We have a rock farm too, ever since I was little, I always thought a potato digger would work great. We don’t grow potatoes so we never had one around. Thanks for sharing 👏🏽🇺🇸
Thanks Farmer PETE 07! and yes it does work pretty good for picking rocks as long as you can keep it fixed, and it certainly makes a world of difference for growing spuds.
I will admit before we put a digger in the ground, I had no idea that many rocks were going to come up. We had to start getting creative on where to put all of them. That was after we built a two mile farm road two feet high.
Found your site while looking for rock picking videos. Yours is by far the mother, father, uncle, brother of all the rock pickers I've seen so far. Where I grew up in western Nebraska there were few if any rocks. Some of the crops included potatoes and sugar beets besides wheat, corn, soybeans. Look forward to seeing you harvest spuds.
Thanks Marv! We have definitely worked on this process over the years. This is my Dad’s brain child. Obviously we can’t get every rock, but harvest is 100% better and the field stays surprisingly clean in years following.
@@jayparkinson1884 Thanks for reply Jay. Wondering what you were raising on this ground before and after you removed the rocks. Can't imagine you could raise spuds with all those rocks. Digger would have seem to have difficulty differentiating between rocks and potatoes. Also wondering where this ground is, Idaho, Washington?
@@jayparkinson1884 we farm in the lava rocks, have you tried your machine in those conditions? My brother and I have talked about doing something similar to your conversion but I'm wondering what happens when it hits a solid ledge.
Valid concern! You can see ours jump/lurch when it hits something big, which definitely reveals the weak points of the machine which we’ve maintained and strengthened. We’re trying to go as deep as possible, even though the machine is only meant to go as deep as the potatoes.
That's insane. Is that a potato harvester or is that made just for rocks. BTW really good video. I would like a bit of personal narrative to provide some backstory but overall it was well done. Editing was amazing and it was the perfect length
Hi Lee, glad you liked it! Yes, this is an old potato digger, the only difference is we put narrow pitch chain in it to catch the smaller rocks. There’s not much back story other than we wanted better quality spuds, a smoother harvest for the next year, and less wear and tear overall on our other equipment. Thanks for watching!
damn thats alot of rocks! using the spud harvester was a good idea doing that with traditional one would have taken ages with how limited there box is. tip rent a rock crusher and turn it in to gravel then you can sell it.
We did build a two lane farm road 3 feet high and 2 miles long. All the rocks in this video came after that though… we haven’t asked if anyone would be interested. We all kinda have a lot of rock around here. Thanks for watching!
Yes it is a lot. You only have to dig spuds once with this many rocks before realizing you need to pick the rocks beforehand… we’ve been there. Thanks for watching!
Hey Jay. Really nice video I am from India I have built a rock picker we also used belted chain for conveyor web and i would like to ask what kind of rollers you have used in this machine to minimize the wear and maintenance. Really appreciate your suggestions
This is set up just like a potato digger: steel nose rollers and shakers. One difference is that none of the belted chain has rubber on the links, although many of the rollers do.
...Отлично , просто смотрю и восхищаюсь . Там наверняка остаются какие-то мелкие камни , и мне интересно , нужно ли второй раз очищать одно и то же место , чтобы получить лучший результат ?
from switzerland super video en 2017 nous sommes venu visiter des fermes dans votre région nous avons été choqué a quel altitude 1300-1500 metres pour cultiver des semences de pomme de terre
Thanks Bapst! And yes it’s definitely a shorter growing season as well. The fields are being picked to prepare for seed potatoes so the growing season for those is shorter than commercial potatoes. Thanks for watching!
Hi John. We have fit some pretty big stones through it and haven’t found one too big yet. As long as the blade will pick it up, it’s fits the rest of the way. Thanks for watching.
I had engineers tell me that "we are running out of aggregate...". I'm thinking that we aren't running out; we just don't have them in the "correct" places.
We mostly look at them, but we did build a 2-lane road 3 feet tall and 2 miles long. Once you pick the rocks the first time you generally don't have to do it again.
Yes we made some modifications like a straight blade, heavier belted chain, and we took out the roller table on the elevator to simplify repairs. Thanks for watching John!
It's fairly significant, especially since it's not really built for digging rocks. I would say we get about 100 acres out of it before we need to go through substantial repairs on belted chain, bearings, and wear parts.
Hi Garth, this is a 1999 Spudnik 5640. It doesn’t have the original boom. We didn’t want to pay new for one so we just grabbed one off a scrapped double L digger.
This is in central Idaho. We usually only have to pick once if we do a good job. After that, the rock levels that are left are pretty well maintained by our potato rotation.
@@rickcinway2312 yes the frost does bring up some rocks, but not too many. Because the ground is going into a potato rotation, the rocks are maintained from harvesting the potatoes.
We actually tried that first on this field, but the rock box on the side filled up every fifty feet which resulted in a bunch of little piles in the field that we had to go pick up anyways with this machine. Decided to just get it out of the way before planting.
Hi there is a company called Nortech that makes something similar. Or you can find a used potato picker. There are a few different styles of rock pickers, fork type, reel type, this style like a potato picker. Depending on the size of your rocks you can pull them up with a tine impliment like a chisel plow or something. Then you can rake them together with a rock rake, and pick them up with a picker. Sometimes your local Ag co-op rents implements, or for 10 acres you can get some older small implements cheaply used. Then you can sell them for around what you paid for them!
A lot of people would be happy to have potatoes that yielded as good as your rock crop!
Haha that’s for sure!
Holy moly so much rock in level fields like that...literally farming rocks
Right, some people have asked what our soil type is and I will usually tell them silt and sand mixed with gravel. Thanks for watching!
We have a rock farm too, ever since I was little, I always thought a potato digger would work great. We don’t grow potatoes so we never had one around.
Thanks for sharing 👏🏽🇺🇸
Thanks Farmer PETE 07! and yes it does work pretty good for picking rocks as long as you can keep it fixed, and it certainly makes a world of difference for growing spuds.
Any idea where i could find a machine like that ? I definitely need one , and thanks for your response have a nice day ,
The surprising thing to me is a field with that many rocks in it. That's crazy.
I will admit before we put a digger in the ground, I had no idea that many rocks were going to come up. We had to start getting creative on where to put all of them. That was after we built a two mile farm road two feet high.
Found your site while looking for rock picking videos. Yours is by far the mother, father, uncle, brother of all the rock pickers I've seen so far. Where I grew up in western Nebraska there were few if any rocks. Some of the crops included potatoes and sugar beets besides wheat, corn, soybeans. Look forward to seeing you harvest spuds.
Thanks Marv! We have definitely worked on this process over the years. This is my Dad’s brain child. Obviously we can’t get every rock, but harvest is 100% better and the field stays surprisingly clean in years following.
@@jayparkinson1884 Thanks for reply Jay. Wondering what you were raising on this ground before and after you removed the rocks. Can't imagine you could raise spuds with all those rocks. Digger would have seem to have difficulty differentiating between rocks and potatoes. Also wondering where this ground is, Idaho, Washington?
That’s a lot of rocks!!!!
It sure is! We’ve avoided that field for a long time and finally gave it a try last fall. Rocks are definitely the harvest that keep on giving haha!
unbelievable amount of rock....amazing
Yes it's a lot. I'm sure this was a river bed at some point.
Dang that is a lot of rocks! Nice video. Love the Massey, we have 5 of them
Thanks for watching Brandon! Yes the Massy’s have some nice perks.
@@jayparkinson1884 we farm in the lava rocks, have you tried your machine in those conditions? My brother and I have talked about doing something similar to your conversion but I'm wondering what happens when it hits a solid ledge.
Valid concern! You can see ours jump/lurch when it hits something big, which definitely reveals the weak points of the machine which we’ve maintained and strengthened. We’re trying to go as deep as possible, even though the machine is only meant to go as deep as the potatoes.
That's insane. Is that a potato harvester or is that made just for rocks. BTW really good video. I would like a bit of personal narrative to provide some backstory but overall it was well done. Editing was amazing and it was the perfect length
Hi Lee, glad you liked it! Yes, this is an old potato digger, the only difference is we put narrow pitch chain in it to catch the smaller rocks. There’s not much back story other than we wanted better quality spuds, a smoother harvest for the next year, and less wear and tear overall on our other equipment. Thanks for watching!
damn thats alot of rocks! using the spud harvester was a good idea doing that with traditional one would have taken ages with how limited there box is. tip rent a rock crusher and turn it in to gravel then you can sell it.
Phalanx380 that is a good tip. That would be a good way to capitalize on the whole process. Thanks for watching!
Man that thing works great. What can be done with the stones? Can you sell them?
We did build a two lane farm road 3 feet high and 2 miles long. All the rocks in this video came after that though… we haven’t asked if anyone would be interested. We all kinda have a lot of rock around here. Thanks for watching!
Wow, I am impressed, that is a bunch of rocks. How in the world would you ever dig spuds with that many rocks? great video thanks
Yes it is a lot. You only have to dig spuds once with this many rocks before realizing you need to pick the rocks beforehand… we’ve been there. Thanks for watching!
Proof of God. A potato digger works to get the rocks out first, once your figger it out.
Hey Jay. Really nice video I am from India I have built a rock picker we also used belted chain for conveyor web and i would like to ask what kind of rollers you have used in this machine to minimize the wear and maintenance. Really appreciate your suggestions
This is set up just like a potato digger: steel nose rollers and shakers. One difference is that none of the belted chain has rubber on the links, although many of the rollers do.
...Отлично , просто смотрю и восхищаюсь . Там наверняка остаются какие-то мелкие камни , и мне интересно , нужно ли второй раз очищать одно и то же место , чтобы получить лучший результат ?
Yes there are some small rocks left. Once we clean the field one time, it usually stays clean for several years after.
from switzerland super video en 2017 nous sommes venu visiter des fermes dans votre région nous avons été choqué a quel altitude 1300-1500 metres pour cultiver des semences de pomme de terre
Thanks Bapst! And yes it’s definitely a shorter growing season as well. The fields are being picked to prepare for seed potatoes so the growing season for those is shorter than commercial potatoes. Thanks for watching!
Wow thats nice how big a rocks can you pick with that machine ?
Hi John. We have fit some pretty big stones through it and haven’t found one too big yet. As long as the blade will pick it up, it’s fits the rest of the way. Thanks for watching.
I had engineers tell me that "we are running out of aggregate...". I'm thinking that we aren't running out; we just don't have them in the "correct" places.
What do you do with all the rocks/rock piles?
We mostly look at them, but we did build a 2-lane road 3 feet tall and 2 miles long. Once you pick the rocks the first time you generally don't have to do it again.
Did you have to beef up the harvester for picking rocks
Yes we made some modifications like a straight blade, heavier belted chain, and we took out the roller table on the elevator to simplify repairs. Thanks for watching John!
that' unbelievable, any dirt left?
Haha, well it sure depends on the field. Some pretty good, others… dirt mixed with gravel 😅 thanks for watching Scott!
How much damage does the spudnic sustain?
It's fairly significant, especially since it's not really built for digging rocks. I would say we get about 100 acres out of it before we need to go through substantial repairs on belted chain, bearings, and wear parts.
So was this field already in use or is this a new one ? So many rocks 😕
Yes, it was previously irritated pasture, then alfalfa. Much better with the rocks cleaned up.
@@jayparkinson1884 Wow, must have been hell for the seeddrill etc
What model of Sputnik is that digger
Hi Garth, this is a 1999 Spudnik 5640. It doesn’t have the original boom. We didn’t want to pay new for one so we just grabbed one off a scrapped double L digger.
Where are you located , and how often do you do rock removal?
This is in central Idaho. We usually only have to pick once if we do a good job. After that, the rock levels that are left are pretty well maintained by our potato rotation.
@@jayparkinson1884does the frost bring up rocks later on? Would the destined field have to be redone after awhile.
@@rickcinway2312 yes the frost does bring up some rocks, but not too many. Because the ground is going into a potato rotation, the rocks are maintained from harvesting the potatoes.
How much do you get for a ton of rocks?
So far, no one has offered, but they would pretty much have an unlimited supply!
Patates toplar gibi topluyor maşallah.
Yes, if only potatoes would yield like this!
Why not have a harvester with an airhead?
We actually tried that first on this field, but the rock box on the side filled up every fifty feet which resulted in a bunch of little piles in the field that we had to go pick up anyways with this machine. Decided to just get it out of the way before planting.
Get a portable crusher and start selling gravel.
Haha yeah for sure! We could keep something like that busy for a while.
I need to find this equipment in California to remove rock from a 10 acres piece of land,any information?
Hi there is a company called Nortech that makes something similar. Or you can find a used potato picker. There are a few different styles of rock pickers, fork type, reel type, this style like a potato picker. Depending on the size of your rocks you can pull them up with a tine impliment like a chisel plow or something. Then you can rake them together with a rock rake, and pick them up with a picker. Sometimes your local Ag co-op rents implements, or for 10 acres you can get some older small implements cheaply used. Then you can sell them for around what you paid for them!