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Drawings of hedgehogs for weeding potato plantations will be useful to every gardener. According to the scheme, it will turn out to independently make a simple mechanism that helps to loosen the soil and remove weeds... Moreover, do-it-yourself hedgehogs for weeding potatoes can be made in the form of a hand tool, as well as a trailed mechanism to a walk-behind tractor.
Features of the design of hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are intended to remove weeds on the aisles. The same function is performed by a plane cutter, only the weed is cut with this tool near the ground. Over time, new stems begin to grow from the remaining root. Hedgehogs with thorns pull out the weed together with the root, leaving it no chance for further development. In addition, the mechanism loosens and rakes the soil from row spacings into rows. The garden takes on a well-groomed look, and through the loose soil, the roots of the potatoes receive oxygen.
Potato hedgehogs are made of three rings of different sizes. The disks are welded together with jumpers. At the end of each ring, spikes are welded from pieces of a metal rod. The result is a tapered structure, which is welded to a steel pipe with an axle inside.
They always make a pair of conical hedgehogs, fastening them with a metal bracket at an angle of 45about, relative to each other. If you hand weed potatoes with hedgehogs, they will have to be fixed to a long handle. During rotation, the conical structure grabs the ground with thorns, forming a ridge in the garden.
Manual weeding of potatoes with conical hedgehogs requires a lot of effort, so it is better to hook them to the walk-behind tractor. A simplified design will help to facilitate the work. For manual weeding, flat-shaped hedgehogs are used. That is, on a pipe section about 250 mm long and 150-200 mm thick, spikes are welded on. The structure with the help of a shaft and two bearings is fixed on a metal bracket, to which the handle is fixed. These hedgehogs are made on their own, but you can also buy them in the store. The factory design usually consists of a set of sprockets with 5-6 studs, which are mounted on the shaft with a bearing. The length of each spike is within 60 mm. The distance between the sprockets is about 40 mm.
Purchased or home-made manual hedgehogs simply roll back and forth along the aisle of potatoes. The thorns uproot the weeds, fluff up the soil, and the potatoes themselves remain untouched.
If it is possible to make hedgehogs for weeding potatoes with your own hands, it is better to refuse the purchased option. You yourself will make the mechanism with the right size, suitable for your garden.
Self-made hedgehogs with manual control
So let's start with the simplest. Now we will look at how to make hedgehogs for weeding potatoes by hand. Before starting work, it is advisable to acquire simple diagrams sketched on a sheet of paper. They will help create a representation of the shape of the future design. Conical hedgehogs are hard to roll manually between potatoes. Moreover, the mechanism for manual weeding does not have to be of this shape.
To make hedgehogs yourself, you need to take a piece of pipe with a diameter of 150 mm. Its length is selected individually, because each gardener adheres to its own row spacing. Metal spikes 60 mm long are welded around the pipe circumference. There are about 5 of them in one row. The distance between them is about 4 cm. In order for the hedgehog to rotate, a hub with a bearing can be inserted into the pipe. Easier, you can simply weld the ends of the pipe with plugs, and fix the studs with a thread with a diameter of 16 mm strictly in the center. The finished structure is fixed on a metal frame with a wooden handle.
The photo shows an example of homemade hedgehogs. Instead of thorns, a set of six-pointed elements with blunt ends was used in the construction. It turned out a kind of knives mounted on the shaft after a short distance.
Working with hedgehogs made is simple. The mechanism is installed on the aisle of potatoes, and rolls back and forth until a positive result is achieved. This weeding requires the use of physical force. It is hard to work with a tame hedgehog in large gardens. Before making it, it is advisable to ask your neighbors for a test. You may not like it.
Self-production of conical hedgehogs clinging to the walk-behind tractor
Making conical hedgehogs for a walk-behind tractor is much more difficult than making a hand tool. However, their use will simplify and speed up the weeding of potatoes. It is very difficult to develop do-it-yourself drawings of hedgehogs for weeding potatoes. For review, we have selected two schemes. Using them, you can try to assemble the structure at home.
We adhere to the following order of making hedgehogs:
- For one cone-shaped hedgehog, you need to find three steel rings or discs of different sizes. The option 240x170x100 mm is suitable, or you can calculate your own parameters.
- A hole is drilled in the center of the discs, after which they are put on a steel pipe with a diameter of 25 mm. A maximum distance of 180 mm is maintained between the discs, after which they are welded to the pipe. If rings are used instead of discs, then they are welded to the pipe with jumpers from a rod. That is, it looks like a wheel with spokes.
- At this stage, we have a tapered structure of three rings or discs. Now you need to weld thorns to them. They are cut with a length of 60–100 mm from a steel rod with a diameter of 10–12 mm. The suggested size of a hedgehog will use about 40 thorns. The workpieces are welded to the ends of the discs or rings at an equal distance.
- A second hedgehog is made according to a similar principle. Now they need to be combined into one mechanism. Large wheels will be located inside the structure, so on this side of the hedgehogs you need to make the main mechanism for fastening. Alternatively, bearings with a shaft can be inserted into the pipe or a mechanism with sleeve bushings can be machined. Between themselves, two hedgehogs are connected with a bracket at an angle of 45about.
- During weeding potatoes with a walk-behind tractor a heavy load falls on the hedgehogs. It can be reduced by installing two guide wheels. They are fixed on a bracket made of steel strip 70 mm wide and at least 4 mm thick.
It is better to test the finished trailed mechanism on an empty plot of the garden. During the movement of the walk-behind tractor, the hedgehogs should constantly rotate, and after them there should be a well-loosened, neat furrow.
The video shows do-it-yourself hedgehogs:
If the household has a walk-behind tractor, hedgehogs will simplify the care of potatoes. There will be no need for manual weeding with a hoe, plus loosening the soil will increase the yield.
