“Lifter” Harvests Root Crops Fast

“Lifter” Harvests Root Crops Fast CROPS Miscellaneous Brian Huckins’ Bed Lifter makes harvesting carrots sweet potatoes and many other in-ground crops easy The harvester blade passes under the root crops lifting and breaking up the packed soil Pulling carrots or other crops near the surface is easy “A farmer I work with had seen something similar and asked me to make one ” says Huckins a self-described blacksmith and tinkerer “The first one was an experiment that could be adjusted in several ways such as the pitch of the blade ” Once Huckins had everything adjusted properly he began making a fixed model Initially he sold them in his neighborhood Eventually he began to advertise in surrounding areas He also sells a set of plans for folks farther away “It would cost someone less to use the plans and have the Bed Lifter made locally than to have me make it and ship it ” says Huckins Huckins advises using the Bed Lifter for crops with stems that allow them to be lifted once the ground is loosened “It could be used with potatoes but you would still have to root around in the ground ” says Huckins “Carrots just lift out of the soil ” Huckins customizes the Bed Lifter to match the planted rows plus about 12 in A 3-ft wide frame is made to fit Cat I 3-pt hitches Larger Bed Lifters are made to fit Cat II 3-pt hitches “It is very sturdy with extra reinforcement at stress points ” says Huckins He suggests needing about 10 hp per foot of width if using a 4-WD tractor If you’re using a 2-WD it requires more than 10 hp per foot to supply the added weight needed “It’s really about traction more than power ” he says “However heavy rocky soil may require more power ” Huckins prices locally delivered Bed Lifters at $899 plus tax for widths of 4 ft or less Add $50/ft for widths over 4 ft Orders are built once a year for spring delivery and must be placed by January 30th Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Huckins Forge 67 Cedar Hill Rd Northborough Mass 01532 ph 508 393-8695 or 508 635-7749; huckinsforge@gmail com; www huckinsforge com

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