Types of potato planters for a walk-behind tractor, how to do it yourself, their advantages and principle of operation
A potato planter for a walk-behind tractor is a device whose purpose is to quickly plant a vegetable. People who grow potatoes on their own know that this is not an easy task. To facilitate the task, save strength and save time, use a walk-behind tractor. And already a potato planter is adapted to it.
The device can be purchased from a specialist store or you can make your own. Moreover, it is not difficult to do this. The apparatus is completely subordinate to the person during control.
Quick landing
The development of technology makes agricultural work easier for humans. Walk-behind tractors, mini-tractors and other attachments appeared on the market. With its help, a person can improve soil cultivation. The result is a high yield.
Owners of small land plots and farmers are increasingly giving preference to walk-behind tractors. Their main feature is the ability to install various attachments. The most popular is the potato planter.
Advantages of a potato planter
A homemade potato planter is different from the traditional method of planting a vegetable under a shovel. Its advantages are as follows:
- requires minimal physical effort;
- shortens the landing time;
- promotes uniform distribution of tubers in the pits;
- planting depth is the same;
- easy to use;
- has a high performance;
- can be repaired;
- low cost;
- long service life.
With the help of a potato planter, you can plant a vegetable regardless of its variety. The yield is increased due to the even distribution of the tubers to the desired depth. Also maintains the distance between holes.
Types of devices
For planting a vegetable, a manual potato planter or attachments for a mini-tractor and walk-behind tractor can be used.
How the manual view works
The potato planter is a great help when planting vegetables in small to medium sized areas. The principle of operation of the equipment is as follows:
- The material for planting is poured into a receiving container.
- The planter is placed on the surface of the ground and the foot is pressed against the limit bar, deepening the blade as much as possible into the soil.
- After that, remove the leg from the limiter bar. Holding the handle of the potato planter with your hands, tilt it away from you. This creates a free space for the receiving container. After that, the handle easily returns to its original position.
- The stalk continues to be in the soil, and at this time the movable handle is activated.She opens the receiving container so that the potatoes can fall into the hole.
- After that, the leg is removed from the stop bar.
During planting, the receptacle may become clogged with earth. It is very easy to clean it. To do this, it is enough to make up and down movements using the movable handle. After that, from the container, the potatoes can again fall out without problems.
To distribute the vegetable evenly in the soil, it is recommended to use a planter on pre-treated soil. In this case, a person will spend less physical effort.
Mechanical potato planter: principle of operation and advantages
A mini tractor potato planter is usually equipped with a small plow to form furrows. The seeder distributes the vegetable tubers evenly, while maintaining the same distance. The hiller loosens and covers the potatoes with soil.
Planter benefits
Farmers and amateur gardeners appreciate the device for:
- the time for planting a crop is reduced significantly;
- the same distance is maintained between the planted tubers;
- automatic formation of furrows and filling of potatoes;
- light weight of the device;
- compact size of the device;
- a do-it-yourself planter for a walk-behind tractor has an acceptable cost.
Despite the many advantages, the device also has disadvantages. Operating a DIY potato planter is difficult. This will require two people at once. This approach makes it easier to plant potatoes.
A DIY mini-tractor potato planter will work well only on prepared soil. If the soil is too dense, it can cause the planter to lie on its side. Due to the fact that the blade will not sink well into the ground, a person will not be able to plant a culture. This will take a lot of time and effort. Before planting, the soil should be prepared by fluffing it up.
Additional accessories
Potato planters for a tractor or walk-behind tractor can be equipped with additional parts. Usually farmers who have to cultivate large plots of land are interested in such "improvements". It may also interest amateur gardeners. In any case, additional devices allow you to perform not only planting potatoes and other vegetables, but also engage in various land works.
One of these additional "amenities" is the height adjuster. It can also be installed by yourself and fixed the height of the planter. It is very convenient when the planter is equipped with a special section into which excess vegetables fall. The potatoes are then sent back to the planting container. This is a really useful and handy feature.
The potato planter can also have a hopper that acts as a fertilizer dispenser.
Conclusion
Typically, the manual potato planter is single row. It is convenient and few people think about how to improve it a little. A two-row potato planter is more suitable for a walk-behind tractor or mini-tractor. Its size is different from single row. It is used on large plots of land.
People who keep a small vegetable garden prefer single-row potato planters. There are enough of them to cultivate a plot of land near the house or in the country.
With a potato planter, a person can plant potatoes quickly and effortlessly. This device not only saves time, but also energy. This is much better than shoveling a vegetable. The plus is that a person can make a potato planter on their own. You can choose a manual or mounted version for a walk-behind tractor or a mini-tractor. Many summer residents have already tried this device in work, and they only speak positively about it.
