Review of potato planter KSM 4: characteristics, instructions for use and reviews

The potato planter KSM-4 is a modern semi-mounted unit designed for planting sprouted and non-sprouted potatoes weighing 30–110 g each. Works together with tractors of drawbar category 1.4. Allows you to plant 4 rows of vegetables at once, while applying granular mineral fertilizers.

What is this unit

KSM-4 is used for planting potatoes in large areas. Productivity - from 1.2 to 3.2 hectares per hour.

The planter is used together with a tractor of the type:

• LTZ-60;
• YuMZ-6;
• Belarus-921;
• MTZ-80;
• MTZ-82;

A dump truck or tractor trolley is also suitable. The planter is serviced by 1 tractor driver and 1 agricultural worker. The device is connected to the power take-off shaft and the hydraulic system of the driving tractor.

What does it look like

The base of the planter is a rigid frame welded from a metal profile, on which all mechanisms are mounted.

In the front there are:

• trailer beam;
• high pressure hose of the hydraulic system;
• electrical equipment plug connected to the tractor socket.

Further in order are:

• front metal wheels;
• 2 bunkers of fertilizer spreading machines with platforms in front of them;
• discs covering tubers and forming a ridge;
• rear pneumatic wheels;
• main and loading bunkers.

The loading hopper in the photo above is raised to its highest position. The machine is in transport position, prepared for driving into the field.

It is interesting:

How to make a two-row potato planter yourself.

How to make a potato planter for a mini tractor with your own hands.

Principle of operation

After loading the potatoes with a dump truck into the hopper, it is lifted by hydraulic cylinders. Fertilizers are loaded into the box of fertilizer dispensers.

When the planter is moving, tubers from the main hopper with the help of shakers and tedders are fed through the gate into the feed bucket. The auger seeding mechanism picks up one tuber with spoons and feeds it to the deflector plate. He sends vegetables further into the furrow from the opener. Further, depending on the type of planting - ridge or smooth - when setting up, either discs (to create a ridge) or harrows (for a smooth planting) are installed.

Important! Fertilizer is applied to the gap behind the coulter. There are slots in his cheeks through which the earth covers the granules.

The soil layer, compacted by the tractor wheels, is loosened by a spring-loaded ripper installed at the front of the potato planter.

Specifications

KSM-4 is intended for planting potatoes on all types of soils, in all zones of crop cultivation.

Technique characteristics:

• four-row planter, semi-mounted;
• works in conjunction with tractors of class 1.4;
• loaded into the field from a dump truck or a dump tractor cart;
• working speed - 4-10 km / h;
• transport speed - 20 km / h;
• dimensions in working order - 4200 x 4500 x 2650 mm;
• dimensions in transport position - 4750 x 4500 x 3000 mm;
• main hopper capacity - 1500 kg;
• row spacing - 70, 75, 90 cm;
• planting depth - 5-15 cm;
• productivity: with a row spacing of 70, 75 cm - 1.2–2.4 ha / hour (main time), with 90 cm - 1.8–3.2 ha / hour (main time);
• the dose of mineral fertilizers is 50–400 kg / ha.

Description

The potato planter includes the following units and mechanisms:

• metal frame with a trailer;
• 2 front metal and 2 rear pneumatic hydraulically controlled running wheels;
• interconnected main and loading bunkers;
• 2 landing sections;
• 2 disc sowing units with a common container for granular fertilizer;
• motion stabilizer;
• rippers;
• drive through PTO (power take-off shaft);
• 2 hydraulically operated markers with locking and switching mechanism.

Operating rules

Preparation for work:

1. Attach the potato planter trailer beam to the tractor hitch and fix.
2. Secure PTO shaft.
3. Combine the hydraulic line of the potato planter and the hydraulic system of the tractor.
4. Connect the power plug of the machine to the tractor socket.
5. Check hydraulic and electrical equipment for functionality.
6. Switch on the power take-off shaft and visually check the operation of the mechanisms.

Operating procedure:

1. Drive into the furrow.
2. Load the planter with seed into the lowered hopper. To do this, drive up close and unload the tubers.
3. The bunkers of the fertilizer dispensers can be loaded manually or by means of vehicle mechanisms.
4. Raise the feed hopper, immerse the coulters to the set depth, engage the PTO shaft and start work.

When turning or backing it up, be sure to turn off the PTO and raise the potato planter to the transport position.

Setting and adjusting

Setup in preparation for work includes:

• adjustment of the row spacing - is done by moving the planting devices along the rear frame beam until the holes are aligned and the next bolting;
• setting the landing rate - performed by selecting the sprockets of the drive gearbox from the PTO;
• setting the seeding rate for mineral fertilizers.

In the field, it is performed:

• setting the loading level of the feeding bucket;
• coulter depth adjustment - set by changing the position of the gauge wheel in the sector;
• adjustment of the potato planting depth - by changing the angle of inclination of the semiaxes of the furrow-closing discs;
• setting the angle of entry of the coulters into the soil - the gap between the rear edge of the lower edge of the coulter and its nose is set, it is changed by rotating the upper link;
• adjustment of fertilizer dispensing mechanisms - the gap between the bottom of the hopper and the augers is adjusted by moving the funnels relative to the holes.

Where to buy and how much does it cost

The price of potato planters varies within different limits. New ones cost from 381,000 to 1,000,000 rubles, used ones - from 130,000 rubles.

New units are sold by agricultural machinery stores:

• firm "LBR" (there are branches in 10 federal districts);
• Internet portal "Agroserver";
• LLC "Merkatus".

Advantages and disadvantages

The potato planter KSM-4 is a unit, the design of which is efficient and tested in practice. During the existence of the technology, a number of modifications were made to eliminate weaknesses, for example, manufacturers began to use a more reliable imported gearbox, and plastic spoons were replaced with metal ones.

The technique is designed for the simultaneous planting of potatoes and fertilizing large areas in a short time. Provides a predetermined distance between rows and tubers. The depth of planting and embedding of tubers is carried out according to the agronomic norm of ± 4 cm.

For planting on a field clogged with stones, the potato planter KSM-4-I with a coulter protection mechanism is suitable.

The disadvantage of the unit is its sensitivity to the size of the planting material. First, you have to sort the tubers by size (35-60 mm, 65-95 mm and more than 100 mm) and plant them in turn. Next, the device is reconfigured and the spoons are changed to a different size. Otherwise, large gaps between the tubers, damage to the planting material, or the introduction of 2 vegetables at once are possible.

Read also:

What is the convenience of manual potato peelers.

Step by step instructions for creating a homemade potato planter.

Starch in potatoes: varieties with high and low content in the composition.

Reviews

Farmers generally speak out positively about the device:

Evgeniy, Moscow region: "The potato planter KSM-4 is a fairly reliable, convenient and efficient unit. It has a large hopper, which allows you not to be distracted too often by loading the tubers. Everything suits me. "

Andrey, Saratov: “A good potato planter, comfortable and easy to use. The only drawback is the increase in the cost of production due to sorting seed potatoes or reconfiguring equipment to a different size. "

Conclusion

The potato planter KSM-4 is designed to work on a farm with a crop area of ​​up to 100 hectares. This planting will take place at the optimal time for agronomic standards. To sow more potatoes, you will have to buy a sufficient number of planters at the rate of 90 hectares per unit or use more productive devices (for example, KSM-6). The unit operates in a trailer with tractors widely used in agriculture: LTZ-60, YuMZ-6, Belarus-921, MTZ-80, MTZ-82.