That is the best horse drawn potato digger that I have ever seen. It does the job really well. The steel that’s poured in foundries today bears no resemblance to the steel that went into the manufacture of these farm machines of 120 years ago. Despite being left out in the extremes of weather in farmyards over the past century, they still perform like new, as this one does. It’s a real gem.
This is my second comment , I just can't get enough of watching that potato digger, You can pull it with almost any thing. I never have enough potatoes to use a digger that big, but I still want one. You have a real treasure there, take care of it.
I have that same exact potato digger I haven’t found much info but I believe that Hoover/john Deere is the correct manufacture based on the lift handle the galvanized tool box, the main driver gear and gear sheiks and the hitch mount I’m very positive that they must have made these as a lower cost options due the lack of trash rakes on the rear elevator section. Possibly a transition peace from the aquirement of Hoover to John deere
Yes thats a Hoover. Sold by John Deere. Mine is of the same vintage 1910. Still in use today -- don't go so deep and dirt clods won't happen. Driving very slow with a 35 horse tractor works best.
My Grandfather had the same one. He passed in 1977 at 90 and he pulled his with a tractor and a horse. The picker is still in the equipment barn covered by an old Army tarp but after seeing your video I am gonna see if my Cousin would consider selling it to me. I think you might want to get a bigger tractor though. ( Just Kidding ) I have a nice sub compact Kubota that would easily pull it.
Thanks for the comment. It does work pretty well. I know the tractor is oversized, but I like to use that one because it has real slow forward gear, which i like.
Perfect wheel driven speed to it. Most of the vintage reuses I see PTO the crap out of them for some or another reasons. I suspect great old grandpa knew how to gear them just right for its intended horse use. Pulling it with a tractor makes no difference to it. If it aint broke, dont fix it I say
Thanks for your post. A couple weeks ago I was looking for a good video of one of these in action! We have a model of similar design minus the send tier of conveyor in the back. Needed a good reference so we can refurbish ours this winter.
this is similar to the one my grandfather had and we used similar design but prob about 20 or 30 years newer the front wheel set up is older on yours i would guess around 1890 to 1900 they generally moved away from steel spike wheels in the twentys when asphalt roads became more popular the one he had had a higher arch in the middle of the chain part to seperate the dirt / potatoes speaking of which i may be wrong but there seems to be excessive amounts of manure clumps comming out with the potatoes go a little lighter next time when spreading
George, Thanks for your comments. The clumps are actually hard dirt clumps. For some reason, part of the garden got really dry late summer and these were hard clumps. Maybe, I will go a little shallower digging. Thanks again!
We have a John Deere (I think) single row potato digger. It has PTO driven chain belt. The PTO shaft is routed through a backwards mounted 3-speed floor shift transmission and then onto a gear arrangement to drive the belt. Love the old equipment. You have a gem there.
I do like the pto driven system. I bet that 3 speed gear box makes it really nice for different conditions. Keep them running! Thanks for the comments.
It seems to be doing a pretty good job for the age it is. Maybe rake the stems and leaves out of the way before you start. Probably won’t plug up there in the front
My grand dad used one of those, and the kids would pick up the potatoes. Uncle Charlie went out first thing and only picked the big potatoes, then at the farmers market the chefs would buy his for a higher price than my dad's. Dad woke up later and decided farming wasn't for him. Also, the chicken massacre, and the back end of a horse, and being chased by the working end of a pitchfork...
Any idea on the year of that ground drive potatoe rake??? Old enough to have the old steel tractor seat. A couple of ideas, a small conveyor & trailer at the end. To make retrieval easier.
Probably early 1900’s. Sometimes there are clods of dirt or trash debris is why we don’t put right into a trailer. However, it sure beats digging by hand. Thanks for watching!
Hello Corwyn! I am writing from Sweden and was just admiring this beautiful landscape (and the potatoes)! We also grow potatoes and would have some questions concerning manure, what do you use and how often? Best wishes
Dear Wolf, thanks for comment. I have no real plan. I usually just broadcast a general dry mix of nitrogen with some p & k. I just do that for the whole garden. My neighbor has spread a load of cattle manure on it last year. I also try to rotate where i plant the potatoes so they are in a different spot from one year to the next. I have been trying to hill them a little when planting (ridge). I guess i have been trying to have about 4 inches of dirt on top of them when planting. I have a friend that has access to certified seed potatoes, so i get the seed from him. I think that is a plus. Some of our neighbors have a hard time growing potatoes, but they do not use certified seed potatoes.
As has been said, depth control. This is a horse drawn design, but early tractors just used a drawbar and did the job of a team of horses, so some companies continued to sell equipment that was originally designed to be horse drawn as tractor drawn implements.
Roger, I can not find any markings or names on the digger. However, from some research on the internet, it resembles the brand Hoover. So, I believe it is a Hoover brand. Found a copy of a old Hoover brochure, and it looks it.
If you have a heavy duty ATV, it probably could pull it. The thing I found is that it seems to plant better if I drive as slow as I can go. As for brand, It is really old, and near as I can tell it is a Hoover brand potato digger. Thanks for comments.
@@pinseekergaming4760I don’t know if you know what a ford 8N is, but that just barely pull it. If the soil is wet and hard, I had to go to a little bigger tractor. Thanks!
Goodness me! THat's some crop of Big, I really mean B I G as in large potatoes you've got there. Sure the tractor is big enough to replace the horse you maust have had way back then ? and modern veggie man / girl / it wants to be eating that awful pasta best stuff ( wheat based ).
Thanks for the comment. I did try to pull it with a little ford 8n (with no extra weights), and it would slip-spin once in awhile. This was the next bigger tractor I had, and it works very well. The other thing i like on this tractor is that it has a very very slow forward gear, so I can go slow when digging. Thanks again!
That is the best horse drawn potato digger that I have ever seen. It does the job really well. The steel that’s poured in foundries today bears no resemblance to the steel that went into the manufacture of these farm machines of 120 years ago. Despite being left out in the extremes of weather in farmyards over the past century, they still perform like new, as this one does.
It’s a real gem.
The old and the new. I love how the front roller keeps the digger over the row. Wonderful.
This is my second comment , I just can't get enough of watching that potato digger, You can pull it with almost any thing.
I never have enough potatoes to use a digger that big, but I still want one.
You have a real treasure there, take care of it.
I have that same exact potato digger I haven’t found much info but I believe that Hoover/john Deere is the correct manufacture based on the lift handle the galvanized tool box, the main driver gear and gear sheiks and the hitch mount I’m very positive that they must have made these as a lower cost options due the lack of trash rakes on the rear elevator section. Possibly a transition peace from the aquirement of Hoover to John deere
Old but gold, is working much better than how days harvesters
Yes thats a Hoover. Sold by John Deere. Mine is of the same vintage 1910. Still in use today -- don't go so deep and dirt clods won't happen. Driving very slow with a 35 horse tractor works best.
That is an awesome old machine. I guess I'll have to keep using a potato fork!!
My uncle had one I remember walking behind with burlap bag collecting potatoes.
My Grandfather had the same one. He passed in 1977 at 90 and he pulled his with a tractor and a horse. The picker is still in the equipment barn covered by an old Army tarp but after seeing your video I am gonna see if my Cousin would consider selling it to me. I think you might want to get a bigger tractor though. ( Just Kidding ) I have a nice sub compact Kubota that would easily pull it.
Thanks for the comment. It does work pretty well. I know the tractor is oversized, but I like to use that one because it has real slow forward gear, which i like.
The potato digger you have is well made and works well. Too bad you can't buy a digger like that today, thanks for the video.
Perfect wheel driven speed to it. Most of the vintage reuses I see PTO the crap out of them for some or another reasons. I suspect great old grandpa knew how to gear them just right for its intended horse use. Pulling it with a tractor makes no difference to it. If it aint broke, dont fix it I say
NICE CROP of Big Reds! Really!
Thanks for your post. A couple weeks ago I was looking for a good video of one of these in action! We have a model of similar design minus the send tier of conveyor in the back. Needed a good reference so we can refurbish ours this winter.
Geez how slick is that
I remember my Dad borrowing one to dig up the potatoes he planted
this is similar to the one my grandfather had and we used similar design but prob about 20 or 30 years newer the front wheel set up is older on yours i would guess around 1890 to 1900 they generally moved away from steel spike wheels in the twentys when asphalt roads became more popular the one he had had a higher arch in the middle of the chain part to seperate the dirt / potatoes speaking of which i may be wrong but there seems to be excessive amounts of manure clumps comming out with the potatoes go a little lighter next time when spreading
George, Thanks for your comments. The clumps are actually hard dirt clumps. For some reason, part of the garden got really dry late summer and these were hard clumps. Maybe, I will go a little shallower digging. Thanks again!
We have a John Deere (I think) single row potato digger. It has PTO driven chain belt. The PTO shaft is routed through a backwards mounted 3-speed floor shift transmission and then onto a gear arrangement to drive the belt. Love the old equipment. You have a gem there.
I do like the pto driven system. I bet that 3 speed gear box makes it really nice for different conditions. Keep them running! Thanks for the comments.
It seems to be doing a pretty good job for the age it is. Maybe rake the stems and leaves out of the way before you start. Probably won’t plug up there in the front
My grand dad used one of those, and the kids would pick up the potatoes. Uncle Charlie went out first thing and only picked the big potatoes, then at the farmers market the chefs would buy his for a higher price than my dad's. Dad woke up later and decided farming wasn't for him. Also, the chicken massacre, and the back end of a horse, and being chased by the working end of a pitchfork...
Any idea on the year of that ground drive potatoe rake??? Old enough to have the old steel tractor seat.
A couple of ideas, a small conveyor & trailer at the end. To make retrieval easier.
Probably early 1900’s. Sometimes there are clods of dirt or trash debris is why we don’t put right into a trailer. However, it sure beats digging by hand. Thanks for watching!
Hello Corwyn! I am writing from Sweden and was just admiring this beautiful landscape (and the potatoes)!
We also grow potatoes and would have some questions concerning manure, what do you use and how often?
Best wishes
Dear Wolf, thanks for comment. I have no real plan. I usually just broadcast a general dry mix of nitrogen with some p & k. I just do that for the whole garden. My neighbor has spread a load of cattle manure on it last year. I also try to rotate where i plant the potatoes so they are in a different spot from one year to the next. I have been trying to hill them a little when planting (ridge). I guess i have been trying to have about 4 inches of dirt on top of them when planting. I have a friend that has access to certified seed potatoes, so i get the seed from him. I think that is a plus. Some of our neighbors have a hard time growing potatoes, but they do not use certified seed potatoes.
Great video, thank you.
Wonder how one like that would cost today
I would love to find one
Me to
Do you take the tops off first best digger I have watched
Yes, I mow the tops off first, Works much better so the vines don’t wrap up. Thanks for the comment!
That’s a nice working digger. Like to have one some day. I am wondering what the purpose of the roller is before it starts digging.
Maybe keeps it from going too deep and digging itself in
Holds the front end up, especially when pulled by horse power.
As has been said, depth control. This is a horse drawn design, but early tractors just used a drawbar and did the job of a team of horses, so some companies continued to sell equipment that was originally designed to be horse drawn as tractor drawn implements.
As stated for depth control. Could have be designed with 2 casters straggling the row but turning could chew up the potatoes.
@@waynespyker5731👍🏻👍🏻
Good digger
Still working after all this time but my iPhone starts glitching 6 months in lol 😂
Potato digger was made in USA. Your iPhone was made in China…designed in California.
NICKEL in that STEEL. not in modern rubbish though.
What brand is the digger Please
Roger, I can not find any markings or names on the digger. However, from some research on the internet, it resembles the brand Hoover. So, I believe it is a Hoover brand. Found a copy of a old Hoover brochure, and it looks it.
I have a Dowden made in Iowa
Sandy Loam soil?
Not so much sand. Soil has a bit more clay but still seems to grow potatoes.
Nice Video! My dad has one of these but has now passed away. Any idea of its value?
Keep it
Please keep it. The day will come that you will be glad you did.
You think a atv would pull something like that?
I don’t think so. Maybe only if you had light loose sandy soil.
@@caseihharvesting2 ok. Even if it was a 1000cc turbo?
If you have a heavy duty ATV, it probably could pull it. The thing I found is that it seems to plant better if I drive as slow as I can go. As for brand, It is really old, and near as I can tell it is a Hoover brand potato digger. Thanks for comments.
@@pinseekergaming4760I don’t know if you know what a ford 8N is, but that just barely pull it. If the soil is wet and hard, I had to go to a little bigger tractor. Thanks!
Probably burn the drive belt in no time.
When you get done there you need to go over to OWL farm and help them...
I watch all of Mike and Erin's video's, if that's who your talking about.
drag a plastic tarp in a frame to catch the potatoes ?
Set that up with a box and it would fill it and you wouldn't have to repick them up..
Yep, that would be nice. sometimes, it is good for them to dry just a little in the sun before pickup up.
No wonder my spuds are always bruised.
I want one
Я тоже.
Goodness me! THat's some crop of Big, I really mean B I G as in large potatoes you've got there. Sure the tractor is big enough to replace the horse you maust have had way back then ? and modern veggie man / girl / it wants to be eating that awful pasta best stuff ( wheat based ).
Thanks for the comment. I did try to pull it with a little ford 8n (with no extra weights), and it would slip-spin once in awhile. This was the next bigger tractor I had, and it works very well. The other thing i like on this tractor is that it has a very very slow forward gear, so I can go slow when digging. Thanks again!
😅😅😅😅😅😅
"They can't starve us out and they can't make us run!" And they have NO IDEA where food comes from.
lepsza taka kopaczka niz motyka a kartofle tylko IRGA