Planting potatoes using old Ford tractors and equipment

The process we use to plant potatoes from start to finish using our old tractors.

[@warrenmaker798]

LOVED IT, no stupid music, just the sound of a man and his tractor working as one... Bravo

[@chickenhousemechanic]

I agree. I dont like music over videos. I want to hear the equipment.

[@user-ib5sv3vl5s]

I worked some new ground for my sweetcorn plots this year. Used 3pt 2 bottom Ferguson plow and cultivator to work the ground. I used my Ford 860 and Ford 851 powermaster, and planted with a john deere 3 pt 2 row 246 planter. Was a lot more fun and enjoyable than a walk behind tiller, using a hoe to make a furrow, planting by hand, then covering with dirt after. Saved a lot of time as well.

[@cletusschaub4398]

Reminds me of my tractor and growing up on the farm still have that tractor !

[@Jetty-g6e]

This was a wonderful, educational video. The different camera angles were fantastic. They really help the viewer understand. I agree with the other posters that no music is needed. The sound of the tractor helps tell the story.

[@AJ-nr8cg]

Very nice, the 861 sounds mean!

[@Jonsered0317]

Love the power of the 861. Nice video, thanks for sharing.

[@scotthomberg141]

I always wondered how the farmers got their crops up top of the valleys like that. Obviously I'm not a farmer but that was really slick. Awesome video!

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Thanks. It's always fun to watch/learn something new or different. Modern day farmers have some wild equipment and are fascinating to watch.

[@jeffrainey7463]

The old plows are making pretty nice furrows. A set of coulters would pretty up the furrow.

[@queenofspadz]

Looks like the top link needs to be shortened a little at 16:00, discs don't seem to engage the ground equally front and back. Back first then front. Nice video, enjoyed watching.

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Been a while since we did this video but I'm thinking that part of the field we were trying to fill in so we had the back digging more than the front. Usually we have the front down to almost the axle of the disc.

[@hesjevoll]

Love to see old tractors being used❤❤

[@kagnewmp12]

I did the exact thing with my Grandpa's old Farmall M when I retired from the Army. I had to change implements but I didn't mind as I had watched and worshipped him for years working his farm. The Farmall had the Tricycle front tires and he had taught me how to use the left or right brake pedals to just about turn on a dime. I gardened for years with that tractor till I had my own property and my Aunt finally sold the tractor to a collector and he restored it 100% original and I've seen it several times crossing the Mackinaw Bridge here in Northern Michigan on antique tractor day. I do have a small suggestion for you and that is at 28:50 on this video you might consider putting a grease fitting on those boots to stop that Squeak. Just kidding and that was a great show that brought back some good memories and I was happy to hit the like and Subscribe buttons

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Yeah those boots were really squeaky no matter what I did. I've never gotten to work with a farmall, but these old tractors are great no matter who made them. For me, the 3000 and 8n were my grandfather's and I plan to keep them forever.

[@jamesdardano1516]

We always pull all of the vegetation by hand , it's easy, put them off to one side of the field, then run the middle buster, it eliminates pulling the vegetation when bringing up the potatoes ! 👍

[@jeffcongdon4469]

Great video

[@HomesteadEngineering]

Nice job!

[@africadreamin]

What a brilliant demonstration of matching task in hand to tractor and implements, for years I have been trying to convince African governments that big is not always beautiful where smallholders average five acres and the average can be as high as ten thousand farmers per tractor.

[@YOU-vj4fl]

I’ve enjoyed your vid on the 4000 rebuild, I’m doing my 4000 now,just the motor for now,I’ve been cheating a little ,it was needed I go back to a few of those to review,as I’m installing the crank. I’m using your wisdom for my hobby. Thanks again, this vid I wasn’t expecting, interesting.

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Thank you, glad they're helpful. I throw some videos like this up from time to time just to show stuff other than the 4000 to keep the channel interesting.

[@gerthholm1220]

Love the video... just a tip... you should not plant the potato where you have driven the traktor wheel... we have to rows between the wheels, and we then drive

[@ryanmcmartin2619]

I am really good at giving unsolicited advice.... I enjoyed your video but have a few suggestions. Once you plow a row, as your audience we have already seen what is being done. To film each pass was like watching paint dry. Maybe edit to keep the best pass. Also, your audience is probably people who don't know much about farming or like the old tractors. Maybe talk about them a little. I would have enjoyed hearing more about what the implement names were and how much they should cost to acquire. Also, what the purpose of brush hogging the tips off the potatoes before harvesting. What that step is important? Watching you do a 3 point turn to do the next row over each time, was painful too. Have you thought about working whichever row is within your turn radius next. For example: row 1 north, then row 6 south, then row 2 north, then row 7 south, etc. Wouldn't need to use reverse a single time! Genuinely enjoyed this video thanks for making it.

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Let me see if I can answer these questions and comments. I did cut a lot of the plowing out because it does get boring however seeing it done a few times can help people see how it's done and what it should look like. As for using the tractors, that's what the video is about. There's plenty of videos out there of people planting potatoes by hand. I wanted to showcase the old equipment being used. The names of each implement is before each section. As for the cost today, I have no clue. Every piece in the video, with the exception of the hilling attachment, is older than me. My grandfather bought them all and I bought the 861 a couple years after he passed. I built the hilling attachment maybe 4 years ago. We bush hog the tops off the plants so they don't clog the middle buster when digging. Downside in the vide, and that yea, grass really fought me so grass was pulling the middle buster out of the ground. For turning the tractor aroun, it depends on what is being done as to whether I reverse and go beside the same row or skip rows. While laying off rows I have chain dragging to mark the next row so each row is done side by side. Hilling can be either way. I usually do 1st two side by side to check how the hiller is working. Bush hogging was done in circles. Hope this helps to clear up some things. And thanks for the comment.

[@byates8]

Is SpongeBob walking this field? All that squeaking. 😂

[@cabinvibeetsystore9094]

New sub. Liked 👍🙏❤️❤️👍😅

[@michaelnealy5685]

Where did you get the hilling sweeps for the cultivator. I love that method. I’m using a disk hiller and I think it makes the initial hills too big

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Burch tractor parts. They are actually for a farmall cub but will fit a standard C-shank tine.

[@ratrivervintage6306]

Great video! Nice camera work! Roughly how large an area was that? Love these tractors!

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Not really sure but probably somewhere around 125 feet by 75 feet.

[@user-vq6rx5jo8c]

If you were using two row hillers you wouldn't have that problem .

[@keithinthemountains6450]

Very nice I noticed you cutting tops of potatoes maybe for bigger yield?

[@chickenhousemechanic]

We cut the tops off right before digging them up. Helps to not pull the plow out of the ground. Grass was fighting me on this harvest. Didnt have that problem this year but didn't film any of it this year.

[@keithinthemountains6450]

gotcha really enjoyed!@@chickenhousemechanic

[@user-vq6rx5jo8c]

Nice tractor but you will wear out a clutch .

[@Vermino]

Better a clutch than a back.

[@danbrendadeveau8565]

Why are there skips of no potato plants in the row?

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Those didn't come up. Sometimes the seeds rot and plants don't grow. We usually go back and fill in with left overs from previous year but those usually don't do as well since growing time is shorter. We had quite a bit of trouble that year with plants not coming up. This year we had no skips.

[@motorhead4003]

Do you know anything about the 1968 ford 3000 diesel made in england?

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Very little. I've done some work on our 3000, which is US built, but nearly as much as I have with the 8n and 861.

[@TF856]

Instead of plowing and disking it might be faster just to rototill it. And it would look nicer to.

[@chickenhousemechanic]

We usually rototill our gardens but the tiller won't go as deep as the plow and the potatoes seem to do better with the soil loosened deeper. This past year I ran the rototiller on the potato field since I had a lot of dirt clods in 2022 when I filmed this video but that was after we plowed and disced field.

[@p.guyton4589]

Great video Can you tell me why are you cutting in the dark

[@chickenhousemechanic]

We cut the tops off before daybreak so we can get all the potatoes up before the sun gets too high and it gets hot. We harvest them around July 4th and it gets hot in North Caolina quickly in the summer.

[@wesleystuff4882]

Does this equipment work on a 1954 ford naa?

[@chickenhousemechanic]

Yes. An NAA should be able to handle all of that equipment. The disc is a little unruly on my 861 though which is why we run it on the 3000.

[@wesleystuff4882]

@@chickenhousemechanic thank you

[@narcissistinjurygiver2932]

i am looking to buy an 8n and would like to know what plow you would recommend i get. What should I pay for a used one and do i need to replace parts on it? I am a newbee who is about to retire and I have 5 acres i need to work. any advice is appreciated. I also need advice on an brush hog and a cultivator for this 8n

[@chickenhousemechanic]

I would look for a 2 bottom plow that is either a 12 or 14 inch spacing. There's many brands of good ones that parts can still be had for. A good one usually runs around $500 in my area. As for a cultivator, a simple single row works great. Bush hogs are a little tricky on 8ns. A 4 foot will be OK in high grass and a 5 foot in shorter grass will work but you'll want an over running clutch on your pto for either size. Prices can vary widely on bush hogs.

[@narcissistinjurygiver2932]

@@chickenhousemechanic thanks. any other attachments you recommend? i am still watching your vid

[@chickenhousemechanic]

@narcissistinjurygiver2932 you'll want a disc harrow to smooth your field after you plow it. That's pretty much the basics. A rototiller is nice but would be a nightmare to run on an 8n.

[@narcissistinjurygiver2932]

@@chickenhousemechanic the reason i am looking at a 8n is because it is cheap, easy to fix, parts are cheap. Is there a better tractor that meets all those qualities that you can recommend?

[@chickenhousemechanic]

@narcissistinjurygiver2932 the hundred series up through the thousand series are great tractors but they are more than an 8n for sure. An 8n will do most work needed for a small farm but if you ever get a chance to use a newer tractor you'll see the shirt comings of an 8n. Pretty much all I use the 8n for anymore is cultivating and pulling a trailer.

[@trevordallapiazza1023]

What size are you hilling discs? 14" or 16"?

[@chickenhousemechanic]

They're 16" discs.

[@trevordallapiazza1023]

Thanks man, also how far do you think the spacing is on the hillers? I'm thinking about having something built like that for my '46 BN

[@chickenhousemechanic]

@@trevordallapiazza1023 I have them spaced pretty far out. Maybe 45-50 inches apart on the final hilling.

[@markhoyt8643]

That homemade cultivator how wide is it

[@chickenhousemechanic]

The main bars are 6 feet and it's 18 inches between the bars.

[@markhoyt8643]

@@chickenhousemechanic I made a hiller pretty much the same but not a dual purpose that was smart Nice job

[@danvanhoose6783]

Disc wasn't deep enough.not doin much.

[@jeffrainey7463]

The old plows are making pretty nice furrows. A set of coulters would pretty up the furrow.

[@chickenhousemechanic]

It works. Been broken and repaired who knows how many times. Some coulters would be nice but we don't have them. Thought about trying to find some but don't really have a use for them really. Once it's plowed we usually immediately run the disc harrow to bust clods up.