Making devices for planting and weeding potatoes with your own hands. Potato planting marker: purpose, types and designs The principle of operation of mechanized options

Planting potatoes is hard work. To facilitate the work, craftsmen are constantly coming up with new devices with which you can quickly and effortlessly cope with the sowing. A potato planting marker is a device designed to facilitate manual labor and make the beds straight, with evenly distributed holes for tubers. Potatoes planted under the marker are subsequently easy to process with attachments for mini tractors, walk-behind tractors, manual and mechanized cultivators.

There are ready-made products on sale, but the advantage of a home-made marker is that the distance between the nearest stakes (cones or plows) for forming holes or grooves for planting material will exactly match the distance between the wheels of your walk-behind tractor or mini tractor.

Types of markers for planting potatoes

Markers are both very simple and quite complex. These devices are often made from improvised material. Someone found wooden stakes and strong boards, while someone used shaped or round steel pipes. It doesn’t matter what the tool handle or frame will be made of, only the distances between the elements that punch holes are important.

The simplest marker

It is a wooden stake about 90 cm high and about 60–70 mm in diameter. A crossbar attached at a height of 150 mm from the point serves as a stop that limits the depth of the hole. To work with such a tool, you need to mark the places of future holes with the help of cords: they are pulled along the rows at a certain distance from each other (40, 50, 60, 70 or 80 cm).

The distance between the cords depends on whether manually or with the help of a walk-behind tractor it is planned to carry out weeding and hilling. The interval between the bushes is chosen in the range of 25–30 cm, depending on the size of the planting material and on how powerful the stems are characteristic of this variety.

Marker for planting potatoes according to the Mittlider system

A more complex marker model is shown in Figure 1. This fixture is made from 1/2″ metal tubing (21mm OD). A cylinder with a conical end (hereinafter referred to as a cone), which punches holes, is made of a pipe with a diameter of 55 or 65 mm and is welded to the frame. A pipe pin (Ø 21 mm) is designed to mark the next hole at a distance of about 29 cm from the previous one.

Rice. 1. Marker for planting potatoes with markings according to the Mittlider system

Starting the first row, the frame is placed parallel to the cord stretched along the beds, and pressed into the ground with force. Then, a cone is stuck into the hole marked by the marking pin, and so on, until the end of the row. Moving to another path, holes are made in a checkerboard pattern on the other side of the garden. If you plant potatoes according to the Mittlider method, using such a device, you can grow a solid crop on a small area: up to 1000 kg per hundred square meters (100 m2).

Marker that punches three holes at once

The assembly scheme is shown in fig. 2. It consists of a frame made of steel pipes and three cones.

Rice. 2 Potato planting marker for 3 holes in a row

The welded frame of the device is made of a profile pipe 25x25x2 mm, light and durable. You can use improvised materials, for example, a steel water and gas pipe with a diameter of 32 mm. A duralumin pipe is also suitable, but steel lends itself better to welding. It is recommended to carve cones from aluminum or from dense wood: acacia, oak.

A hole is made in the upper (cylindrical) part of this part and an M8 thread is cut. 3 through holes with a diameter of 9 mm were drilled in the pipe, through which the cones were drawn to the lower crossbar with M8 bolts. With bolts from 40 to 80 mm long, the depth of the hole can be adjusted. The distance between the cones is 450 mm. The open ends of the support pipe must be closed with plugs. The B* dimension varies depending on how deep the hole is required: the longer the fixing bolts, the more options.

Wooden cones need to be polished with sandpaper, varnished or varnished so that the earth does not stick. Metal parts must be protected from rust: they must be painted. Everyone selects the height of the frame according to their height, the given size is convenient for a person with a height of 160–175 cm.

Marker that allows you to adjust the distance between the holes

Consider a marker, the design of which provides for the ability to change the distance between future potato bushes at your own discretion. On fig. 3 and 4 show a drawing and a diagram of the operation of such a tool.

Rice. 3 Drawing of a tracer-potato planter with two cones (2 holes in a row)

1 - carrier beam (water and gas pipe with a diameter of 60 mm, with a wall thickness of 3 mm, a length of 565 mm) - 1 pc.

2 - conical tip - 2 pcs. They are made according to the development of the cone element (on the drawing field, pos. 2) from a steel sheet 1.5 mm thick.

3 - cylindrical body (pipe Ø 60x3 mm, length 100 mm) - 2 pcs.

4 - marker (pipe Ø 21x2.5 mm, length 250 mm) - 3 pcs.

5 - retractable bracket for marker (pipe Ø 21x2.5 mm, length 330 mm) - 2 pcs.

6 - guide sleeve (pipe Ø 27x3 mm, length 65 mm) - 3 pcs.

7 - bolt M8x40 (fixing) - 3 pcs.

8 - M8 nut (welded) 3 pcs.

9 - sleeve for the rack (pipe Ø 27x3 mm, length 120 mm) - 1 pc.

10 - two-piece welded stand (pipe Ø 21x2.5 mm, length 1500 mm) - 1 pc.

11 - bolt M10x20 (pressure) - 1 pc.

12 - retractable bracket (pipe Ø 54x2.5 mm, length - 560 mm) - 1 pc.

13 - plug - 2 pcs.

A bushing for the rack (pos. 10), a nut (pos. 8) and two guide bushings for brackets (pos. 6), as well as two prefabricated elements that punch holes, are welded to the supporting beam (pos. 1). To make them, cylinders and conical tips (pos. 2 and 3) are welded together.
Two of the three markers are welded to the brackets (pos. 5), the third - to the retractable bracket (pos. 12), and then fixed at a distance of 500 mm from the extreme cone.

Bolts (pos. 7) are screwed into the nuts (pos. 8) welded to the bushings (pos. 6) and directly to the beam to secure the retractable brackets (pos. 4 and 12).

The post (pos. 9) is inserted into the sleeve (pos. 10) and secured with a clamping bolt (pos. 11). Plugs are welded to the handles (pos. 13).
The design of this marker differs from the previous ones in that the pins marking the next row of holes are retractable, and the distance between the holes can be changed. The dimensions that determine the distance between the cones (500 mm) and the height of the rack (870 mm) can be changed during manufacture, taking into account the size of the row spacing and the height of the worker. On Fig. 4 shows a diagram of the operation of such a tool.

Fig 4. Scheme of work

Before starting work, set the required length of the brackets with pins for marking (this will be the distance between the holes), then they are clamped in the bushings with fixing bolts. After that, the device is installed at the beginning of the row, touching the cord stretched along the ridge. The first holes are punched, the tool is shaken to seal the walls of the hole, and moved forward so that the cones hit the marks left by the marking pins.

In this way, they continue to move, leaving even rows of holes on the bed, made at the same distance from each other.

Potatoes are one of the most popular crops for growing in the backyard. Often the reason for limiting the landing area is only the lack of extra workers. In such a situation, you can quickly make a device for planting potatoes with your own hands and at least double the productivity of country work.

Potato Planters

A device with which potatoes are planted must meet certain requirements:

Cones for holes at the same distance.
The dug recesses should descend to an identical level.

Uniformity is convenient for large gardens with the ability to simplify further processing of the beds.

A mechanized device for planting potatoes in a selected area is offered for sale. Such a seeder for introducing tubers into the ground is single-row, two-row and three-row.

The basis of the structure is a frame on which a container is attached, designed for 20-30 kg of tubers. It is driven by a mini-cultivator or a mini-tractor.

The structure is placed on top of a plane equipped with elevators that guide the tubers into the planting recesses. Due to the equal distance between the holes, weeding and hilling of potato seedlings is easier in the future.

Smooth beds are obtained by planting tubers to the required depth.

With the use of this simple device, it is equally convenient to plant potato fields and small house garden plots.

Varieties of potato planters

The use of a potato planter in any area makes the work convenient and simple. Depending on preferences, different types of equipment for the mechanization of planting tubers can be used.

Devices for planting potatoes by hand are very popular. The simplest of them is a convenient punch, made in the form of a cone. Planting uniformity provides a marker for planting potatoes in the beds.

Such a device is easy to make yourself. To make it, you will need to attach a horizontal bar to the handle, along which sufficiently long spikes are evenly placed. The distance between them is determined depending on the estimated distance between future holes.

Other tuber placement devices may also be used. For example, the hedgehog cultivator is convenient for use, the distance is set on it immediately. Manual labor with such a nozzle is almost not required. Potatoes are automatically directed to the garden beds, sinking into the ground with the help of special outlets.

The landing hedgehog is a conical structure. For its implementation, you will need to use three disks of different diameters, connected by steel jumpers. Inside there is a fixed axle made of steel pipe. Spikes made of a metal bar are welded onto the discs. Passing between the beds, such a design, rotating, loosens the soil and removes the rhizomes of weeds.

Such a device can be moved manually using the attached handle or attached to a walk-behind tractor.

How to make a planter with your own hands

To plant potatoes in a field or garden bed in a short time, it is best to use automated or manual equipment. In any case, planting with a potato planter takes less time than doing all the work just by hand. An important advantage is the absence of the need to constantly bend over the beds, which often causes pain in the lumbar spine.

A preliminary drawing of the devices will visually show how to make a device for planting tubers. Most of the special equipment makes it possible to immediately determine the distance between the holes and the number of rows processed at the same time. Easy-to-use home-made machines are carried by hand or attached to a cultivator.

Potato tubers are placed in a container that is installed on the platform of the machine. Their size is taken into account in the manufacture of an "elevator" (hole or pipe) that guides the future seedling to the selected depth of the hole in each bed.

Preparation and materials

You will need:

steel sheet profile for forming the base;
several pipes with a diameter of 5 centimeters or more for an "elevator" or a cone;
mounts connecting the device to the walk-behind tractor.

At the same time, the drawing of the marker for the potato planter can be changed depending on the selected size and depth of planting tubers. If necessary, the diameter of the “elevator” pipes is varied to fill the gardens with small potato seedlings. Small ones are recommended in case of sowing the field with potato seedlings with eyes that are difficult to introduce into the soil.

The diameter can be changed using a simple manual landing cone.

Step by step production

Making any potato planter begins with drawing up a drawing. Next are the elevators. When the cones are completed, the distance that will separate each planted tuber is determined. It will be 25–50 centimeters, depending on the selected variety and soil type.

The next step is to determine the height of the rack, depending on the parameters of the beds. If the structure is placed on a platform, it is connected with M8 bolts to nuts and wheels. As a base, you can use a device for a trimmer or a walk-behind tractor, on which platforms with cones and a container for tubers are attached. Next, you need to fix the racks that provide the connection of the "elevators" and the tank. The hole for planting potatoes closes the valve, by opening which the tubers are directed strictly into the formed holes.

To determine the length of the manual device with which the container with tubers is transferred, the height of the owner of the site is taken into account. For ease of use, the handle of automated or manual equipment is placed so that it is convenient for the worker to perform all actions with a straight back. To perform the design when creating individual parts, you can use cutters for wood or metal.

All parts of a potato planter of any type are assembled independently. Such a device will be successfully used for many years.

This marker can be used when planting potatoes. This marker is attached to the shoe. It is easy to make these peculiar "skis".

Take two planks 60 cm long and 10-12 cm wide, cut 4 wooden cones from an ordinary log (12 cm in diameter at the base and 15 cm long), which will make holes for potatoes in loose soil.

In order for the cones to serve for a long time, cover them with tin and attach them to the boards with screws at a distance of 30 cm from each other.

These markers are attached to the shoes in the same way as skis were previously attached to felt boots: I nail a piece of leather or woven belt to the wooden surface of the “ski”.

And to make it easier to move on cones across arable land, pick up a horn with a spacer. Pressing one end of it to the leg, mark the other end for another row. At the same time, your assistant only has time to throw the tubers into the nests formed behind you.

With this method of planting, you do not need to bend over and throw the soil with a shovel. Not only productivity increases, but also the quality of work. And the beds on the field are perfectly flat.

And for those who sometimes do not have time to prepare the entire potato plot for planting at once, I advise you to dig only rows 30 cm wide. At the same time, you will meet the deadlines and spend less effort than with traditional digging. And you can loosen the soil between the rows later, closer to the time of hilling the bushes.

Cultivators for planting potatoes

Devices for cultivating the land are called cultivators. The cultivator can loosen the soil, plow the ground, remove weeds, fertilize, plant, hill up.

Motorized equipment used in household plots and farms is divided into three types: motor cultivators, mini-tractors. They differ in power and volume of functions performed.

Motocultivators are divided into classes depending on the weight. Mechanisms up to 30 kg belong to the first class and are designed to work in small areas. Motor cultivators up to 60 kg belong to the second class, they work on large areas. Units up to 100 kg belong to the third class. For work on household plots, cultivators of the second class are purchased, nozzles are purchased separately.

Table: comparison of motorcycles

Photo gallery: types of cultivators

The cultivator is lighter and more maneuverable than a walk-behind tractor, it is used in small areas The walk-behind tractor has drive wheels, the most popular technique for a summer resident. A mini-tractor can work on large areas, is easy to use, the main assistant to the farmer

For all types of cultivators there is a set of nozzles for performing various jobs.

Hillers are used to hill potatoes and create furrows during planting. Potato digger makes harvesting potatoes easier. With the help of mounted mowers, they mow the grass. A potato planter will help with planting potatoes. Pumps are used for watering land. Large tracts of land are plowed with a plow.

Hedgehogs for landing, equipment features

The hedgehog device consists of two parts, each of which is a set of discs of different sizes with spikes fastened together at a certain distance. These two disk structures are interconnected in such a way that they form an angle. The presence of an angle allows the movement of the cultivator to form an earthen ridge.

When processing ridges, structures are used both from one hedgehog and from several, fastened together by a frame.

Photo gallery: varieties of hedgehogs for weeding potatoes

The main function of hedgehogs is weeding, loosening, hilling potato plantings. Two weeks after planting, when there are no potato shoots yet, it is recommended to carry out pre-emergence processing of the field with hedgehogs. The hedgehog removes weeds with roots and loosens the soil. After such treatment, the growth of the root system is enhanced.

Hillers for landing

Okuchnik - a device for a cultivator designed for planting and hilling potatoes. This fixture can be single row, double row, triple row, or have more than three rows. The greater the number of rows, the higher the productivity of the cultivator. The technique for using hillers with a large number of rows should be more powerful.

Photo gallery: varieties of hillers

Single-row hiller for a motor cultivator Two-row hiller for a motor-block Okuchnik three-row for a mini-tractor

Hiller models come with a fixed or variable working width. With a fixed working width, potatoes are planted with a width between rows of at least 70 cm for easy hilling. If the hiller rebuilds the working width, then the row spacing can be any.
The technology of using a two-row hiller when planting potatoes involves the use of a marker for marking. The okuchnik is installed at the markup and the furrows begin to be cut. After the turn, one hiller can be lowered into the cut furrow, or you can continue cutting furrows along the marked lines. After cutting the furrows, the planting of potatoes begins. The tubers are laid in furrows at a distance of 35–40 centimeters, then the furrows are covered with earth.

mini planters

Mounted potato planter consists of several blocks:

a small plow for cutting furrows;
compartment for potatoes;
special hillers for backfilling potatoes with earth.

Just like hedgehogs and hillers, the potato planter is homogeneous and multi-row. The use of one or another modification depends on the power of the equipment and the composition of the soil.

Photo gallery: varieties of potato planters

Single-row potato planter for a motor-cultivator or walk-behind tractor Two-row potato planter for a walk-behind tractor A four-row potato planter is capable of planting potatoes on an area of 2 hectares in one hour of work

To perform the landing, you need to replace the rubber wheels with grousers. When the potato planter passes through the site, all operations are performed simultaneously: grooves are made, tubers are laid, tubers are covered with earth. Simultaneously with the planting of potatoes, fertilizers can be applied if an additional device is used.

Landing by mini tractor

A mini-tractor is used in areas with any terrain.
Of course, this technique is not suitable for a small area, there is nowhere to turn around. Such a mechanism must be purchased if the area of \u200b\u200bthe site is more than 50 acres. Mini-tractors are divided into light (power up to 14 hp), medium and heavy (up to 35–45 hp). With the help of a mini-tractor, you can perform the following work:

plow;
plant;
cultivate;
apply fertilizer;
mow the grass;
clear the site of debris;
remove snow;
fill holes and trenches.

For planting with a mini tractor, it is preferable to use a potato planter. The hiller is not suitable in this case, because the width of the furrows differs from the track width of the tractor, and during subsequent hilling the tracks will not match. Experienced farmers use an unusual technique. For the first pass, only two hiller bodies are used, placing them at a distance of 30 cm from the middle of the wheels. Lay out the potatoes. Then they add a third hiller, go along the first track and bury potatoes.

Devices for planting potatoes manually

Hand tools include a hand plow, markers and a hand cultivator.

A very convenient device is the Vyatka Plowman plow. Planting potatoes is done in this way. Furrow No. 1 is dug, tubers are laid out in it. They begin to dig a second furrow, while digging in the first. Furrow No. 2 is used for laying fertilizer. When digging the third furrow, the second one is covered with earth. Tubers are again laid in furrow No. 3. And the whole procedure is repeated. The row spacing with this planting is 60 cm.

The tool is height adjustable.

Another device for planting potatoes is a marker. A very useful and handy item. The material from which the marker is made is high-quality steel. The width between the cones can vary from 10 to 50 cm.

Hand cultivators are available for sale. With the help of a manual cultivator "Zemlerob (6 in 1)" you can perform several types of work:

plant and spud root crops;
loosen, weed and cut weeds;
sow the seeds of almost all agricultural crops;
loosen the crusts on the surface of the ridge before planting.

Homemade equipment for planting and hilling potatoes, schemes

The range of home-made equipment for processing potatoes is huge. And although there are many devices on sale with which you can plant and spud potatoes, craftsmen are constantly creating new devices to facilitate and speed up work in the sowing season.

The simplest device is a marker. Its purpose is to mark the ridges in such a way as to make the plantings even and suitable for further processing by motor cultivators. For self-made markers, the distance between the cones coincides with the dimensions of the track of the existing equipment, which will subsequently be used to process landings. Homemade markers are simple and complex, made of wood or metal. The main thing here is how far apart are the cones that pierce the holes.

Do-it-yourself potato planting markers

Markers differ from each other in the number of cones for punching holes.

One hole marker

The simplest marker is a wooden stake about 90 cm high and 60–70 mm in diameter. At a distance of 15 cm from the tip, a crossbar is fixed perpendicularly. This is a stop to limit the depth of the hole. The places of the pits are marked with the help of cords.

Three hole marker

The marker for three holes is a frame and three cones. The distance between the cones is 450 mm. The cones are attached to the bottom bar of the frame with bolts that allow you to adjust the depth of the pits. Materials used:

profile pipe 25x25x2 mm;
aluminum or dense wood for cones;
M8 bolts 40–80 mm long.

Marker with adjustable hole spacing

The distance between the wells depends on how the marker pins are extended.

To make a marker with an adjustable distance between the holes, you will need materials:

water and gas pipe with a diameter of 60 mm, with a wall thickness of 3 mm, a length of 565 mm for a carrier beam;
steel sheet 1.5 mm thick for conical elements;
pipe 60x3 mm, 100 mm long for a cylindrical body;
pipe 21x2.5 mm, 250 mm long for a marker;
pipe 21x2.5 mm, length 330 mm for a retractable marker bracket;
pipe 27x3 mm, 65 mm long for the guide sleeve;
bolt M8x40 (fixing) - 3 pcs.;
nut M8 (welded) 3 pcs.;
pipe 27x3 mm, 120 mm long for the stand bushing;
pipe 21x2.5 mm, 1500 mm long for a two-piece welded stand;
bolt M10x20 (clamping) - 1 pc.;
pipe 54x2.5 mm, length - 560 mm for a retractable bracket;
cap - 2 pcs.

How to make a marker.

Make elements for punching holes. Weld the cylinders and cones (2 and 3) together.
Weld the post bushing (10), the nut (8), two guide bushings for the brackets (6) and two hole punching elements to the carrier beam.
Weld two markers to the brackets (5).
Weld the third marker to the retractable bracket (12), fix it at a distance of 50 cm from the extreme cone.
Screw the bolts into the nuts (8).
Insert the post (9) into the bushing (10) and fix it with the clamping bolt (11).
Weld the end caps to the handles (13).

Photo gallery: varieties of markers for planting potatoes

Do-it-yourself shovel-harvester

Another device is a shovel-harvester. It is arranged in such a way. Two shovels in the shape of a triangle are attached to the handles. In a closed position, the shovels resemble a beak. The shovel goes deep into the ground by pressing the “beak”, the handles are reduced, the shovels open underground, a tuber is thrown into the resulting hole. Then the shovel is taken out of the ground without closing it. The tuber remains in the garden.

Photo gallery: shovel-combine

Drawing of a shovel-harvester A shovel-harvester is a simple device for planting potatoes

Do-it-yourself potato planter for a walk-behind tractor

Folk engineers even make accessories for motor cultivators with their own hands. Many authors who published descriptions of their homemade potato planters used drawings of factory-made units. The principle of operation of the mechanism is that when the mini-tractor or walk-behind tractor moves, the wheels of the unit spin, the axis with the leading star rotates. Above the leading star is a small star. The stars are connected by a chain. Cups are welded onto the chain to remove potatoes from the hopper.

Factory potato planter (assembly drawing): 1 - counterweight; 2 - unit; 3 - bracket; 4 - tensioner; 5 - conveyor; 6 - hopper; 7, 9, 16, 23, 24 - bolt; 8 - rack; 10 - sector; 11 - disk; 12 - ridge height; 13 - landing pitch; 14 - furrower; 15 - landing depth; 17 - hitch; 18 - gauge; 19 - bracket; 20 - drive drum shaft; 21 - conveyor; 22 - angle of attack

The frame for a homemade potato planter is assembled from channels. A bunker made of plywood or metal is installed on the frame, the bunker is equipped with a feed elevator. The elevator is assembled from special cups. The cups are fixed on the chain at a distance of 270 mm and move with the chain.

Photo gallery: feed elevator device in a potato planter

Drawing of fixing the cups on the chain

Materials for the manufacture of potato planters:

metal corner;
a tank from a Soviet washing machine;
gear;
chain;
fittings;
steel wire;
channel;
wheels.

What tools will be needed:

welding machine;
Bulgarian;
drill;
hammer;
a set of keys;
screwdriver;
wire cutters.

Work order:

Cut corners and channel to size.
Weld the structure.
Attach the axle with the gear to the frame.
Make cups.
Attach the cups to the chain.
Weld vertical bars to the frame.
Install the wheels on the axle and tension the chain.

Do-it-yourself hedgehogs for weeding potatoes

Some farmers make their own hedgehogs for hilling potatoes. According to the principle of action, homemade hedgehogs do not differ from the factory ones. For the manufacture of hedgehogs you will need materials:

steel sheet 4 mm;
steel strip 20 mm wide and 4 mm thick;
a metal rod with a thickness of 8 mm in diameter and a length of 100 to 140 mm;
inch pipe;
metal rod with a diameter of 20 mm;
steel strip 70 mm wide and 4 mm thick, 200 mm long.

To make hedgehogs, you will need tools:

welding machine;
gas cutter for metal;
angle grinder (grinder);
set of locksmith tools.

The order of work in the manufacture of hedgehogs.

Cut two rings from a sheet of metal using a cutting torch. The outer diameter of the rings is 300 mm, the inner diameter is 200 mm.
In a circle with a diameter of 200 mm, which was left from a large ring, cut holes with a diameter of 100 mm.
Cut out a third pair of discs with a diameter of 100 mm, in which holes are cut in the center for the pipe. The hole should be 1 cm larger than the pipe diameter.
Cut from a steel strip 24 strips with a length of at least 90 mm.
Of these, 16 will be needed to connect two pairs of large and medium discs, 8 (4 for each cone) - for medium and small.
Connect large and medium rings with jumpers (8 pieces for each cone), this should be done according to the marks made in advance. First, draw two diameters perpendicular to each other, then, turning the ruler 45º, draw two more lines at right angles. On small drives, 4 jumpers are enough.
Cut 80–90 pins 120 mm long from a bar with a diameter of at least 8 mm. Sharpen the pins on both sides at an angle of 45º. Remove sharp uneven edges and burrs with a grinder.
Weld 15 spikes on large rings, 10 spikes on medium rings, 5 spikes on small rings.
Bend the bracket on which the axis will be fixed. Weld the bracket or make 2 holes in it for bolted connections.
Assemble the device: the large rings will be inside, and the small disks will be outside. The distance between the large ring and the small disc must not exceed 170 mm. Insert the ends of the axles into the holes of the brackets. You can fix the axles in the holes with nuts (if the axle is threaded) or by welding.
Clean up all the bumps, paint the structure.

There are many devices for planting and hilling potatoes. The choice depends on the area to be treated. Many devices can be made independently. Each grower chooses the best option for him.

Potatoes are one of the favorite root vegetables of most people. And therefore it is not surprising that on almost every personal plot you can see its plantings. But the areas of these landings are very different. Some have a small garden, while others have a whole plantation. And this is due not only to differences in the size of summer cottages. An important role in this matter is played by the method of landing. Doing it manually is difficult and tedious. But the technique will greatly facilitate the implementation of this process. A special device for planting potatoes with your own hands can be aggregated, for example, with a walk-behind tractor or a mini tractor. And it can be used as a separate unit. Let's consider several such options.

Preparation for work

Before you start making devices for planting potatoes with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the theory. There are two main tasks that are set for the unit:

Plant potato tubers at the same distance from each other. It is convenient if this interval can be adjusted, as in most factory planters.

The depth of the holes in which the tubers are placed should also be the same. This will allow you to expect the same period of seedlings of plants.

With these requirements in mind, all designs are created. It should be understood that devices for planting potatoes (manually or with the help of equipment) only facilitate the planting process. But they still require human intervention.

There are several design options. A homemade potato planter can be single-row, two-row or three-row. This will depend on the type of frame used to make the frame. A container is attached to the frame, where root crops are poured. It can hold up to 20-30 kg. An elevator with bowls is installed in this bunker, which lower the tubers into the prepared holes.

Preparation of drawings

A do-it-yourself potato planter is assembled on the basis of pre-prepared drawings and diagrams. They can be developed independently if you have certain skills.

You can find a large number of already drawings of potato planters of various designs and designs. You can choose a ready-made option. And you can take the scheme and modify it at your own discretion and understanding. In any case, before starting work, it is necessary to check all the indicated dimensions and data. Only after that you can start working.

Handheld Devices

To begin with, we will consider several design options that make it easier to plant potatoes, but at the same time require physical effort. They are not connected to technology, but allow you to do the work manually. Devices for planting potatoes in a similar way are simple in execution. But they can also be made in various variations.

The simplest option is a cone-shaped punch. It is driven into the soil to the desired depth. True, for this it is necessary to make certain physical efforts. In this case, a hole is formed in the soil, where the potatoes fall. After removing the punch, the hole is filled up.

The second option is a slightly improved breakdown. It is made of a metal pipe, one end of which is cut at an angle. A container for potatoes is attached to the top. A valve is made on the pipe. The pipe is driven into the ground and tilted so that the valve opens. A potato tuber coming from above falls out through the existing hole. Potatoes remain in the ground and, after removing the pipe, they fall asleep.

Another version of a homemade potato planter was popularly called the "crow's beak" because of the resemblance. The "beak" is driven into the ground in a closed form. After opening the “beak”, a tuber is thrown there, which remains in the ground.

Variants with partial mechanization

This group includes a tool for quickly planting potatoes, outwardly resembling an ordinary garden cart with one wheel. This option is suitable for soft areas of soil that have been prepared in advance.

In the trolley, the wheel is replaced by a rotary cutter, which can have several compartments at once (for example, four). Potatoes are poured into the cart. From there, the tubers fall into the cutter compartments. When moving due to the rotation of the cutter, the tubers remain in the ground. It is worth noting that landing requires physical effort. To facilitate the process, another handle is welded in front of the structure. It allows you to move the device together.

The principle of operation of mechanized options

On your own, you can assemble devices suitable for coupling with equipment. For example, for a motoblock. The potato planter in this case will have a more complex design. The rotation of its individual parts will depend on the operation of the engine of the equipment.

An axle is welded to the frame of the structure, on which an asterisk is put on. A little higher, another asterisk is fixed, which is connected to the previous one by means of a chain. When the tractor moves and its wheels rotate, the hitch axle begins to rotate. Due to this, the upper sprocket rotates through the chain drive. Cups are fixed on the chain, into which root crops fall from the bunker. Rotating, the cups carry the potatoes into the soil. As you can see, it is not difficult to assemble a device for planting potatoes with your own hands. Having picked up a suitable drawing and acquired the necessary materials, you can get to work.

Necessary materials and tools

To assemble a device for planting potatoes with your own hands, which will be paired with a walk-behind tractor (mini tractor), you will need the following materials:

metal channel (square pipe or corner);

bunker (a tank from an old washing machine is suitable, it can be made from a sheet of metal or thick plywood);

two stars;

chain;

wheels (preferably metal) or material for their manufacture.

To work on the project, you will need a grinder with a welding machine with electrodes and some other tools that any owner has in the garage. The connection of metal elements is carried out by welding. You can connect everything with bolts, but this will not add reliability and rigidity to the structure.

Execution of works

Creating a do-it-yourself device for planting potatoes begins with the preparation of the frame. To do this, use a metal pipe. Next, prepare the wheels. Metal wheels will not slip if the soil is too loose. They can be made independently from metal strips. It is convenient to use a gas bottle. From it you need to cut off two rings (about 15 cm wide), on the outside of which the grouser is welded. Inside, knitting needles are made from metal fittings, pipes or plates. Their design does not matter.

Next, a chain drive is prepared, consisting of two sprockets and a chain connecting them. It is better to pick up gears from the old ones. Options from a bicycle will not work. Grips in the form of cups with a diameter of 5-6 cm are welded onto the chain, which will lift the tubers.

A bunker is made on top of the frame, where potatoes will be poured. The bipod is easy to make. Difficulties may arise in the manufacture of hiller. Therefore, it is easier to take discs from old technology.

Finishing

The last step in creating a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor is to give it visual appeal. To do this, the welds are cleaned, if this was not done immediately. The structure is cleaned of dirt and corrosion. To make it last longer, it should be primed and painted.

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