A potato planter is a farm implement for sowing seed potatoes. A potato planter is a farm implement for sowing seed potatoes. A manual planter is sometimes called a bell planter, which may have two farm hands sitting on the back whilst taking potatoes from a hopper. The length between potatoes is tolled by a bell, at the sound of which potatoes are thrown down tubes. An automatic planter is hitched behind a farm tractor with a three-point linkage and towed. Cups lift seed potatoes from a hopper and drop them in tubes, planting up to eight drills at a time. Media related to Potato planters at Wikimedia Commons