Potato planter

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karte_m0lim

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so , this is another project, main purpose is to reduce any useful job :p
it's about potato planter I wanna to make .
I have motocultivator (diesel, 10 HP, pict 0 ) and usually plant around 50 kg of potatoes so I was thinking, let's make this easier.

made a small plough (pict 1) , have 20 cm diameter wheel, plastic pipe (7,5 cm diameter).

so idea is to put one potato on top of pipe, and when impulse from attached wheel is there, flap is opened, and potato is planted :p

well, wheel is 20 cm in diameter and circumference of cca 60 cm so in one revolution, I have to have two impulse ..
i was thinking to attach lever directly from wheel to flap, put wheel have to have free movement up and down to follow terrain and that movement can open flap. (pict 2).

next solution is use shielded cable , and again attached directly to te wheel. I don't know will cable be able to sustain that twisting. (pict 3)

3th idea is to use two excenter , cable with pin on the end and spring to fore tension. Problem could be force of spring, as wheel is small and light, it could block wheel. (pict 4)

last idea is to use sprocket and chain . with that solution, I could use bigger and heavier wheel and with right ratio achieve wanted impulse. From sprocket 2 I could use lever to attach flap.

on pict 6, well picture say for itself, is idea to avoid constant movement of flap. option also is to use solution form pict 3

thoughts, ideas, free potato planter to my address, anything is welcome ...
 

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itsid

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Well, the cam (Pic: 3.jpg) has a major design flaw.

If for one reason or another you have to pull the plow backwards (stray root, stone in the field or simply pulling it out of the shed) you'll break the release cable or it'll lock the wheel (most likely break the cable)

so the 4.jpg is the much better alternative with a reciprocating movement that doesn't lock up .

But it'll only open the flap once per revolution so you cannot have that directly on your wheel.
instead you'd need a smaller caster wheel on a spring loaded swingarm to keep good contact with the ground.
And still..
since you use a cable it only works reliably on PULLING the cable; pushing a cable only works so well if there's no resistance it works agains (and a potatoe would just render it useless..)

And we're back at a pushrod.. and the ways the flap opens and closes..

So I think you'd better build a 4-flap waterwheel where each flap carries one potatoe at a time,
now you can attach a belt to the rear wheel and the axle of your potatoe water wheel with whatever pulley ratio you need, and a belt tensioner will take care of bumps and slacks.

'sid
 

karte_m0lim

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thanks for your input Said ..

I was thinking chain with sprocket instead belt because I had mountain bike (24 speed ) in mind .. so there should be good ratio and variable ratio as well ..
so, only thing left is to build **** thing ..

as you may notice , I first build harvester and then started thinking about planter :p
 

karte_m0lim

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ok, so here are some "plans" ..

I already started with wheels, center tube is 3/4, support is 20*20 mm, diameter of wheel is 38 cm + 4 cm long flaps.
this gonna give me circumference of wheel of 119,32 cm and I need to plant each potato every 30 cm so in one wheel turn 4 potatoes.

sprocket on axle is 20 cm in diameter , or 62,8 cm circumference so on chain there should be cups every 15,5 cm.
didn't decide yet, but for cups I was thinking to cut 2 inch tube to 1 cm length and than use full circle for shape and half-circle for bottom.

fixing cups to chain - gonna open square 20*20 mm profile to get U-shape, cut it to 3-4 cm length, drill hole and on chain remove original bolt and put longer screw , so I believe that gonna be ok .

already have plough, for pipes gonna use plastic tubes (75 or 110 mm in diameter)
 

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fowler

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Well ill be honest
I have no idea how potatos are planted

But ill tell u how our big ag gear works

Our seeder that plants wheat or canola seeds and fertilizer at the same time
That is 60ft wide and works by dropping seeds abd fertilizer into a high flow air line
That is then sent to distribution manifold and to each point
The point tears up the dirt and the seed is dropped in and a roller closes up the row at the back


The metering is done by a sproket on one of the air bin wheels
So it is locked to the ground speed
And becaust it has no suspension theres no need to have a flex joint in the drive line
The pounts are free to jump over stumps by being spring loaded

Also anougther method is our super spreader
Made for spreading super phosphate or other fetilizers

It is meterd by a car tyre pressed onto the big wheel
Again it doesnt require a flex joint in the drive line

Look up bredal spreaders and morris air seeders

My metod would be to run tbe metering off one of the wheels
And leave the disc or point to do just cutting the earth
Then drop a potato in just behind the disc and fill in the whole

To run the metering u can run a driven wheel or sproket
Then run a little cam like pic 3 first post

If u need to reverse or when u turn around to do the next row u can lift the driven wheel off the grond wheel and the metering stops
 

karte_m0lim

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Hi, thanks for input ..

little cups on chain pick up potato and lift to the top end and throw in tube.

well, to the next cup actually.

when cup reaches sprocket, and chain start to bend around it, potato fall down on the ground, just behind plough.

two additional plates on back create little crest over potato.

all is driven by wheels attached on live axle and dragged by walking tractor.

this all is very small, even smaller than on youtube video below.

potatoes container gonna be cca 20 liters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofPGCTd9dHc
 

karte_m0lim

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so, works started...
 

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karte_m0lim

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I really feel like I talking to myself ..
 

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itsid

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Yeah sorry..

I'm watching, but I know NOTHING about planting potatoes...
so all I can do is watch your progress.

The concept appears to be solid (as far as I can tell),
and now it's all about you building it ;)

'sid
 

landuse

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Yeah sorry..

I'm watching, but I know NOTHING about planting potatoes...
so all I can do is watch your progress.

The concept appears to be solid (as far as I can tell),
and now it's all about you building it ;)

'sid

Yeah, I am with sid here. I also know nothing of what you are doing but i am definately watching
 

machinist@large

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I really feel like I talking to myself ..

The only time I've helped plant potatoes was when I was a young boy, and I was helping a family friend. We were using cut seed; basically, she was cutting the seed potatoes into thick slices with at least three eye's (root stalk's) per slice. Water very carefully (don't overdue it) until the stems are above ground and starting to leaf out. Let Mother Nature do her thing, harvest in the fall.

The above paragraph basically sum's up my experience of raising potatoes.

As for your basic structure, I know that you're on a good track. I just wish I could point out more detailed sources of information for you.....:surrender: :surrender:
 

Poboy kartman

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Yes.....MAL brings up a good point I didn't even think about......Now I have planted full potatoes, commercially prepared seed potatoes, and self cut seed potatoes......The self cut.....I have cut down to a single eye....and had a fairly decent success rate for them developing into. plants.....two eyes had a really high percentage.....while 3 is almost guaranteed......

I have put them in the ground right after cutting as well and had a pretty high success rate......

The way seed companies prepare seed potatoes is to cut them into pieces that contain one or two eyes....the cut side is dipped in a powdered antifungal....and then sun-dried for a couple of days....(by the time they reach the customer the callous is thick and well developed) .....

And I also have just dropped whole potatoes in the ground and had about the same results as the two eyed self-cut pieces.....More eyes on the whole potato doesn't necessarily equate to a higher percentage of successfully sprouted plants.....the whole potatoes have a tendency to become one big mushy rotten mess....and that can actually interfere with successful plant production....I have actually harvested potatoes and came across a huge slimy stinky mess that was a whole potato at planting time.....the original potato flesh doesn't grow....it just rots in the ground....so more is not always better......

So I have also cut two eye pieces....let them callous over in the sun for afew days.....and had really good results.....and the commercial pieces do very well....

So.....besides taking more potatoes to get the same yeild as cut ones....whole potatoes have more material to rot....and can be less productive that way too....this is less of an issue when using baby potatoes or smaller varieties like 'Yukon Gold' for seed.....

This is just my opinion and non-scientific observations I experienced planting in my climate.....with really no control groups or protocol followed....different varieties and different sized pieces planted in different years....and only a vaugely similar planting date.....and widely varying precipitation...and soil amendments.....but enough different plantings to draw some conclusions on some fairly consistent results related to seed sizes.....
 

karte_m0lim

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thanks guys, I know it's looks like I am screaming for attention here, but if no one watching, than no need to publishing it ;)

I do not plant too many potatoes, between 50 and 100 kg of seed, depending on mood :p

my father do the cutting part, usually cut potato in 2-3 pieces , leaving two or three , as you call it, eyes. He doing it day before planting.

@poboy, Do you plant potatoes with grown germ or without it?

this project is not for any commercial purpose, it's just to explore my ability and skill, and more important, I can tell my screaming wife that I am working on planter while I am on my kart :p
 

RobertD

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:thumbsup:

Heck I've been watching this thread, just haven't said anything about it. Keep it up! DIY PO-TAY-TOES!
 

Poboy kartman

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Grow germ is not a term I'm familiar with..,.so we are losing something in the translation.....It's probably something I'm familiar with by another name...

But I'd say probably not...I never did anything special for potatoes....but did always do a lot of amending to my soil in my garden..and have been for years.....Peat moss, leaf mold, play sand, bonemeal, bloodmeal, and greensand.....of course lots of compost...then liquid feedings (which end up in the soil..as well as on the leaves....a mix of fish emulsion, liquid seaweed,cola, beer,mouthwash,molasses, and water....

Been improving the soil in my raised beds for over 30 years...and I mulch with sawdust and shredded leaves...so the soil is pretty good every where......I'm not. 100% organic...every once in a while I'll use some chemical fertilizer ....and when things really get out of hand....I'll resort to chemical poison.....but I try to control everything organically.....
 
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