to give the operator a good view and to prevent potatoes from rolling under the tires as you drive down the row
    Martfeld says it s quite important that the potatoes be well-hilled for the tool to work properly It s not necessary to pull the plants before going down the row he says
     We work toward the center of the patch by going down one side and up the other then picking the potatoes before repeating the procedure Martfeld says
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Hal Martfeld P O Box 1949 Unity Sask Canada S0K 4L0 ph 306 228-3525

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