Manual potato planter. DIY device for planting potatoes

Trailed double-row potato planter

Gardeners know well that the main thing when planting potatoes is the uniform supply of tubers to a certain depth with even incorporation of the soil. Row rowing, seeding depth and seeding can be easily managed with the help of simple mechanical devices - furrow cutters, seed hoses and closing discs.

The number one unit in any planter or seeder is the sowing apparatus, which ensures uniform (according to the norm) planting of tubers or seeds. Of course, an amateur gardener cannot make a complex mechanism. And inventive potato growers found a way out.

The principle of operation of a homemade product is as follows. Several bags of potatoes are poured into the bunker, and two or three more bags are placed on the trunk as a reserve. The seeder sits down at the workplace, the driver engages first gear, and the mini-tractor begins to move slowly. Furrow cutters, adjusted to a given depth, form two even furrows, into the bottom of which the seeder rhythmically throws potato tubers through the seed tubes.

The gap between tubers depends on the speed of the mini-tractor, which should not exceed 1 km/h, and the rhythm of the seeder’s hands. The necessary skills develop quickly, and soon the seeder is completely in the rhythm of work. The work, of course, requires a certain skill, because you need to have time to simultaneously take a potato with both hands, bring it to the seed tubes, and throw them there. And so many times, in the same rhythm, with the same amplitude of movement, otherwise the distances between the tubers in the row will be unequal.

After the tubers fall into the furrow, they must be covered with earth. For this purpose, the planter is equipped with closing discs. Since they are located at an angle to the furrows, rotating from friction with the soil, they shift part of the earth towards the furrows and close them.
The closing discs are designed in such a way that by loosening the stepladders that press the posts to the supports, you can change not only the degree of penetration of the discs into the soil, but also the angle of their attack by turning the posts around their own axis.

There is a third adjustment - by moving the disks in one direction or another along the axes on which they rotate. To do this, adjusting bushings are used (four per axle): by rearranging the bushings, you can change the grip width of the disks. By combining the three mentioned adjustments depending on the soil structure, it is possible to achieve almost perfect performance of the closing discs.

So, the tubers are laid at a given depth, at the required distance from each other, and evenly covered with soil. However, another operation is required. It is necessary to remove the marks left by the wheels of the tractor and potato planter. They are removed by rippers - cultivator tines on stands. The depth of the paws into the soil is also regulated by vertical movement of the posts and fixing them in the clips with through fingers.

In addition to “sweeping” tracks, rippers perform another function - they serve as markers that help the tractor driver navigate the next (return) pass of the mini-tractor. It must be taken into account that the distance between adjacent rows in the aisles may differ from 600 mm upward, but not less, otherwise during subsequent inter-row processing, the potato bushes in these rows will be pruned by the working parts of the cultivator or hiller.

Planter design.

The frame, as in any car, serves as the basis to which all other components are attached. For the most part, it is welded from sections of channel No. 8. The structure of the frame is simple: two longitudinal spars connected by three cross members.

At the front, an arch with a fork fastening to the central link and two fastening pins to the lower links of the tractor hitch are welded to the side members; on the side, on both sides, there are plate supports for the seed tubes and the racks of the closing discs; at the rear there are three trunk flooring boards.

The frame is reinforced with two inclined braces made of strip steel, extending from the arch to the middle crossbar, two trapezoidal overlays on the arch and many gussets made of 4 mm thick steel sheet in the form of right triangles, the length of the legs varies from 40 to 80 mm.

In addition, seatpost supports made from a 50x50x5 mm angle and footrests made from a 6-mm steel sheet are attached to the side members, the location of which on the frame is determined depending on the height of the seeder. Based on his height, the height of the seatpost legs is also selected. The seat itself is made from a 50x50x5 mm corner (frame), boards (bottom) and foam rubber covered with leatherette (cushion).

A plate bracket is welded to the inclined braces, to which a hopper of planting material (potato tubers) with a volume of 0.17 m3 is attached with two M10 bolts. The bunker is made of 12 mm thick plywood sheets, coated with drying oil and then with waterproof paint. The wheel axle and ripper holder are bolted to the bottom of the frame.

Wheel axle. Its base is a thick-walled pipe, into the ends of which axles, or tenons, turned on a lathe, are inserted. The spikes are held in the pipe by steel pins, which are pressed into radial holes drilled after assembly. The pin heads are welded.

The wheels are welded from several sheet parts. Their manufacture is a rather labor-intensive process, but it is justified by the fact that the wide cylindrical surface of the wheels compacts the soil less. However, it is also possible to use suitable rubber wheels from agricultural machines.

Hubs are welded to the wheels, each of which rotates on two 205 bearings mounted on spikes. The bearings are protected from contamination by covers and felt gaskets. The axle is attached to the frame of the potato planter with four M16 bolts using two clamps made of steel sheet.

The ripper holder, on the other hand, is quite simple. This is a rod with clips at the ends into which the cultivator tine stands are inserted. The square rod is welded from two pieces of angle 50x50x5 mm (the resulting profile resists torsion - its main working load - much better than a regular “square”, although the latter is more technologically advanced), and the clips are made from pieces of sheet steel 6 mm thick. The dimensions of the clips are selected so that the cultivator tine stands fit into them with millimeter gaps.

Seeders also do not require special expenses. Each of them consists of a seed tube - a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm, to which a furrow cutter made of 6 mm sheet steel is welded at the bottom. The thickness of the pipe wall is 3 mm (it cannot be less - a thin-walled one will bend under the pressure of resisting soil). The degree of penetration of the furrow cutters with weakened stepladders is regulated by the vertical movement of the seed tubes along their supports on the frame.

After adjustment, the stepladders should be tightened very tightly, otherwise the seed ducts will turn around their axis - the load on the furrow cutters is still significant.

The closing discs were taken from the SO-4.2 seeder. They require little modification, since they have only one 203 bearing. You just need to grind the hub of each disk to the required size and press a housing into it, which is already designed for two bearings. The new bearings have the same seating dimensions as the old ones (except perhaps a little wider), but are sealed on one side, which is why they are preferred. By installing the bearings with the seals facing outwards, we obtain a unit completely isolated from dirt and dust.

This potato planter is quite a massive machine. It will be quite difficult for a mini-tractor with an engine from, say, an Ant scooter and weighing 300-500 kg to pull it, but a larger and more powerful tractor will be quite capable. For example, a mini-tractor equipped with a UD-2 engine, together with a driver, ballast weights on the rear wheels and a counterweight at the front, weighs about 850 kg, and it works together with the planter without any effort. And a counterweight is necessary so that when lifting the planter, the tractor remains stable and does not “turn up its nose.”

Wheelbarrow potato planter.

A simpler version of the potato planter is a one-wheeled wheelbarrow, but with an unusual wheel (Fig. 18). It consists of three parts - two external metal disks with lug teeth bent outward and a middle part cut from a 60 mm thick board. Four semicircular grooves are selected along the periphery of the wooden disk. The dimensions of each of them should be such that it can accommodate the largest of the potatoes prepared for planting.

A hopper is placed above the landing wheel. It can be made from plywood about 10 mm thick, or you can even adapt a plastic bucket by cutting a hole in its bottom to match the cavities in the wheel.

The front part of the wheel is covered with a shield that prevents the tuber from falling out of the wheel cavity before it is combined with the ground. To prevent damage to the planting material, the bottom of the bunker is lined with a rubber band.

Marker for planting potatoes.

A marker for planting potatoes (Fig. 19) will be useful for those who plant unsprouted potatoes in furrows prepared by a plow. Its use will greatly facilitate the work of the planter and help maintain the required distance and depth of planting seeds.

There is no particular difficulty in making the device. The most important thing is to choose lightweight and durable materials. For a bent marker stick, you can use a duralumin stick (you can use a ski stick), and as a conductor tube, you can use a polyethylene tube with a diameter of 8-10 cm and a length of 1-1.5 m.

Manufacturing procedure:

Take a duralumin (or other light) tube, light fittings 2 m 10 cm long.
Bend it at the bottom at a distance of 60-70 cm.
Drill holes for attaching the tube.
Cut off the polyethylene conductor tube.
Attach the tube to the stick using bolts and nuts.
Apply divisions on the curved end (marker).
Mark divisions in height.
Install the limiter (bolt with wing nut).

Hand shovel-harvester.

Using this simple device, you can plant potatoes and sow grains or seeds of peas, beans, corn, and sunflowers at an equal distance without getting tired.

In order to plant, for example, potatoes, you need to dig a hole with a shovel, bend down, lower the tuber and cover it with soil. The proposed device allows you to combine all these operations.

Two triangular blades are welded to the two tubular handles from below, which when closed form something like a beak. When the blades are closed, you can press them like a shovel, deepen them into the ground, and then lower the tuber into the “beak”.

The next stage is bringing the handles closer together. At the same time, the blades open, the tuber falls between them and is covered with collapsing earth when the device is pulled out of the soil (Fig. 20).

The device of a shovel-harvester. The two handles are connected to each other in such a way that they can move closer together. One of the handles has a complex shape - it is an elbow welded from three sections of pipe and closed with a stopper. The upper segment serves as a kind of bunker for the tuber.

A dosing and sowing device is placed in a horizontal section of the pipe - a wooden piston that moves inside the pipe. When the handles are brought together, the piston moves, the hole drilled in it is installed just above the down tube. The tuber that finds itself in the hole at this moment falls through the lower pipe into the ground. This happens precisely when the blades are deepened.

When the handles move apart, the piston, under the action of a spring, returns to its old place, the next tuber ends up in its receiving hole. Now you need to move the device to the required distance - and everything repeats from the beginning.

To maintain an equal distance between the nests during planting, a movable wooden cone mounted on a threaded rod is used. The distance from the cone to the center of the blades corresponds to the landing intervals. As the blades deepen into the ground, the handles bend slightly forward. The cone makes a mark on the soil where the blades will go in the next step. This distance is adjusted by moving the cone.

Potato sorter.

Before storing potatoes for winter storage, thrifty owners certainly sort them, separating small tubers for livestock or processing them into starch. A potato sorter allows you to mechanize this work.

This device consists of two paired rod cylinders, a loading hopper, pitched rod grates for various potato fractions, a manual drive and a frame. The base of each cylinder is made of wooden hoops with crosspieces. The hoops consist of individual elements connected to each other and to a cross with spikes and steel spacers. To prevent mechanical damage to potatoes during sorting, the crosspieces are made of a round shape.

Wooden rods with a diameter of 15-16 mm and a length of 650-700 mm are attached to the inside of the hoops. They are made of durable wood and attached to the hoops using flexible metal tape and screws. Recesses are made in the hoops for storing the rods.

The distance between the cylinder rods for small-fraction potatoes is approximately 30-35 mm, and for medium-sized potatoes - 40-50 mm. Inner diameter - at least 700 mm.

The cylinders are connected with bolts. Depending on the size of the cylinders, the appropriate frame dimensions are selected. The frame can be made of wooden blocks with a section of 60x60 mm or angle steel 35x35x4 mm. During operation, the cylinders are set at an angle of 8-10°.

The potato sorter separates the tubers into three fractions: small, medium and large. Small and medium potatoes are sequentially sifted through the first and second rod cylinders, and large ones are sent to the exit. The earth and small impurities are separated through the sloping grates.

Planting potatoes has always been a labor-intensive and difficult process. However, today, thanks to the development of technology, agricultural work has been greatly facilitated. Now, thanks to walk-behind tractors, mini-tractors and all kinds of attachments, it is possible to improve soil cultivation, obtain higher yields and reduce the cost of the product, at lower costs than before. Among farmers and owners of small plots of land, walk-behind tractors are very popular, on which you can install various attachments, including a potato planter.

A potato planter mounted on a walk-behind tractor makes it possible to simplify the work of planting root crops as much as possible and to cultivate a larger area than before. Below we will talk about the types, design of equipment and how you can make a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor with your own hands.

Device elements

You can make a walk-behind potato planter yourself, especially since this does not require any special tool, and there are plenty of drawings of the device, photos and videos on this topic on the Internet. To manufacture this type of attachment, you will need the following parts:

frame for fastening all elements of the potato planter;
bunker for planting material;
a system of gears that drives the tuber planting mechanism;
a loosening mechanism that prepares holes and buries them after planting;
tuning mechanism;
wheels.

This is the required minimum of parts in order to make a homemade unit for planting potatoes. Many craftsmen are constantly upgrading this type of attachment, adding a container for fertilizers or, in an attempt to increase productivity, installing two planting modules. However, all this sometimes leads to an increase in the weight of the walk-behind tractor, and accordingly an increase in the load on it and a decrease in its productivity. For this reason, it is necessary to select the type of construction and materials in full accordance with the power of the unit.

Design and manufacture of potato planters

A homemade potato planter is basically a cart on wheels attached to a walk-behind tractor. It is only at first that the design of the device for planting potatoes looks simple, but there are some nuances in it. The walk-behind potato planter is mounted on a channel chassis with two longitudinally located spars connected by three cross members. At the front of the frame there is a fork and an arch. On the sides of the chassis there are racks of closing disks and supports for the planting material feeding mechanism.

The wheelbase also consists of two wheels with lugs. Between the wheels there is a disk made of wood 60 mm thick with four evenly spaced semicircular grooves, the dimensions of which should allow even large potatoes to be captured. Also, instead of a wheel with grooves, a system of gears, a chain and tuber trays located on it can be used for planting potatoes.

Potato planter for walk-behind tractor - drawing No. 1
Potato planter for walk-behind tractor - drawing No. 2

Potato planter for walk-behind tractor - drawing No. 4
Potato planter for walk-behind tractor - drawing No. 5
Potato planter for walk-behind tractor - drawing No. 3

As the drawing shows, there is another important element of the device - this is a hopper, which is located above the wheels. To make a container for potatoes you will need a 3 mm sheet of metal. The narrow neck and bottom of the hopper should be covered with rubber to avoid damage to root crops.

The wheel with grooves must be covered with a special shield, which will prevent the potatoes from spontaneously falling out before they hit the ground.

The frame of a homemade potato planter should be reinforced with steel strips, which must be placed from the middle cross member to the arch. You also need to weld additional corners and steel plates about 4 mm thick.

On the Internet you can find many drawings and video material with a wide variety of potato planter designs.

Operator seat and axle

A support and a footrest made of 5 mm steel must be attached to the side members. The height of the step must be made taking into account the height of the operator and in such a way that using the potato planter does not cause difficulties.

The seat is made of a metal corner 45x45x4 mm. Boards are attached to the frame, which are lined with foam rubber and covered with leatherette or strong dense fabric. You can do the simplest thing, as shown in the photo, but in principle, for greater convenience, you can use an old car seat bought at a car disassembly. However, in most cases, potato planters are made without a seat.

A wheel axle and a bracket for attaching rippers are fixed under the frame. For the axle, a thick-walled metal pipe is used, on both edges of which there are spikes, turned on a lathe and fixed with steel pins.

Wheels

Special wheels for potato planter

Wheels for a homemade potato planter must have special lugs. It is advisable to take any wheels from agricultural machinery that are suitable in size.

The hubs that hold the wheels must have two bearings, and are protected from dirt by felt pads. The axle is attached to the frame by means of two metal plates and four bolts or angles and welding, as shown in the photo.

Rippers

For the ripper holder, a metal rod is used, along the edges of which there are clips that hold the paw stands. The rod is made from a metal corner 50x50x5 mm, but it is best to use a square pipe for strength. The clips are made from 5 mm metal plates.

Seeder

To manufacture a potato seeder, minimal costs are required. To do this, you need to take a 100 mm pipe with a wall thickness of at least 3 mm, in the lower part of which a furrow cutter is attached.

Disks for burying potatoes can be taken from the seeder and two bearings are installed instead of one. Bearings must be installed in such a way as to prevent dirt from entering the unit.

The video shows how potatoes are planted in reality using a walk-behind potato planter assembled with your own hands.

Peculiarities

Since the potato planter weighs quite a bit, when attaching it to a walk-behind tractor, you should definitely install a counterweight, which will give stability and prevent the walk-behind tractor from lifting up.

It is imperative to install an operator's chair and footrests on the potato planter.

The potato planter works as follows:

seed material is placed in the bunker, and additional bags are placed on top so as not to constantly be interrupted for refueling;
the operator sits down and begins planting potatoes, moving at a speed of no more than 1 km/h.

After planting material enters the soil, it must be covered with earth. It was for these purposes that seeding discs were invented, which, rotating, move the top layer of soil and cover the root crops.

A self-assembled unit for planting potatoes is not only a significant cost savings, but also a unit made specifically for you, and also more reliable than a purchased one, because who would do anything bad for themselves. In addition, this is a good opportunity to feel like a real Kulibin, making your own changes to ready-made projects.

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

Preparing 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 plant germination.

All designs are created taking these requirements into account. It is worth understanding that devices for planting potatoes (manually or using machinery) only facilitate the planting process. But they still require human participation.

There are several design options. A homemade potato planter can be single-row, double-row or three-row. This will depend on the type of frame used to make the frame. A container is attached to the frame into which root vegetables 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 self-made potato planter is assembled on the basis of pre-prepared drawings and diagrams. You can develop them yourself if you have certain skills.

You can find a large number of drawings of potato planters of various designs and designs. You can choose a ready-made option. Or you can take the diagram and modify it according to your own discretion and understanding. In any case, before starting work, you must check all specified dimensions and data. Only after this can you start working.

Handheld devices

First, let's look at several design options that make planting potatoes easier, but at the same time require physical effort. They are not connected to equipment, but allow you to do the work manually. Devices for planting potatoes in this way are easy to implement. But they can also be made in different variations.

The simplest option is a cone-shaped punch. It is driven into the soil to the required depth. True, this requires some physical effort. This creates a hole 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 edge 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. The potatoes remain in the ground and are covered after the pipe is removed.

Another version of a homemade potato planter is popularly called “crow’s beak” due to its external similarity. The “beak” is driven into the ground in a closed form. After the “beak” opens, a tuber is thrown there, which remains in the ground.

Options with partial mechanization

This group includes a tool for quickly planting potatoes, which looks like a regular garden cart with one wheel. This option is suitable for soft areas of soil that have been prepared in advance.

In the cart, the wheel is replaced with 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 to the front of the structure. It allows two people to move the device.

Operating principle of mechanized options

You can assemble devices on your own that are suitable for coupling with equipment. For example, for a walk-behind tractor. 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 equipment’s engine.

An axle is welded to the structure frame, on which the sprocket is placed. Another sprocket is fixed a little higher, which is connected to the previous one through a chain. When the tractor moves and its wheels rotate, the hitch axle begins to rotate. Due to this, the upper sprocket rotates through a chain drive. Cups are attached to the chain, into which root vegetables fall from the hopper. Rotating, the cups transfer 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 selected a suitable drawing and purchased the necessary materials, you can begin to work.

Required materials and tools

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

metal channel (square pipe or corner);

a hopper (a tank from an old washing machine will do; 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 to have an angle grinder, a welding machine with electrodes, and some other tools that any owner has in his garage. The connection of metal elements is made by welding. You can connect everything with bolts, but this will not add reliability and rigidity to the structure.

Execution of work

Creating a do-it-yourself device for planting potatoes begins with preparing the frame. A metal pipe is used for this. Next, prepare the wheels. Metal wheels will not slip if the soil is too loose. You can make them yourself from metal strips. It is convenient to use a gas cylinder. From it you need to cut two rings (about 15 cm wide), on the outside of which grousers are welded. Inside, spokes 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 choose gears from an old one. 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 into which the potatoes will be poured. The bipod is easy to make. Difficulties may arise when making a hiller. Therefore, it is easier to take disks from old equipment.

Finishing

The last stage of creating a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor is to give it visual appeal. To do this, the welding seams 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.

In this publication, we will first consider the simplest version of a manual potato planter, which will be useful for those who would like to quickly build an affordable tool and not spend money on complex designs.

Garden tools and other products in this Chinese store.

The second part presents more complex structures that will have to be tinkered with, but for perfectionists and, at the same time, manual labor enthusiasts, these will be the most interesting developments.

The first video shows the simplest manual potato planter in the form of a wooden handle and a protrusion for the leg. According to the author of this mechanism, the potato yield does not suffer at all with this method of planting, but on the contrary, it is higher.

The device, which is presented in this video, is not particularly or even at least some kind of sophistication. The gardener simply called it “digging stick.” But, for the purposes of this publication, it would be fair to consider it as a manual potato planter. With its help, you can plant potatoes without a shovel practically with your own hands. This method is called “heeled” among gardeners.

The field was previously plowed with walk-behind tractors. First, a 70X20 field is marked. Or they simply stretch the threads at a distance of 70 cm from each other, and during planting of potatoes, 20-30 cm are measured each time using a potato planter.

Holes are made every 20 centimeters and potatoes and peas are thrown into them. All this is immediately covered with earth. The soil must be moist, because if it dries out, the holes will crumble. Therefore, you need to plant potatoes using this manual potato planter immediately after plowing the field. Peas do not interfere with potatoes; they grow in symbiosis. The fact that holes are made and the earth is compacted does not have any consequences for the harvest. On the contrary, it helps to collect moisture after rain.
Such a simple mechanism, made in haste, has served for 7 years. In another publication about what kind of potatoes you need.

Second development.

When planting potatoes, after they are laid in the furrows, it is necessary to cover them with soil. Many people suffer when working with shovels, rakes or hoes.
This video shows a manual potato planter that makes planting potatoes quick and easy.
The furrows were pre-cut using a walk-behind tractor with a special device for cutting furrows. Planting material was placed in the furrows.
A homemade heel is made in front of the hiller to adjust the constant depth and make it easier during work. Now we will show how the potato planter works.
Thus, there were no more problems with planting potatoes and covering them with soil.
The planter is also convenient when moving it across the field. You just need to turn it to the top with the working part and move it on the wheel.

The manual potato planter is designed for sowing potatoes in small and medium-sized garden plots. A potato planter for a walk-behind tractor is a universal agricultural device, easy to use in large agricultural fields and small planting areas. In the article we will tell you how to make a potato planter with your own hands, we will give detailed instructions and a drawing.

A potato planter is an agrotechnical tool used for sowing potato planting material. The potato planter is divided into two types:

manual potato planter;
potato planter for walk-behind tractor, mini-tractor.

Potato planter: main agrotechnical advantages

Small-sized cone potato planters for walk-behind tractors are widely used in small garden plots. The weight of such a device is no more than 30 kg, and the volume of the hopper is 25 liters.

Potato planters, unlike the traditional method of planting potatoes, have a large list of advantages and disadvantages:

no physical effort required;
facilitates the sowing procedure;
evenly distributes tubers into planting holes;
distributes the seed to the same depth;
does not require special skills or additional training;
high performance;
maintainability;
long service life;
affordability.

Manual potato planter: operating principle and its main elements

A manual potato planter is a great helper when planting potatoes in small areas. You can purchase it ready-made in specialized stores, or you can create it yourself. Let's look at a detailed drawing of a manual potato planter:

A manual potato planter consists of a pointed metal blade (1); lining (2), hollow pipe in the form of a handle (3), holder (4), bolts (5), container for tubers (6), bracket (7), movable handle (8), push rod (9), coupling (10) and bushings (11).

Let's take a closer look at the operating principle of a manual planter:

The planting material is placed in a receiving container, the potato planter is placed on the soil surface and the tip (blade) is buried into the soil by pressing the limiter bar with the foot.
Next, without removing your feet from the stop bar, holding the handle with a slight movement, tilt the tool away from you. This creates free space for the receiving container. Then the cutting is returned to its original position.
Without removing the cutting from the soil, we activate the movable handle, which will open the receiving container, from which the planting tuber will fall into the soil.
Next, the leg is removed from the thrust bar and the cutting is removed from the soil with an open container. If the collection container becomes clogged with soil, it can be removed using the movable handle using an up and down motion.

Tip #1.A homemade potato planter should be used on treated soil, which will allow the device to distribute the potatoes evenly, without physical effort.

Step-by-step instructions for making a manual potato planter

Creating a hand-held device is not difficult if you understand the drawing presented above well. The drawing shows that the main part of the structure is presented in the form of a handle made of a metal pipe with a diameter of 10 cm and a length of no more than 1 m 20 cm. The remaining elements are fixed on the handle in the following order:

At one end of the pipe (handle) a metal blade and a limiter bar are attached by welding. The limiter bar simultaneously serves as a stop for the power leg and as a depth limiter for planting material. The optimal length of the bar is no more than 20 cm. A durable metal pad is attached under the bar, which helps to withstand any forceful pressure from the foot on the bar. Instead of a metal blade (blade), you can cut the bottom of the pipe (cutting) so that a pointed end is formed that will easily enter the soil.
The receiving container is fixed on the outside of the blade using two bolts. Next, a bracket is fixed to the receiving container, and a pusher rod is connected to it.
The other end of the handle is equipped with a handle-holder, a mechanized movable handle is installed under it, then a coupling that will activate the push rod, which, in turn, will control the bracket. The coordinated activity of all installed parts will ensure the smooth release of the tuber from the receiving container.

Automatic potato planter for walk-behind tractor: technical features and key blocks of the device

A potato planter for a walk-behind tractor is a small cart on wheels. The technical design of the potato planter is quite simple, but this device has its own technical features, presented in the table:

Technical features	Indicators
Size	Type small-sized
Weight	From 25 to 45 kg
Wheelbase width	From 50 to 70 cm
Labor productivity	From 0.2 to 0.25 ha/h
Suitable walk-behind tractor models	Domestic brands “Salyut”, “Neva”, “Oka-M”, “Ural”

The potato planter must necessarily correspond to the size of the walk-behind tractor. Therefore, before you start designing a potato planter, you should carefully calculate the dimensions in accordance with the brand of walk-behind tractor. The design of a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor consists of several main key blocks:

A high-strength frame made of metal channels on which all elements of the device are located.
A bunker is a container that is filled with planting tubers.
The mechanism responsible for the procedure for planting potatoes in planting holes.
Rippers, which are responsible for the process of digging planting holes.
Wheelbase for moving the unit and forming rows.
Auxiliary elements - a plow, a seeder, and a hiller - are used to immerse potato tubers in the soil.

Operating principle and main advantages of a mechanical potato planter

A mechanical potato planter for a walk-behind tractor is equipped with a small plow that forms furrows. Using a seeder, potato tubers are distributed in the soil at a given distance. The hiller loosens and covers the tubers with soil.

The potato planter can be equipped with an additional hopper, which will serve as a fertilizer dispenser. A ready-made dispenser can be purchased in specialized stores. The capacity of the dispensers is to apply 20 g of fertilizer at each planting step. The joint activity of a mechanized planter and a dispenser qualitatively increases the yield.

The table shows the main pros and cons of a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor:

Advantages	Flaws
Planting is carried out quickly and efficiently	To operate a potato planter under a walk-behind tractor, two workers are required
Potatoes are planted at a fixed depth and distance from each other	The soil requires pre-treatment. Planting potatoes in dense soil can cause the potato planter to lie on its side
Furrows and seed filling are automatically formed
Small dimensions and weight of the device
Affordable price
Maintainability
High performance

Drawing and step-by-step instructions for assembling a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor

You can construct a potato planter with your own hands, which will avoid financial costs. Below we will look at the drawing and step-by-step instructions for constructing this device.

Drawing of a planter for potato seeding for walk-behind tractors and mini-equipment

Step-by-step instructions for assembling a potato planter are drawn up in accordance with the drawing presented above. Dimensions and dimensions will depend on the walk-behind tractor.

The frame is the basis for the potato planter, which is made of special steel channels. The optimal size of steel profiles is 8U or 8P, which differ in the thickness of the side edges. The optimal width of the channel is 80 mm, thickness 4.5 mm, which will allow it to support the bunker and other components of the unit. The frame consists of 3 transverse pieces of channel and 2 longitudinal spars, which will serve as the main structural element. The structure can be strengthened using two metal profiles. A bracket and a potato bin are attached to the profiles by welding.
Installation of the arch and fork. An arch and a fork are welded to the front part of the longitudinal side members, to which a special mount is fixed to the central link.
The side parts of the structure are equipped with racks on which special disks are installed, which are responsible for immersing the planting material into the soil. Discs can be taken from any seeder. Such discs require the installation of another bearing. So, sealing disks must have two bearings.
A hopper made of pressed plywood is installed on the finished frame. In the manufacture of the bunker, plywood is used, the thickness of which is no more than 1-2 cm. The volume of the bunker is 18-20 kg. For the bunker, parts are cut to size; all parts should be treated with drying oil. The parts are fastened together using steel angles. The assembled bunker is coated with waterproof paint. The bottom is lined with a rubber gasket, which will prevent any damage to the potatoes.
The wheelbase is attached to the bottom of the frame. Each wheel must be equipped with special lugs.
The rippers are also attached to the bottom of the frame using steel rods by welding.
The seeder is pre-made from a steel pipe. The diameter of the steel pipe is at least 10-15 cm. A furrow cutter made of heavy-duty metal is welded to the bottom of the pipe.
The seat and footrest are attached to the frame. The seat structure consists of corners welded together.

Tip #2. The potato planter can be equipped with an additional metal hopper for fertilizers and an additional compartment for planting tubers.

Top best domestic potato planters of the Neva brand for a walk-behind tractor

Today, domestic potato planters of the Neva brand are widely used. Let's look at each of them in more detail:

Each of the above domestic planters has its own pros and cons. Before deciding on the choice of a specific model, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the table, which indicates the main advantages and disadvantages of the methods.

Potato planter model	Advantages	Flaws
"Neva KS-1A"	Planting in small areas (vegetable garden, personal plots). Unlike other units, it is characterized by low weight and size, and the performance is the same as that of large planters	Not suitable for work in agricultural fields.
"Neva KSM-1"	Planting potatoes in any area. Suitable for working with domestic and foreign walk-behind tractors	The distance between the tubers is 30 cm, which complicates the potato care procedure
"Neva KS-1"	Designed to work with heavy walk-behind tractors. Maximum number of tubers planted	Due to its small dimensions, there is a high probability of the unit falling on its side during operation
Adapted small-sized potato planter	Suitable for most domestic walk-behind tractors. High performance	High price

Mistakes when creating a potato planter

Agricultural technicians have identified several common mistakes when creating a potato planter with your own hands:

Used for channel frames, the thickness of which does not meet the technical parameters.
When creating a manual potato planter, the limiter bar is set too high, which leads to deep planting of potato tubers.
When creating a potato planter for a walk-behind tractor, the closing discs located on the sides are equipped with one bearing each, which reduces the quality of work and the service life of the discs.

Frequently asked questions from summer residents

Question No. 1. What is the optimal volume of a loading hopper for planting potatoes in a small area?

The volume of the bunker depends on the power of the walk-behind tractor. On average, the volume of a bunker for small areas is no more than 30 liters.

Question No. 2. Which domestic brand of potato planter has a low cost?

The price range varies by model and region. Within Moscow, the cost of the domestic brand “Neva KS-1A” is from 14,000 to 15,000 rubles, in other regions the price does not exceed 14,000 rubles.

Question No. 3. When choosing a potato planter, what parameters should you pay attention to?

The weight and dimensions of the planter should be taken into account, since large weight and dimensions affect the control of the equipment, as well as the speed of planting potatoes.

Question No. 4. How do potato planters differ from each other besides the dimensions and volume of the hopper?

Potato planters are distinguished by additional details; they can be equipped with a height regulator, which allows you to independently set and fix the height of the planter. They can also have an automated section into which excess potatoes fall and are automatically sent back to the bunker.