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The mechanized potato harvesting process results in an average of up to 30% root crop damage, making resistance to mechanical damage a key criterion for selecting potato varieties for industrial production. It has been established that the correlation between resistance to mechanical damage is 52-56%, which is significantly higher (approximately 2.5 times) than the environmental factor (20-22%). The accuracy of root crop damage assessment depends on the performance of the equipment used to determine tuber damage and the physical and mechanical properties of the potato. The disadvantages of a rod-type drum system with a discharge window, which prevent it from simulating real potato harvesting conditions, are analyzed. A modernization of the tuber damage simulator is proposed. The proposed drum consists of several sections. The ends of the outermost rods of each section are rigidly secured, while the ends of the rods mounted between them are secured with a flexible rubberized belt and equipped with cams to simulate the dynamic loads on potato tubers that occur during the operation of shakers. Tests were conducted using this device with the Sarma, Irkutsky Rozov, and Nerpenok potato varieties. Skin abrasion from a specific surface of the tuber and darkening of the flesh were assessed per tuber. The Irkutsky Rozov variety demonstrated the best results for the first indicator (no abrasion at all), while the Nerpenok variety demonstrated the best results for the second indicator (0.11 cases per tuber).