Potato harvesters. Agricultural machinery

Potato is the most popular crop. The process of harvesting it has its own technological difficulties, which can be eliminated by using a special technique - a potato harvester. Modern agriculture can not do without this machine, which saves not only labor, but also time.

What is potato harvesters?

This is an agricultural machine designed for harvesting potatoes. Some models may have additional devices that allow you to pick onions and beets from the roll.

Potato harvesters are designed in such a way as to obtain the maximum yield of products with minimal damage to the soil and adjacent areas with a different crop. These machines have high maneuverability and can easily turn around even in difficult conditions and in small areas.

All modern models of combines have a side type of digging. This means that the tractor moves away from the ridge, and not behind or in front of it. This allows the use of large tires for the wheels and, as a consequence, reduce pressure on the soil.

The working principle of a potato harvester

The combine is equipped with a special digging device, which consists of two knives with adjustable angle of inclination, a roller for adjusting the depth of immersion, spring-loaded cut-off discs and rollers for removing the tops. During operation, this device digs from a certain depth the soil layer with tubers and tops and feeds it to the screening mechanism. Then the tubers, along with the tops and the unsealed remains of the soil, are fed to the feeding belt. Around this mechanism is a tape to remove the leaves with large cells and 5-6 rows of ridges to remove leaves, soil and stones.

After all these stages, the potatoes are routed with a rotating rubber "fingers" and a retaining roller to a sorting panel and tape to remove small potatoes and waste. The screening panel is in a horizontal position. It is well protected from dust and provided with comfortable conditions for workers. Work can be from 5 to 7 people from two sides.

After sorting, the potatoes are routed through the tapes for discharge into a special hopper with a movable bottom. Adjusting the height of the bottom, you can reduce the height of the fall of tubers, and therefore reduce their damage. Also, the bunker makes it possible to unload products from two sides. For tubers of small sizes potato harvesters have a small hopper with the possibility of unloading.

Possible additional options

Potato harvesters can have such additional devices:

1. Mechanism for selection of onions and beets.
2. Sunshield canopy.
3. Funnel for unloading products.

Types of potato harvesters

All potato harvesters are subdivided according to the following parameters:

1. By the size of the field being treated: combines for large, large and medium, medium and small areas.
2. According to the capacity of the bunker: machines with a two-ton, three-ton bunker, etc.
3. By design: elevator and bunker.
4. By the method of attachment: trailed, semi-mounted, hinged.
5. By the number of simultaneously processed rows: single-row, double-row, four-row harvesters.
6. According to the method of soil undermining: combines of central and lateral subsoil.

The most popular in Russia is a single-row potato harvester. Such a machine is ideal for the processing of small areas, as the volume of its bunker in different models is up to 10 tons. If the harvest is large, it is much more effective to use an elevator type harvester. Much less often used four-row machine. Basically, this type of combine is used in potato farms.

In addition to technical characteristics, most farmers pay attention to the performance of the combine. In most cases, in agriculture, side-digging combines are used, which significantly less damage the tubers. The matter is that at such machine the unit is on the side of the tractor, which travels along the already cleaned territory. Also this type of combine is distinguished by the highest quality of potato processing and greater productivity.

How to choose a harvester?

When buying a potato harvester, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the field being treated. You can use the machine both in small and large areas. But with large volumes of processed products, a more powerful combine with better technical characteristics will be needed.

When choosing a potato harvesting machine, it is necessary to pay attention to such basic parameters:

• Performance indicator;
• Stages of collecting potatoes;
• Method of loading tubers into the combine;
• Engine availability;
• Type of construction of the separating mechanism;
• The stiffness class of parts designed to remove soil from the crop.

Modern producers of agricultural machinery produce potato harvesters of different models and modifications. They differ in the type of attachment, the method of soil cultivation and other options. Therefore, the buyer can choose the optimal type of machine, which will effectively, reliably and economically harvest.

The basic firms-manufacturers

The modern market of agricultural machinery is represented by a large number of machines of different modifications. In our time among the Russian agrarians the most popular is the potato harvester Grimme and harvester of the Dutch-Russian company "Kolnag". Until recently, Russia also produced potato harvesters at Agrotechresurs. But now the enterprise produces only the model KPK-2-01 and a number of spare parts for previously manufactured combine types.

The best reputation in the market of agricultural machinery was earned by the potato harvester Grimme. He has proven himself in the industrial cultivation of potatoes. In addition, the manufacturer produces machines of different types: bunker, elevator, self-propelled combines, with side and central digging. A wide range of potato harvesting units allows you to choose a machine for any type of soil. Important advantages of Grimme combines are the high quality of the work performed and excellent operational parameters.

Domestic harvesters

Many agrarians prefer potato harvesters of Russian origin. Although foreign aggregates have better functional characteristics and greater comfort for the operator, they are less prepared to work with Russian soil. Among domestic models the most commonly used is the PDA machine. Potato harvester of this type is produced by the enterprise "Riazelmash" since 1987. At first the plant produced a three-row aggregate. And after a while it was possible to start production of a two-row combine, which is produced to this day.

Cost of potato harvesting unit

There are many factors that determine how much the potato harvester will eventually cost. The price for this unit for today ranges from 850 thousand to 20 million rubles. The most affordable domestic harvesters. And for European multifunctional potato harvesters have to pay a little more. Among the trailer type harvesters, the most expensive segment of the market is represented by Grimme units.

Basically, the cost of the combine is influenced by the level of productivity, dimensions, type of equipment (self-propelled or trailed machine), type of subsoil, number of harvested rows, tuber cleaning quality and other parameters. If the combine is planned to be used in large areas, then it is better to choose a more powerful machine with a large bunker. And for the processing of small areas, the best option is a mini potato harvester, the average cost of which is 850 thousand rubles.