Hiller stage 1

[Bansil]

okay,just finished today's project minus paint and some bracing...if it works

working from home with no access to lathes and mills sucks, so using a grinder, hand drill and 15 year old Harbor frieght drill press...I pushed on :cool2:

Spent an hour making $2.00 pins :confused2:

laid out

found some old rollcage tubing and used it for spacers

had to make a couple plates to attach discs to tubing

welded up disc holders

mounted

I can swap sides and get them 6" from each other

well, going to grab lunch and see if they work

 

[TnAndy]

Now add a set of spring plow points to the end of your square tubing, and it will loosen the soil your tractor compacts on the run down the potato row. Below is homemade rig. I use a 2" receiver hitch attachment, then built several things that go in the hitch, including the hiller, and the field fence 'un-roller' you see on the floor behind the hiller.

 

[Bansil]

it worked good

carried it down in bucket, and then assembled

here it is on the ole girl

of course papaw raised **** because I buried tators 6" or 8" deep instead of 4"....what ever...I am having fun and learning new stuff weekly


I told wifey, would of been easier if you just let me buy a Fire Truck :laughing::laughing:

 

[Bansil]

TnAndy that is exactly what I am doing! just ran out of time :thumbsup: and I used one of my plow points for my row-er!!

Thank you for the picture!

 

[sixdogs]

Great and creative thread. This is how you learn stuff in life.

 

[Jim Timber]

So you just ran the disks too deep then?

Looks like it works great!

 

[Bansil]

So you just ran the disks too deep then?

Looks like it works great!

More like "not his way"

He is 90 years old, and they never used a tractor to do the garden (had a neighbor that would plow and disc it about 4" deep each year though) this is first year that he can't help in garden( i did have him help me/show me how to eye the potatoes though )

he is dead set in his ways, our greatest generation is slowly dwindling away

So this is my mid life crisis, no 'Vette or Yacht; just an old blue tractor and reviving the old ways

 

[Ed of all trades]

More like "not his way"

He is 90 years old, and they never used a tractor to do the garden (had a neighbor that would plow and disc it about 4" deep each year though) this is first year that he can't help in garden( i did have him help me/show me how to eye the potatoes though )

he is dead set in his ways, our greatest generation is slowly dwindling away

So this is my mid life crisis, no 'Vette or Yacht; just an old blue tractor and reviving the old ways

Great looking hiller, looks like it will do the job for years to come. I like that blue Vette or Yacht or what ever it is.
My mom is 92, I know exactly what you mean. There is no changing them but I guess I would not want to. Cherish the time it will be over all to soon. Ed

 

[Everhard]

Ok school me please! I planted potatoes last year, first time. Did that by hand. (Not that much maybe 12 feet worth.) This year there's gonna be more! Not sure I'll have time to make the fancy tools you got there but I'll give it some thought.
But for my lesson: Regarding planting depth - when you say 4" deep do you mean below the ground level. (not below the top of the mound level) And is that 4 inches to the bottom of the trench you put the potatoes or is that 4inches to the top of the potato in the trench... And am I over thinking this... Lol. I had a decent crop last year but I think I could have done better.
Thanks!

E.

 

[Bansil]

yeah over thinking kind of...the numbers where more rhetorical type of measuring

if you dig a row say 3" deep from ground level, we then spray for bugs, and drop our eyes about an inch tall

normally we would cover by hand pulling from top and bottom of row

this puts about 6" extra dirt on top of ground level so the tators are about 8 inches under ground and then it will settle to the magic number of 4" (it is really about 6" you just agree with seasoned farmers)

you want tators deep enough so they don't get sunburn if they break out early before hilling (hard green spots) when they start to grow

I would rather they be deeper, with the drainage ditches the disc make and let them grow up

it will take longer for them to show

a basic potato eye will grow about anywhere, they need drainage to keep water from sitting and rotting them

4", 8" and 12" doesn't really mater much

and 12' isn't much...you need more :thumbsup: ...we put an eye every 12"

what kind of potato's do you do?