Scanstone has launched its first potato harvester – the Patriot – at the Potato Europe event in France.

The Forfar-based firm says the entry-level machine is basic in design, but comes with a full belt drive and prices start from £85,000.

Scanstone potato harvester

It is built to handle harvested material as gently as possible and comes with a large-capacity cart elevator for high-yielding crops.

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Plans are already afoot to launch the Patriot 8, which will bring greater cleaning capacity and the options of a picking-off table, digging web and land drive.

The new harvesters join the maker’s existing line-up of stone and clod seperators, windrowers and bed-makers for root farmers.

Bed tillers have also been added to the range since the company formed in 2004.