Middle Buster for Potatoes

For you guys with potatoes, I have 75 hills I have to pick up. I think I read here once maybe by Bob S that you could use a middlebuster to break them out? Last year I did it with a potato fork and it took me forever and half way threw I broke the fork. What does everyone else use out there and Dave Nay don't tell me you just go to the store and buy what you need.



murph

Murph,
I have a middle buster, also known as a potato plow. I've used it to make drainage ditches less than 12"s deep. The way it puts the dirt out to each side makes me think it would work great for getting the potatos out of the ground ...but I've never used mine for that.
They are on the cheaper side as far as implements go, if I remember right I paid $75 dollars for it from a local tractor dealer.
Your welcome to borrow mine .... but it would cost your more in gas to pick mine up than it would cost to buy one for yourself.

Doc,

Tractor Supply has them for $125.00 and they advertise for digging up tators. But they only have a 14" blade. There is some on Ebay with 18" blades for $150.00 but they won't ship. I would have to go out and get. Maybe TSC has a 18" blade I could buy on top of the stock item and just replace.

murph

I don't know much about these folks, just bought some parts from them.

they have an 18" potato plow for $99.99

There's a shipping calculator. shows $46.44 to my place in Virginia. I'm not sure where they are, maybe Tennessee?

thcri said:

Doc,

Tractor Supply has them for $125.00 and they advertise for digging up tators. But they only have a 14" blade. There is some on Ebay with 18" blades for $150.00 but they won't ship. I would have to go out and get. Maybe TSC has a 18" blade I could buy on top of the stock item and just replace.

murph

Click to expand...

Without measuring I would guess mine is the 14" blade. It does good to go down 12"s.
Do you really have to dig more than 12"s to get yours out? I would think the smaller size would work well for your potatos .... but for me and my ditches I would love to have the 18" blade. If you find a source for them please post the info as I might buy one also.

jim slagle said:

I don't know much about these folks, just bought some parts from them.

Click to expand...

What Folks??

thcri said:

What Folks??

Click to expand...

oops, forgot to add the link

They sell on ebay too.

Jim

Went out to TSC to pick one up tonight. They had the best price of $124.00 but were out of stock. Others had them but were all over $139.00. Mills Fleet Farm had a $139.00 sticker on theirs but as I was walking through the store I was reading the sale bill, hey it is there for $119.00!! Went back to the check out and got me one. So Wednesday I am digging up potatoes.

Question for all you potato heads, what angle to you run the blade at or the back arm. I am assuming you want to somewhat come up under the potato to not destroy it?


murph