we had a ford 3000 and as a child i loved hitching a ride while it pulled cultivator and birds would follow picking worms on the plowed field, still miss it.
tip. at 1:06 you can see and hear that the chains on the top of the machine is slipping and skipping the gears now and then, and we can also see that the chains is jumping up/down when it happen. You need to shorten the top chains on both sides on the side of the machine so the chain get more stiff so it cannot skip the gear all the time to avoid wear and tear and damage. Also when chains get work out they often stretch and is x cm longer than when they where new this can also be a factor that increses if a chain slip on the gear or not. Now a days many machines often have an extra smaller gear that are there on the middle of the chain to push it in and tighten it either via a manual setting or via a spring system this help stop the chain from slipping over the gear. ( example on combiners ). I am not familiar with the specific rock picker in the video but on many machines there are typical an adjustment screw system that allow you to stretch the chain so it get a more firm grip so it cannot skip the gear. But els nice video and thanks for making it. ;-)
WOW! Wish they had a mini version of this I could use in my yard. Except no matter how many times I ran over it, I know there's another billion tons just under the surface waiting to pop up!
Lenco harvesters (Now AFE) make them, smallest I believe is the 5ft wide version but they make bigger as well. Schulte (now Giant) make a good picker too. all are on YT.
Our county agent in Antrim County, Michigan built the, or at least one of, the original rock pickers in the late 50s. They converted a one row potato digger. Walker was his last name. Very smart cookie.
What model potato picker is this? I would like to find one to actually do potatoes with. I don't like the original Ferguson design. To narrow and doesn't collect them.
hmm, a couple I-beams, and old car differential and drive shaft and some large-long drive chains. I would add in a couple more chains and put some of those conical teeth they use in those ditch grinders. It might help bust up hard pan and maybe get rocks up the sifter belt better? Maybe a remote hydraulic latch on the rock bin too and make the bottom/ back of it more like a a root/rock bucket to let dirt sift out.
Great to see! We are also using a Ford Commander 6000. I like your potato digger/rock picker design; we have a Rock-O-Matic TM12 rake and 546 reel type rock picker but don’t get the dirt separated as well as with the potato digger chain conveyor.
I've always wanted to build a miniature self-propelled version of this rock-picker, for use in our garden. It's about 5,000 sq. feet, too big for hand-picking the thousands of small rocks. Maybe I should just get busy! Electric might even work.
Good job man, I had never see one in particular as advanced manufacturing in farming industry of (Rock picker) nice still needs to develop it and also company’s can buy it as invention.
That 6000 is clean. My uncle bought one new in 1968 but to many transmissions problems so the dealer took it back and got a 5000 row crop. It’s still in the family...
Yes only one farmer in our area bought a 6000 Ford back in those days, he got the word out fast about the problems that he had with it. Saved a lots of us from buying one. That style tractor just faded away. Not to sure any was still running today. The 5000 was a great tractor.
@@tcwaterdrill The Select-o-speed power shift transmission was bad, from my understanding. If you got one with the regular transmission, it was a pretty reliable. Interesting fact - the engineer that designed the Select-o-speed told Ford it was not ready for use yet, but Ford pushed it into production. The engineer went to work for John Deere with the condition that they allow him to get it right. He did, and the John Deere 8 speed powershift that came out in the mid 60's was as reliable as any transmission out there. I have two 40 series tractors with 8 speed powershifts. They lack for speed options, but are totally relaible.
Ford was getting into trouble on the vehicle side and the disastrous 80s in the Farming community didn't help anyone. They bought New Holland and the Versatile to try and gain market share. Ford then sold it to Fiat. When the manufacturing agreements that came with it expired, you saw a huge change in machine design. The only thing left from Ford is the paint color. New Holland is in joint venture with Case IH.
That looks like it works really awesome. But it would be great if you could give us a play by play of the machine and how it works more up close. Thanks for posting though
You could get different pitch chains for those potato harvesters, 50mil being common, and then you could lift certain size and leave the rest. Of course the marketing people told the consumer they were baby potatoes and sold them for more. Just sayin' if your going to grow the rocks you should have the market . You can add shaker idlers if you are carrying too much soil. You could hang a length of conveyor belting just above the apron to hold round rocks down and reduce roll back. If there is clearance between the blade and chain you could add one or two hard surfaced angle iron or rubber paddles, depending on soil, to get the stubborn ones to the top.
The round or paddle rubber links on potato harvesters are not for the primary chain that runs in the soil. The paddles are used on side elevator and truck loading boom. You would get a few with the ends worn to the point where the farmer would donate them. Then cut and weld to make links that fit your chain. Sure there won't be rubber near you welds but should be enough to carry the round rocks up. They will wear fast. But I think you're only doing a few acres ?
those "potato miner" style rock pickers seem to be the best for really rocky fields. The "janitor bucket reels" seem to work best when you are gathering up rocks from the last couple years of frost heave, or when you have already put rocks in a windrow. I expect that id you are in places where there was any glacier coverage that you are going to want the potato miner.
With that much rock it might be faster to use a grain-vac to pull the dirt off and then just use a loader to remove the rocks before putting the dirt back.
You might laugh but i knew a farmer that stripped the paddock of soil then removed the rocks bolders , and then returned the soil , he did this for a hay paddock rather than buying in , probably 50 acres
I don't remember the name, but there's a company that makes a machine that separates the rocks from the dirt and somehow puts both back with the dirt on top.
Good job and you've plenty of stones to clear 👀, ........If you run a spud ridger through the field first, it leaves baulks which are a lot easier on the stone separators and draft tractor
Duffy Ag back in NY State needs this on one of his fields. Problem is he is renting it so the guy would say thankee vera much. It breaks his seeding and haying equipment so this thing would do well. The chain needs a bouncyer path up to the bin.
looks like its made with Farmall HM II sugar beet harvester chains. back in the mid 70s.. a few dozen of those new beet bars welded together made the best barbcue grills.. the chain bars hooked together and the pigtailed ends became the sides in rails. there were bigger machines that used similar chains.. but i have not been out in a beet field in 4 decades.
@@tommarple1449 there are probably several manufacturers of new hook chain.. noffsingermfg.com/wp-content/uploads/Hook-Chain-Catalog.pdf you may end up if you have ability to create tools.. be able to make a bar holding fixture and bender..
@@tommarple1449 I lived in Maine for 35 years. I swear, Maine grows rocks. Those potato farmers would rock pick EVERY YEAR and they would always bring up the same amount. Perhaps it was due to the potato harvester going even deeper, but still... And I heard it could be the frost that drives them up annually too. In Florida now. The only rock I see is what's in Home Depot!
I found this one in Houlton Maine. Very old. Was used on a potato farm as a harvester, maybe in the 30's or 40's. Was sitting in a field for decades. There's a few more around there.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
My brothers and I were the rock pickers with a stone boat when we were kids. What a dirty job! We would have loved this picker.
Me, too. Picked many tons on a "go-devil" stone boat when I was a kid. Builds character!! 🤣🤣🤣
we had a ford 3000 and as a child i loved hitching a ride while it pulled cultivator and birds would follow picking worms on the plowed field, still miss it.
Story I heard is, he's still out there to this very day, one strip at a time. Every time they plant it, more rocks.
Reminds me of the potatoes digger we had on the farm when I was a kid. There a lot of rocks in that field.
tip. at 1:06 you can see and hear that the chains on the top of the machine is slipping and skipping the gears now and then, and we can also see that the chains is jumping up/down when it happen. You need to shorten the top chains on both sides on the side of the machine so the chain get more stiff so it cannot skip the gear all the time to avoid wear and tear and damage.
Also when chains get work out they often stretch and is x cm longer than when they where new this can also be a factor that increses if a chain slip on the gear or not.
Now a days many machines often have an extra smaller gear that are there on the middle of the chain to push it in and tighten it either via a manual setting or via a spring system this help stop the chain from slipping over the gear.
( example on combiners ).
I am not familiar with the specific rock picker in the video but on many machines there are typical an adjustment screw system that allow you to stretch the chain so it get a more firm grip so it cannot skip the gear.
But els nice video and thanks for making it. ;-)
Looks like a bountiful harvest, wish I had one I have a pretty good crop also.
One of the best rock pickers designs ever created
My dad would argue me and my brothers were. I didn't know these were a thing until rn
@@billbixby977child labor is the best labor because it's free 🤣 just gotta feed them like normal
What is the make and model of the rock picket
Wow nice I can never get rid of all the rocks they keep coming back like the birds 👍
I love seeing the older equipment being maintained and used.
Me too!
The money saved on gloves alone would pay for that picker in 3 or 4 years.
WOW!
Wish they had a mini version of this I could use in my yard.
Except no matter how many times I ran over it, I know there's another billion tons just under the surface waiting to pop up!
I think I could build one. I'd try to make the conveyer more level because the larger rocks keep sliding down.
Lenco harvesters (Now AFE) make them, smallest I believe is the 5ft wide version but they make bigger as well. Schulte (now Giant) make a good picker too. all are on YT.
Our county agent in Antrim County, Michigan built the, or at least one of, the original rock pickers in the late 50s. They converted a one row potato digger.
Walker was his last name. Very smart cookie.
Yes, this actually is a potato harvester.
@@tommarple1449 I like the rear end pto and the truck front axle. Adds character.
What model potato picker is this? I would like to find one to actually do potatoes with. I don't like the original Ferguson design. To narrow and doesn't collect them.
hmm, a couple I-beams, and old car differential and drive shaft and some large-long drive chains. I would add in a couple more chains and put some of those conical teeth they use in those ditch grinders. It might help bust up hard pan and maybe get rocks up the sifter belt better? Maybe a remote hydraulic latch on the rock bin too and make the bottom/ back of it more like a a root/rock bucket to let dirt sift out.
Wish you were here to do those adjustments! 😃
Great to see! We are also using a Ford Commander 6000. I like your potato digger/rock picker design; we have a Rock-O-Matic TM12 rake and 546 reel type rock picker but don’t get the dirt separated as well as with the potato digger chain conveyor.
My brother calls this diesel Commander “Tugboat”! It pulls a 5 bottom plow and a 13 foot harrow!!!
We have another gas Commander as well.
Good to hear that there’s other Commanders out there still in service!!! :)
@@tommarple1449 Thanks for replying to my comment. Let me know if I could help in some way with your Ford Commander 6000.
I've always wanted to build a miniature self-propelled version of this rock-picker, for use in our garden. It's about 5,000 sq. feet, too big for hand-picking the thousands of small rocks. Maybe I should just get busy! Electric might even work.
Good job man, I had never see one in particular as advanced manufacturing in farming industry of (Rock picker) nice still needs to develop it and also company’s can buy it as invention.
Nice running ford.thats a lota rocks
That 6000 is clean. My uncle bought one new in 1968 but to many transmissions problems so the dealer took it back and got a 5000 row crop. It’s still in the family...
Yes only one farmer in our area bought a 6000 Ford back in those days, he got the word out fast about the problems that he had with it. Saved a lots of us from buying one. That style tractor just faded away. Not to sure any was still running today. The 5000 was a great tractor.
@@tcwaterdrill We have two. Both work great!
@@tcwaterdrill The Select-o-speed power shift transmission was bad, from my understanding. If you got one with the regular transmission, it was a pretty reliable. Interesting fact - the engineer that designed the Select-o-speed told Ford it was not ready for use yet, but Ford pushed it into production. The engineer went to work for John Deere with the condition that they allow him to get it right. He did, and the John Deere 8 speed powershift that came out in the mid 60's was as reliable as any transmission out there. I have two 40 series tractors with 8 speed powershifts. They lack for speed options, but are totally relaible.
farmerboybill these two work great. My brother calls this one “Tugboat”.
They had the bugs worked out by 1965 when the Commander came out.
amazing! that ole ford made it all the way through the video without breaking down! never happen on the ranch I worked on!
I ran a (UK built) 4wd Ford 5000 six years, 40 hours a week with zero mechanical issues, unlike the two Ford cars I owned...
That is pretty damn Ingenious engineering
Love the way that Ford sounds.
That rock picker was made by Dalman Manufacturing, Braham Minnesota
Those old Fords are real work horses, Hard to believe they went out of business.
My brother call it “Tug Boat”!
Ford was getting into trouble on the vehicle side and the disastrous 80s in the Farming community didn't help anyone. They bought New Holland and the Versatile to try and gain market share. Ford then sold it to Fiat. When the manufacturing agreements that came with it expired, you saw a huge change in machine design. The only thing left from Ford is the paint color. New Holland is in joint venture with Case IH.
That looks like it works really awesome. But it would be great if you could give us a play by play of the machine and how it works more up close. Thanks for posting though
I agree! I would like to see the dump mechanism up close too.
Looks like your having a good harvest.
Excellent machine
Works great as long as you don't get a huge rock stuck in it!
Great commodity to sell or crush and put in a driveway
You could get different pitch chains for those potato harvesters, 50mil being common, and then you could lift certain size and leave the rest. Of course the marketing people told the consumer they were baby potatoes and sold them for more. Just sayin' if your going to grow the rocks you should have the market . You can add shaker idlers if you are carrying too much soil. You could hang a length of conveyor belting just above the apron to hold round rocks down and reduce roll back. If there is clearance between the blade and chain you could add one or two hard surfaced angle iron or rubber paddles, depending on soil, to get the stubborn ones to the top.
Do you know where to get the rubber paddles?
The round or paddle rubber links on potato harvesters are not for the primary chain that runs in the soil. The paddles are used on side elevator and truck loading boom. You would get a few with the ends worn to the point where the farmer would donate them. Then cut and weld to make links that fit your chain. Sure there won't be rubber near you welds but should be enough to carry the round rocks up. They will wear fast. But I think you're only doing a few acres ?
thanks for sharing what a great machine looks like it works really good
Holy shit that is working amazingly!!!
Shure picked the right day! Not too wet, not too dry.
Well it’s taken 67 years before I’ve saw one of these fock pickers. Looks like it does a damn good job. I could have put this to work more than once.
those "potato miner" style rock pickers seem to be the best for really rocky fields. The "janitor bucket reels" seem to work best when you are gathering up rocks from the last couple years of frost heave, or when you have already put rocks in a windrow. I expect that id you are in places where there was any glacier coverage that you are going to want the potato miner.
Yes, tons of rocks here in Maine. The glaciers definitely piled them up!
The problem is ploughing the fields, especially if the soil is shallow, and the ploughing is deep...
But really satisfying to look at
If I did this on our property there wouldn’t be nothing left
I'm in Maine,so I know what you're up against.I swear the rocks here breed!
Toppen maskin. 😊😊😊😊😊
Sure is great to see the rocks leave the field. You could never do that by hand.
I would name this invention Kid ROCK !
Now if you could fit a crusher to the rear and return the stone as minerals, most crushed stone is very good for plants
Very clever ,provides an additional crop each year
An actual clever box of rocks!
I can build it all in my head, but what is the web?
People pay good money to have those rocks in the gardens.
It is a potatoe harvester in Australia
Sir you still growing rock love the video hope you all survived covid adios from Santa fe new. Mexico stay safe my friend
That apears to be a home made unit!
That was my thought because of the automobile universal joint.
There are a ton of those rock pickers in parts of New Brunswick, Canada. Made by a few different companies.
It is great machine. I grow up in time when was hand pick up. Our grand worked hard to make fields what you can see today.
Looks like you got some farmland in your rockpile.
Darn a bumper crop of rocks.
Very good job of keeping
I would love to have that rock picker
Very rocky field!
With that much rock it might be faster to use a grain-vac to pull the dirt off and then just use a loader to remove the rocks before putting the dirt back.
You might laugh but i knew a farmer that stripped the paddock of soil then removed the rocks bolders , and then returned the soil , he did this for a hay paddock rather than buying in , probably 50 acres
I don't remember the name, but there's a company that makes a machine that separates the rocks from the dirt and somehow puts both back with the dirt on top.
Rock around-the-clock
The war on rocks is never ending.
It sure is good get get rid of them!!! 😃
Nice tractor implement.
Good job and you've plenty of stones to clear 👀, ........If you run a spud ridger through the field first, it leaves baulks which are a lot easier on the stone separators and draft tractor
There has got to be some one that could use all those rocks. Even a rock crusher could size them for some type construction somewhere... Thumbs Up!
Used to be that they would use rocks like these to "steel" roadways. Instead of pavement they would put down rocks.
Very interesting harvesting rocks keep up the good work gentleman lovely video adios from Santa Fe nm
It seems that they keep growing new ones every year!!! 😀
That rock picker works well …need to find something like that
عمل موفق راجعت الفيديو عشرات المرات. الآلة لقمة الاتقان .ياريت تتحرك علينا فيديو جديد عن قرب الآلة ومحتوياتها مشكور . اخوكم من الجزاءر،
Wish that I could read that, but thanks for the comments! 😀
@@tommarple1449 what’s the price and capacity of this tug boat?
Thank you
@@tommarple1449 how deep can get rocks from the top surface?
Zonde van die stenen zijn pure mineralen
I am in awe!
He is growing. Those rocks. We fertilize ours& they are bigger!!! Pap
Pretty cool idea
You should use all these rocks to build a small castle or something.
Hi is this machine still available in the markets and how can I get one
I didn't know a ford could pull that much weight.
I have never seen something like that...pretty badass.
Where do I find one of these ?
wonder if i can get the assembly manual for this one
پاکستان میں کتنے کا ملے گا
I need one of those pickers
Вот это урожай!!)))
We called rock picking a picnic!
Is that a car differential on the top of the picker?
Yup!
Duffy Ag back in NY State needs this on one of his fields. Problem is he is renting it so the guy would say thankee vera much. It breaks his seeding and haying equipment so this thing would do well. The chain needs a bouncyer path up to the bin.
I picked rocks on a farm in North Dakota. I swear it should have been a cash crop.
Not a bad little auld machine atall
There are still rocks. How do you get rid of them permanently
Is a very good work.
Have you any closeup photos on how it’s made? I could make one if I could see the dimensions! Thanks!
I just picked up a 2 row John Deere 20 potato harvester made to 1961. Very similar. You’d swear they were made by the same company!
John Deere 30
This thing is pure genius. Very nicely engined homemade unit
Could you please show footage of the rock planter and seeding process.
That’s classified! 😉
Cripes, that place used to be a rock farm!
Great job! Is there a smaller version of that available to rent?
Probably a small root harvester will work, but you need to add a box on the back to catch the rocks.
Love those Tractors.
What brand / model of potato digger is your piece of equipment? Its doing a great job of picking up rocks. Looks like the rocks in my fields.
Tom, do you have any idea of the manufacturer and model #? we are going to start with potatoes.
My garden is like that by the time I get all the rocks out I will need a ladder to get down to the garden.
Heck with the garden start filling with water
UPGardenr I've seen a pasture you could walk at least half way across w/o touching the ground .
never seen so many rocks in a field....where is this located ?
Liberty Maine
looks like its made with Farmall HM II sugar beet harvester chains. back in the mid 70s.. a few dozen of those new beet bars welded together made the best barbcue grills.. the chain bars hooked together and the pigtailed ends became the sides in rails. there were bigger machines that used similar chains.. but i have not been out in a beet field in 4 decades.
Would be nice to get a new set. These are getting pretty worn.
@@tommarple1449 there are probably several manufacturers of new hook chain..
noffsingermfg.com/wp-content/uploads/Hook-Chain-Catalog.pdf you may end up if you have ability to create tools.. be able to make a bar holding fixture and bender..
Nice machine
works just as good if not better than a modern day rock picker
You wouldn't happen to be in Maine would you? I saw tons of these rock pickers when I lived in Aroostook County.
Absolutely! I went up to Houlton to get it. It had been sitting outside in a field for decades.
@@tommarple1449 I lived in Maine for 35 years. I swear, Maine grows rocks. Those potato farmers would rock pick EVERY YEAR and they would always bring up the same amount. Perhaps it was due to the potato harvester going even deeper, but still...
And I heard it could be the frost that drives them up annually too.
In Florida now. The only rock I see is what's in Home Depot!
Looks like it works pretty good!
The Round Rock will beat the dirt clods out
Who knew you could farm rocks.
Awesome
This is fantastic mate!!!
Damm thats a lot of rocks, would make a huge difference to your field to have then gone
This is an antique! We have less than $1,500 in it after having to do some minor repairs.
Is this home made or manufactured? I would love to have one like that
Xxx
I found this one in Houlton Maine. Very old. Was used on a potato farm as a harvester, maybe in the 30's or 40's. Was sitting in a field for decades. There's a few more around there.
Tom Marple any info you could provide where I can get one
I would like to pick a stone for Saudi Arabia, how much is it, how it is shipped, possible number and whatsapp we communicate with you
Good job Man👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏