sassafraspete
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2003
- Messages
- 782
- Tractor
- Branson (kukje) 4020, 40hp turbo
Kuby, as you have seen, there are several ideas on this potato hilling thing. Some are for building the hill first and then planting , the other is to plant your potatoes first, then hill as they grow later. The later is my technique, using the
combination of middle buster and one row cultivator.
The cultivator we have, is not as heavy as the one in your picture. I saw one in the Northern hydraulics catalog made by kingkutter and it is labled as a "C tine cultivator". That is like the one I use. It is not as heavy duty as the one you show, and the shovels do not have wings but are fairly straight. The catalog I had priced it at around $180. KingKutter also makes the middle buster plow which I think you can get for around $100. With these 2 you have everything you need.
The cultivator you show I would think would work...however the shovels are a little more agressive. You should be able to adjust the center tines as needed to fit over the row. The faster you drive and deeper you go, the more agressive the hilling. You have to be careful to have adequate space between the first 2 tines, or risk digging out your vines. The proper use of this tool will really loosen up your soil and promote good growth. You can also use the cultivator after you have dug and picked up your potatoes , to throw dirt back into the furrows...this may also uncover some potatoes you missed in the initial digging.
The plow that Luremaker shows, is essentially the middle buster with the addition of some back wings (hilling?) and a seat. If I am imagining right, a guy would sit on the seat and drop a potato behind the furrow plow, and in front of the hiller wings which look to be there to cover the furrow back over? I do know that the seat would come in handy when you are digging potatoes with just the middle buster (hiller wings removed). Put a guy back there and he would add weight to your plow to get it down, and also he could direct the driver if he was getting off the row.
Ralph's hiller looks to be a nice set-up as well.
My 2 cents worth.
sassafraspete
combination of middle buster and one row cultivator.
The cultivator we have, is not as heavy as the one in your picture. I saw one in the Northern hydraulics catalog made by kingkutter and it is labled as a "C tine cultivator". That is like the one I use. It is not as heavy duty as the one you show, and the shovels do not have wings but are fairly straight. The catalog I had priced it at around $180. KingKutter also makes the middle buster plow which I think you can get for around $100. With these 2 you have everything you need.
The cultivator you show I would think would work...however the shovels are a little more agressive. You should be able to adjust the center tines as needed to fit over the row. The faster you drive and deeper you go, the more agressive the hilling. You have to be careful to have adequate space between the first 2 tines, or risk digging out your vines. The proper use of this tool will really loosen up your soil and promote good growth. You can also use the cultivator after you have dug and picked up your potatoes , to throw dirt back into the furrows...this may also uncover some potatoes you missed in the initial digging.
The plow that Luremaker shows, is essentially the middle buster with the addition of some back wings (hilling?) and a seat. If I am imagining right, a guy would sit on the seat and drop a potato behind the furrow plow, and in front of the hiller wings which look to be there to cover the furrow back over? I do know that the seat would come in handy when you are digging potatoes with just the middle buster (hiller wings removed). Put a guy back there and he would add weight to your plow to get it down, and also he could direct the driver if he was getting off the row.
Ralph's hiller looks to be a nice set-up as well.
My 2 cents worth.
sassafraspete
