Digging potatoes

D

Dan In Arkansas

New member
Has anyone ever use their cub to dig potatoes? If so what did you use? I have planted some potatoes this year and would like to use my cub come harvest time but not sure what to use. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Thanks
Danny
 
We have used a standard 1 bottom plow. Turn over one row then pick up potatoes. Turn over another row and pick up potatoes. You miss a few doing this and will cut some.

I use a potato fork or 5 tined pitch fork to "dig" potatoes. But, I normally only have 10 or 20 potato hills. Faster to "dig" a small number of hills by hand then to use machinery.
 
I have heard of using a single bottom plow and that it works good but i have never tryed it. Dont know if you have a fast hitch or not but this is what i use. if not you could use a middle buster.tato.jpg
 
I'm going to use my middlebuster this year. I had a draw bar potato plow but sold it. It might have been a horse drawn conversion. Do you have a fast hitch??
 
Danny:

I use a potato digger - in my case a Massey-Harris #1 Potato Digger.

M-Hno1PotatoDigger.jpg


There are a number of IH Potato Diggers out there that will be compatible with a Cub.

For the Cub the Cub-16 Middle Buster (11-30-49) as well as the Cub-17 Middle Buster which is the Fast Hitch version, I understand are both used.

Here is a good video on the whole process but especially with the rolling elevator style potato diggers. Middle butsters/Listers are also described. Unfortunately the tractor is Green. Potatos

There are also aftermarket 3 point plows, Including these just to indicate the type of plow that can be used to dig potatos. Some folks also use plows similart middle busters to dig potatos which can be attached to cultivator frames etc..

3 Point Potato Digger

b934_12.JPG
 
Am going to plant potato with my Holland Transplanter if I can get a fasthitch sword and Spaceghost to weld up a hitch for it.
 
Chuckwheat Farm":15fbly12 said:
Am going to plant potato with my Holland Transplanter if I can get a fasthitch sword and Spaceghost to weld up a hitch for it.
Click to expand...

That'll be a nice setup chris.

Rudi I like your digger a lot. Do the potato's just drop on top of the ground or into a trailer? Do you need wheel weights?
 
Jimdawg":15rvlm9v said:
Chuckwheat Farm":15rvlm9v said:
Am going to plant potato with my Holland Transplanter if I can get a fasthitch sword and Spaceghost to weld up a hitch for it.
Click to expand...

That'll be a nice setup chris.

Rudi I like your digger a lot. Do the potato's just drop on top of the ground or into a trailer? Do you need wheel weights?
Click to expand...

I almost got one like Rudi's but the guy sold it, so I bought the fast hitch peg tooth harrow from him for $100.00. I just missed getting the digger, too by an hour.
Jim, got the $ I owe you. Went to NY and wasn't able to meet up with yer dad to move my tractor and pay ya back.
 
Jim:

Take a look at the potato digger video.. pretty neat. I just added it.

Jimdawg":g2ssnky1 said:
Rudi I like your digger a lot. Do the potato's just drop on top of the ground or into a trailer? Do you need wheel weights?
Click to expand...

Yup the potatos just drop on the ground. I am thinking about a tag-a-long trailer to catch the taters - beats bending down. The only thing is if you put them into a trailer you definitely have to wash the potatos. If left to fall on the ground and left to dry for a couple hours then they can be picked up and bagged. We normally put them in pails and then put them in our potato bins in the cold room. (Our cold room is usually between 8-10C - 44-50F .. in really cold winters about 3 or 4C lower).

With a Cub wheel weights are definitely necessary. It is a lot of fun even with my 150 foot rows. 300 or longer rows would be a lot more fun.

Another use for a potato digger similar to mine is that it can be used as a rock picker when prepping the gardens. For some reason rocks seem to be a bumper crop here and every few years cleaning them out can be a chore. This year it is time and I intend to have a trailer in behind my digger to catch them pesky rocks :D

Chris:

I really like that middle buster. Some day.. :D
 
Hey David! When you got it out in Iowa it had been used pretty good and was barn and field dirty. Thanks for grabbing it. See you at Cub Tug hopefully! :D
 
Thanks for all the ideas never thought there were so many way to dig potatoes. The pictures were great and I enjoyed the video. Lots of great looking equipment. I do not have a fast hitch but do have a cultivator so may fix some kind of bar across back with a middle buster not sure yet as I still have lots of time to play before time to dig.
Again thanks.
Danny
 
This is a really good thread, I've never seen either of those plows before.
Thanks for the pictures !
 
Dan In Arkansas":35p4cmas said:
Has anyone ever use their cub to dig potatoes? If so what did you use? I have planted some potatoes this year and would like to use my cub come harvest time but not sure what to use. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Thanks
Danny
Click to expand...

Danny,
dirtdevil has a sweet setup; Tater on Top

HPIM2012.jpg



Peter
 
Peter Person":qxwqditk said:
Dan In Arkansas":qxwqditk said:
Has anyone ever use their cub to dig potatoes? If so what did you use? I have planted some potatoes this year and would like to use my cub come harvest time but not sure what to use. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Thanks
Danny
Click to expand...

Danny,
dirtdevil has a sweet setup; Tater on Top

HPIM2012.jpg



Peter
Click to expand...
I have one of those too. Ed
 
Years ago dad used his cub to dig potatoes but I was young, didn't pay much attention cause I was havin' to pickem' up. But, since he had mules before the little cub I believe he used a horse drawn plow behind the cub with uncle Hardy handling the plow. The only time I planted potatoes, also many years back, I dug the 4 rows with a fork.
Dan, great thread.
I have a neighbor who has a middle buster hooked up to his cub, and it is not a fast hitch. I'll have to stop by and see how he sit it up.
 
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