HELP, need an easy way to transplant tomatoes

I'm planning 8000 tomatoes and 4000 pepper transplants. So far I've planted 300 by hand and boy is my back killing me. Is there an easier way to do this? Right now I'm using a 2 foot stick and a trowel to do this. I can build something if I had plans or pictures to guide me. Best would be a 2 row system that I could use behind my Farmall or John Deere. Thnxz...

I've been wanting to try this out:

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:... Just a pipe, cut off at a 45 degree angle. Depending on the size of the tube, it can plant anything from small seeds, potatoes, onion sets, even transplanting tomato starts.

The secret to not plugging the tube, is to put the tube on the ground long end facing away from body, and then use a foot as a fulcrum to press it forward into the ground. For harder ground, I prefer to use metallic pipe over plastic.

Tube seeder: Pipe cut at 45 degree angle.

From here. Emphasis mine.

Ugh, Assuming you have the transplants grown and are ready to transplant them?

plantel trays are designed for a semi automated transplant system.

Some systems exist where you have one or two people feed transplants into a machine pulled behind a tractor driven by a third person.

Generally though the machines are designed for a specific size of plug. Like grown in the plantel trays.

Those machines are also spendy. May be of limited availability this year.

Easiest would be to direct seed the seeds. Then you just need a seeder. That's something I do to get lots of tomato plants. If you have to start over because of plug size issues. And you have a long enough season to be out planting now, that's an option though it will hurt to loose that many starts.

Don't blow out your back though.

Hand planting tool thoughts. Keep your back straight. Stand up as much as possible. Avoid hand trowels. Use long handled shovels and long handled eye hoes to dig. Dig a row of holes. Drop a row of seedlings, then backfill with long handled shovel. Remember with tomatoes you can bury some stem. If your back gets bad stop and rest, stretch. If need be compost some seedlings and direct seed the rest. Your back is more important.

With just a furrower you might be able to dig the whole trench, drop the seedlings in it, then backfill.

I'm guessing you know this already but you can plant them extra deep.  So what about digging holes with a post hole digger, dropping the transplants it and then squishing the hole shut with you feet?  Probably a dumb idea but I figured I'd throw it out there.  Wouldn't work for the peppers though since they need to be at the right depth.

12000 transplants...  holy cow