<p>This article addresses the problem of improving the efficiency of mechanized potato harvesting. It examines the scientific and theoretical foundations of enhancing the lifting–separating working unit of a potato harvester. The subject and object of the research consist in developing and scientfically substantiating the technological and structural parameters of a <br /> centrifugal lifting–spiked elevator. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that in conventional harvesters the soil separation process has low efficiency, which leads to contamination and mechanical damage of the tubers. The research employed mathematical modeling, analytical analysis, and statistical methods, through which the optimal parameters of the working unit were determined. The results showed that at a peripheral speed of 2.5–3.0 m/s and a curved section radius of 0.3–0.6 m, the completeness of soil separation reaches 99.4%, while tuber damage does not exceed 3.4%. The findings were verified in a prototype of an improved potato digger-loader KP-2, tested under practical conditions. The developed design is distinguished by its lightness and compactness. In conclusion, it is noted that the proposed technology reduces labor costs by a factor of 3 and total expenditures by a factor of 4.5, which indicates its high economic efficiency and substantiates the potential for widespread application in regions with similar soil and climatic conditions.</p>