How to make a manual potato hiller with your own hands, drawings

How to make a manual potato hiller with your own hands

Today it is difficult to see a personal plot where potatoes are not grown. The productivity of the beds will directly depend on providing this vegetable with appropriate care. The gardener will need to carry out regular hilling, which can be done either manually or using various devices and special garden tools. We will tell you in more detail how to make a potato hiller with your own hands, and why such a tool is needed. A manual hiller greatly simplifies soil cultivation; with this tool you can harrow or hill up potatoes and other fruit crops. You can easily purchase such a garden tool at garden stores or make it yourself.

Reviews

Vladimir, 63 years old

I found an old magazine that contained drawings and a diagram of a manual disk hiller for potatoes. The device turned out to be very simple, it was easy to make. But first it was necessary to purchase the necessary material at a hardware store. The result is excellent: the potato yield has almost doubled.

Dmitry, 51 years old

According to the drawings, I made a lister hiller by hand. It turned out to be not very convenient to use: we constantly had to adjust the angles of the blades. However, work productivity has increased noticeably. Now I am using a disk model, which I also made myself.

Read also:  Queen Sugar cabbage - description of the variety, photos, reviews, planting and care

Making a homemade manual potato hiller is quite simple. It is better to spend a little time and effort preparing this necessary device than to process the potato plot manually using improvised means.

Why is potato hilling required?

During the growth process, potatoes and ripening root crops will need to be regularly hilled, which can significantly improve yields. Doing this allows you to achieve the following:

• The oxygen supply to root crops improves, which has a positive effect on the size of tubers.
• By loosening the soil, potato roots receive the nutrients they need, which improves yields.

Important.
It has been established that regular hilling of beds can improve the yield by 30%. The use of such gardening tools will be relevant both for large vegetable gardens and for beds of several hundred square meters in size. Such hilling with the help of such a tool is not particularly difficult, so even older gardeners can cope with this work, for whom manual processing of potatoes, digging, harrowing and hilling poses a certain difficulty.

Tips for use

Using a hiller on a handle is easy. There are a few steps to follow.

• The preparatory stage of cultivating a plot is loosening the soil. In loose soil, the furrows will be deeper, and the work of creating them will be easier. For greater accuracy, place marks on the ground. They must be equal to the width of the bracket on which the hiller is installed. Use a walk-behind tractor with attachments to make furrows and place the potatoes in them.

• Then it is recommended to expand the wings of the hiller to the maximum possible width. The tool is placed between the rows and driven along the furrow, covering the seed potatoes with soil.

• It is time to carry out the first harrowing simultaneously with the emergence of seedlings. The walk-behind tractor is installed so that the furrow to be processed is between the discs. The tool must be held smoothly, the discs will form a ridge, while simultaneously crushing clods of earth.

You can learn more about the manual hiller from the video below.

Correct way to do it

We offer you fairly simple and effective recommendations for hilling potatoes.

• This work should be done twice a season at a strictly defined time. The first time such soil treatment is carried out as soon as the potato tops reach a height of 10 centimeters. Repeated loosening is carried out when the ground part of the plant reaches a height of 20 centimeters.
• Remember that it is not recommended to carry out such hilling during potato flowering.
• It is best to carry out this treatment after heavy dew or light rain.
• Hilling up is not recommended in hot weather.
• Such tillage can be carried out using a rake, hoe, hoe or hand hiller, the use of which can significantly simplify this work.

Meaning and working principle

Potatoes, which are commonly called the second bread, are considered one of the most important agricultural crops in Russia. Potato tubers are widely used in cooking, and potato starch is used in the textile, food and paper industries.

Growing this crop requires a lot of time, effort and energy. During the growing season, potatoes are hilled several times. Loosening the soil helps improve the air exchange process. Oxygen entering the soil has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of cultivated crops. According to reviews from experienced farmers, yields can increase by 40–60%.

The first hilling is carried out with the appearance of the first shoots. The average height of sprouts is 5–7 cm. The procedure must be repeated when the potato bushes grow to 20–23 cm. After each rain and watering, you need to loosen the soil. The earthen crust formed by water prevents oxygen from reaching root crops growing in the soil.

Many gardeners operate the old fashioned way, using a hoe to hill up potato bushes. In order to speed up the process of loosening the soil, it is recommended to use a manual hiller.

Types of manual hillers

The most popular today are two types of manual hillers, which differ in their design:
The easiest way to make your own hiller is in the form of a plow, which consists of the following components:

• Two disk blades.
• Two racks.
• Screw type lanyards.
• T-shaped leash.

A garden tool in the form of a plow is best used with walk-behind tractors, which will make it easy to hold such a hiller in the furrow, while significantly speeding up the speed of processing the area.

How to assemble a hiller without resorting to the services of specialists

Any hiller must be multifunctional, so it is necessary to pay attention to the adaptability of its regulation. Height adjustment is carried out using a telescopic device in the central part. To do this, a tube with a smaller cross-section is inserted into this tube, which goes into the rear rod. This approach allows, when cultivating the land, to adapt the hiller to the individual parameters of human growth.

The attack angle is controlled by tilting the central post, in relation to its placement to the horizon of the ground. This effect is achieved by changing the angular difference between the vertical frame and the front link.

How to make a manual potato hiller on your own so that the tool frame is movable? To do this, the front link is attached to the central pillar with a hinge, and the adjustment itself is carried out with the participation of a lanyard. This allows you to change the angle of inclination gradually, depending on the type of soil you have to work on and the parameters of the leading person. In the absence of a lanyard, the angle is adjusted by moving the plate to the required position and fixing it with bolts in the required grooves.

The vertical frame tube is bent at a distance of 40 cm from the end, the bending angle is 15 degrees.

The rear link and the blades themselves are then welded to this rack, and the front link is secured using a hinge mechanism and a long bolt. The rear link looks like a large letter “P”, the width of which is 50 cm. The length of the handles is at least 20 cm. A vertical tube is welded in the center of the fork, its length is 30 cm, and with this end the structure is inserted into the cavity of the vertical link.

To be able to adjust the height of the rack, holes are drilled at its upper end, and do the same with the vertical fork. The front link must be the same width as the rear link. However, the length of the front linkage handles must correspond to the owner’s parameters, so that he can easily fit between the handrails and comfortably grasp them.

To make disc blades, two identical plates are cut from a steel sheet. They are given a semicircular shape, similar to the disks of a classic agricultural plow. Both halves of the plow are fixed on a vertical stand. The weld seam must be smooth and without chips. All welded parts must be ground with a grinder, and the edges of the cutting discs must be sharpened. The cutting part will take on the main resistance of the soil when cultivating the plot. You should not buy ready-made discs, since such metal can only be sharpened with the help of special and expensive equipment.

What to make a manual hiller from - video

Agriculture is developing at a tremendous pace, as are other areas of home and industrial technology. Potatoes are the king of all vegetables and are considered the most popular crop grown in gardens.

And it itself has good nutritional properties, a variety of cooking methods and excellent taste.

To get a good result, you need appropriate care. Hilling is the process of adding soil to the bottom of the plant. Reasons for using this procedure:

• additional tubers grow from the sprinkled part;
• more air comes in;
• weeds are destroyed.

Hilling potatoes with hoes is a thing of the past. This method takes a lot of effort and time. Today, the favorite tools have been replaced by new hillers, which make the process much faster and easier.

Making a homemade potato hiller

The easiest way is to make a disk hiller yourself, for which you will need to cut disks of the appropriate size from metal or adapt existing metal blanks for these purposes.
Just remember that the discs themselves and the hiller must be made of durable material, since the tool is subject to increased load during operation. The main elements of such a garden tool are two metal disks with a concave shape, which have a diameter of 400 to 700 millimeters. The two disks can be connected to each other using bushings or simply welded to each other through a small metal jumper tube between them. Just remember that in such models it will be impossible to adjust the angle of connection of the disks in the future, so in the future you will need to plant potatoes with a standard row spacing, which will include a self-made hiller.

Homemade option

If you have the desire and opportunity, you can make a hiller with your own hands.

To do this, you will need everything that is in the garage or can be bought at a flea market for pennies:

1. Wheelbarrow wheel - the larger the diameter, the more convenient it is to work with it in loamy and loose soils.
2. Metal pipe - acts as a connection between the handle and the working mechanism.
3. A handle that controls the pressure force and the depth of loosening - an ideal option is a bicycle handlebar.
4. Working element - it is best to work with plow-type hillers. It can be made from a sheet of stainless steel or purchased separately. As an alternative, use a brush made of metal rods, which you can weld yourself.
5. Brackets and hinges - help connect the elements of the hiller and adjust the height and position of the handle relative to the soil surface.

The work cannot be done without a welding machine, grinder and drill. They will help you cut metal, apply seams and connect the necessary elements to each other.

It is not recommended to start work without thinking through the small details and details of the device. You should first work out the drawing, displaying the parameters of all elements.

It is important to consider the following nuances:

1. The height of the handle-holder and the possibility of its adjustment - you need to pick up any stick and imagine that it is the handle of a hiller. Lower it to the desired height, determining the maximum comfortable grip width and length to the ground.
2. Type of working element - the simplest option would be to take two disks and place them on the axis.

Expert opinion

Mityuk Stefania Bogdanovna

All details should be written down on paper, and then an indicative drawing should be made. According to these data, the hiller will be assembled, and if there are errors and serious errors, this may negatively affect productivity.

When the drawing is ready, it is necessary to adjust all structural parts to the desired size. Next, assembly occurs: the wheel is installed on the shaft, the main pipe and handle are welded. Check the resulting version to ensure that the height is suitable. A vertical hinge is attached to the support shaft and holder, which holds the main hilling element.

Purpose and principle of operation

A manual potato hiller (tiller, furrower, marker) is a relatively small and light agricultural implement driven by muscular human power.

The most common hand-held plowshare hiller consists of the following parts:

• working body – hiller body, consisting of a point (ploughshare) and a double-sided blade with “wings”;
• stand - a thick metal strip, welded at one end to the body of the hiller, and fixed to the frame at the other;
• frame made of metal round or profile pipe;
• support wheel.

In disk hillers, instead of the ploughshare body of the hiller, two spherical disks located at an angle to each other are installed on the frame.

When growing potatoes, this agricultural implement performs the following operations:

1. cutting planting furrows;
2. hilling and formation of ridges during inter-row cultivation;
3. destruction of weeds and destruction of the soil crust formed after heavy rains or drought;
4. spreading out rows when harvesting potatoes - for this operation, a special potato digger body is used, in which, instead of a solid double-sided blade, 2-3 rows of rods are used.

How to do it yourself?

Drawing

Before you begin to implement the described hiller on your own, it is advisable to study the drawings of this device. They will make it possible to implement this equipment with maximum accuracy.

Manufacturing methods

The hilling device can be made using 2 methods:

1. with static working width;
2. with adjustable or variable working width.

Tools

To work you will need the following welding and plumbing equipment:

• welding unit (it is desirable that this equipment is designed for electric arc welding);
• angle grinder with a set of various attachments and discs;
• electric drill with a set of high-quality drills;
• electric sanding machine;
• a gas burner, which is required to heat the iron during hardening;
• yews or a special work table;
• all kinds of files and other consumables (bolts and other fasteners).

This list relates directly to the inventory we require. In addition, the material itself will be needed from which the equipment will be assembled.

Process of creation

In order to make such a device, you will also need improvised devices, among which the main ones are 2 lids from old, useless pans. The diameter size must be within the range of 50–60 centimeters.

The covers along the entire circumference must be sharpened. They will become the working plane. Then, using a hammer, we bend our future disks: on one side the lid should become convex, on the other - depressed. This is done so that the device can lift the soil and dig in neighboring plantings. You can also use discs from an old seed sowing machine. You will also need 2 screw ties, 2 vertical strips and a T-shaped leash.

The components of the device are connected to each other by bolts or by welding. The disks themselves are connected with customizable adapters.

Screw ties will allow you to adjust the rotation angles of the disk in a vertical position.

The mounted product is secured to the motorcycle holder by means of a leash using bolts with flat washers and a stopper.

Let's summarize: if you have some abilities and the necessary components among unnecessary used trash, it is quite possible to build a hilling device on your own and save a very substantial amount.

Watch a video on how to make a disk hiller with your own hands below.

Required materials and tools

To make such a homemade product, the following materials are needed:

• cold-rolled sheet steel 2.5 mm thick;
• steel corner 20×20×3 mm;
• a loosening pointed paw from a cultivator or a disc from a potato digger or disc harrow;
• steel blank for the stand, 10 mm thick and 20-30 mm wide;
• pipe (round or profile);
• a wheel from a folding bicycle, a garden wheelbarrow;
• 4 bearings.

Among the tools in the process of making a homemade hiller you will need:

• welding machine;
• Bulgarian;
• drill;
• compressor with spray gun;
• emery;
• vice.

Consumables you will need are metal cutting discs, electrodes, primer and oil paint, sandpaper, a sanding attachment for a drill, and solvent.

Step-by-step instructions for making a disk hiller

Before creating a manual disk hiller for potatoes with your own hands, you need to prepare a working tool: an angle grinder, a drill or drilling machine, a welding machine, a set of wrenches. You will also need various materials.

Table 3. List of blanks for preparing a disk hiller.

Structurally, the cultivator consists of: two discs with hubs, racks, a cross beam, and a handle. They are made in several stages:

1. Two disks with a diameter of 440 mm are cut from a steel sheet 2 mm thick. The edges are sharpened at an angle of 45° with a grinder or sharpening machine. The hubs are welded in the center. The mounting brackets for the latter are made from pipes 32 x 45 and 45 x 55 mm (hereinafter diameter x length). To do this, the smaller one is welded perpendicularly to the middle of the larger one. A Ø12 mm hole is drilled in a pipe with a diameter of 45 mm. A nut is attached to it by welding so that the bolt can be screwed in freely over its entire length.
2. Making a stand. Bend two jumpers at an angle of 30 ° from pipes 32 x 250 mm. Bushings 45 x 55 mm are butt welded from one edge, and from the other - perpendicular to the end. Drill holes and attach nuts to them by welding.
3. The handle is assembled from thin pipes and a sleeve 45 x 120 mm. Two holes are made in the latter and nuts are attached to them. Pipes are welded together.
4. The cross beam is made from a pipe 32 x 590 mm. Holes Ø12 mm are drilled in it, in increments of 50 mm.

For your information!

As cutting discs, you can use parts from agricultural machinery or the convex bottom and lid from an old gas cylinder.

After completing the welding work, assembly begins. Operations must be performed in a certain sequence:

1. To prevent corrosion, metal surfaces are painted and allowed to dry.
2. A transverse beam is inserted into the handle sleeve. It is secured with locking bolts.
3. The disc hubs are secured to the racks. Screw the bolts in so that they fit into the holes in the bushing.
4. Racks with disks are placed on the cross beam. They are secured with bolts.

Advantages and disadvantages of homemade devices

A self-made hiller has the following advantages:

• low cost;
• versatility and multifunctionality;
• the possibility of producing a hiller with non-standard dimensions;
• high quality compared to many mass-produced factory analogues.
• The main disadvantages of such agricultural implements include:
• mandatory knowledge of working with a welding machine;
• application of great physical effort when working on heavy and rocky soils.

Thus, manual hillers are quite convenient, multifunctional and easy-to-manufacture agricultural tools for small gardens and summer cottages.

What types of hillers are there?

Depending on the design features, hilling attachments are divided into several types.

Listerny

Externally it resembles the wings of a butterfly. Features a fixed working width. Due to the sharp ends, it sinks to the set depth.

Advantages of the mechanism:

• simplicity of design;
• low energy intensity;
• light weight - does not require powerful units;
• the price is lower compared to other types of hillers.

It is important to plant potatoes evenly, strictly observing the same row spacing. The device does not work well on wet and heavy soil

Twin

This is a double-row or swing mechanism for cutting even parallel furrows over large areas and hilling them up. The height of the ridge varies from 10 to 20 cm and is limited by the rise of the gearbox relative to the soil level.

Advantages of the unit:

• versatility of use;
• ease of building even furrows over large areas;
• adjustable distance between plowshares;
• the ability to make ridges simultaneously on both sides of the planting.

The nozzle requires regular cleaning and treatment with an anti-corrosion compound. The device is designed for light, pre-prepared soils.

Dutch

The design of the potato hiller allows the blades to rotate in horizontal and vertical planes. The lower edge of the wings resembles a comb.

Advantages of the mechanism:

• improving the quality of work;
• use of low-power walk-behind tractors;
• profitability (the device has a low price).

The attachment operates in tandem with a machine weighing over 30 kg and is recommended for use on all types of soil.

plow-shaped

This is a streamlined mechanism. Its advantages:

• low intensity of soil inversion;
• preservation of moisture in the soil due to less aeration;
• ease of tilt angle adjustment;
• processing a large area.

Using this model, farmers reduce the time and effort spent on cultivation. It is better to use a plow-shaped attachment with a powerful walk-behind tractor.

Disk

The working elements of the hiller are circles that penetrate the soil to an adjusted depth.

The mechanism is popular for the following reasons:

• high reliability and durability;
• ease of use;
• compatibility with all types of cultivators and increasing their power;
• Convenience of rolling down root crops.

The attachment is mainly used for processing potato plantings.

Propeller

Mechanisms of this type are also called active, or rotary, and are similar to fan blades. The operating principle involves 2 rotational forces and translational movement.

Positive aspects of the unit:

• the nozzle not only hills the plants, but also transfers the soil from place to place;
• the device effectively fights weeds;
• the beds are covered with loosened soil - the growth of plantings improves.

The model is not compatible with all types of cultivators. Use the propeller attachment only on walk-behind tractors with two forward gears.