So here's the deal, I want to buy a 5' tiller for the back of my B3200HST and I've narrowed it down (pretty much, but I'm open to suggestions) to US built tillers. I like King Kutter, but they have a standard and a professional line. My local TSC carries the standard line and I've found the professional line online for around the same price shipped directly to the house. I like the looks of the pro. model although the standard line look pretty HD. I called TSC and they told me that King Kutter does make there tillers. So there's my dilemma! What's a Kubota Guy to do?
Comparison King Kutter standard vs professional tiller
- Thread starter mjaybee
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paulemar
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 26, 2011
- Messages
- 187
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Tractor
- Kubota BX25, 60" MMM, 3 point hitch
I'm sort of having the same problem deciding, except I'm looking at 4' models. One thing is that the professional KK tillers are Quick Hitch compatible. I have a Quick Hitch and a top link adapter, but don't know exactly what makes the standard KK tillers not QH ready. I've got plenty of time to do more research and decide what features are important. I originally liked the 48" Countyline SC model (same as KK 48" XB) but it has a narrower hitch hook-up than std. cat 1. In my opinion, if you can get the PRO model delivered to your door for the same price, I don't see a problem.
Don87
Elite Member
If you are going to be using it on the BX25.............you want someting like the XB model. It isn't just the 'narrower hitch' , it's also the lift height...............The BX25 will not lift as high as a compact tractor. The XB style tiller was made specifically for subcompact tractors.
Like the Bush Hog RTC48 tiller I own, it's made for subcompact tractors.
You may want to measure the height of the lift arm pins on the XB and your lift arms on your tractor. I had a King kutter XB box blade and with my 3PH all the way down it was barely on the ground.
He may be okay with something short like a tiller these tractor lift pretty high. I can move a wood LR landscape rake I just have to watch real uneven spots. The sure thing to do is measure the lift arm pins on the implement and the 3PH all the way down.
Don87
Elite Member
You had an XB boxblade that would barely touch the ground on your BX2360? WOW
Checking is required. I purchased a 1 row cultivator from TSC, although I can lift it, all it takes is one bump in my yard and the tines dig in while fully raised. It now resides at my BIL's house and has been fitted with potato hillers. He uses it on his JD790.
TSC mainly sells attachments made for compact tractors.
Here is what it should look like with a tiller attached and raised:
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Thank goodness we don't have a limited cat 1 3PH.
Don87
Elite Member
newt92
Gold Member
I have a 5' KK tiller standard type (yeller ones) and my Harbor Freight quick hitch hooks right up! You do want 26.5" or more inside clearance on your quick hitch. They are built like a tank, had mine since 2003 and zero problems!!!
As far as the XB models, that might be the best setup for the smaller subcompacts, but you also need to take into account will you ever trade up size wise your tractor in the future? When I got mine I had a JD 2210. The 5' tiller worked the snot outta it, and I couldnt till full depth, lack of HP. Then in 2006 I traded up to a 2520 and the 5' is perfect for it.
Also, take into account the weight of the tiller. The heavier the tiller, the better it will work.. Weight will keep it in the ground.
As far as the XB models, that might be the best setup for the smaller subcompacts, but you also need to take into account will you ever trade up size wise your tractor in the future? When I got mine I had a JD 2210. The 5' tiller worked the snot outta it, and I couldnt till full depth, lack of HP. Then in 2006 I traded up to a 2520 and the 5' is perfect for it.
Also, take into account the weight of the tiller. The heavier the tiller, the better it will work.. Weight will keep it in the ground.
paulemar
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 26, 2011
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- 187
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Tractor
- Kubota BX25, 60" MMM, 3 point hitch
Boy, I understand that problem! I tried using a cat 0 Brinly 12 inch, 3 point, 1 bottom plow and it wouldn't go down far enough to plow deeper than about 2-3 inches. I tried setting it up by driving the BX25's left side up onto 6" ramps so that I could get the plow sitting flat at the 6" plowing depth. I figured that I could fine tune from there. The plow wouldn't go down far enough to touch the ground, no matter what I tried. I finally got some info from others on this forum on drilling additional holes in the lift arms 2 inches closer to the tractor, and I bought another adjustable side link for the left side to match the one on the right so that I could lower that side too. I haven't yet tried out all of these modifications, so I still don't know if it's enough. Is it possible that Kubota adjusted the 3 point hitch to give more height, but lost that same amount on the low end? It seems like all they would have to do to achieve that is to change the position of the lift (arms?) on the splines coming out of the 3 point housing.
Sorry I didn't see this before. The lift arms on a BX only go down to 9" or 9.5" (to the center of the lift arm ball).The Xb box blade is a little small on a BX, I thought it looked funny. I think it could handle a full size 4ft no problem. I also have a woods RBC60 scraper blade that is the same way. It wouldn't work with the QH because the 3PH would not go low enough so I drilled to holes in the QH to lower it.
How low does your 3PH go?
I have learned that there is a fine line between full size on SCUT implements. I am not buying any more before I measure the lift arm pin location.
The weight of the KK tiller is one of the reasons I like it. I have a Gearmore 4' tiller that I run with my B7200D, but it is very light and bounces over everything. I too have a QH so the tiller I buy has to be compatible. I like the QH as I don't have to adjust the lift arms anymore, and with toplink adapters I've been able to use some of my non-QH equipment. The sight where I found the good online prices is McGee Farm Equipment, Inc. Not only good prices but reasonable shipping charges. I'm considering a reverse rotation tiller as they are only 135. bucks more, but then some of the posts I've read here say rocks get jammed up in them.
I just did a quick search and that King Kutter professional tiller looks to be the heaviest for the money. You don't have a local King Kutter dealer.
Thought I'd give an up-date. I bought a Tater RTGR5 tiller. Looks like a King Kutter (except it's gray). I've noticed that quite a few tillers look the same (KK,Countyline(TSC), Tarter,etc.) but with little differences. They all claim they are the manufacturer, and made in the USA. Hard to tell. I have read up on alot of different tillers, and Tater looks like a good brand, and at $1,600 for a 5 footer delivered to my door, it was real hard to turn down. I went to TSC to look at theirs (which they say are made by KK), but they look alittle cheap. Bad paint job, etc. Tarter's tillers are powder coated, nice. So there you have it, what do you think? Will post pics. when it arrives.
newt92
Gold Member
KK, Countryline and Tarter are all the same tiller, just different paint. Yes the paint on the KK brand does stink, but mine is always stored inside and still looks like the day I brought it home in May of 2003!
$1600 shipped to your door, you done good and it wont disappoint you. Make sure you check to see if the gear box has oil in it!!
Don87
Elite Member
I totally missed this also, I just went out and 'hand measured'(couldn't find my tape measure), and I appear to be coming up with about 6 to 7 inches between the floor and cent on the ball ends.
EDIT: Found my tape measure, 5 and 1/2 inches to center of ball ends at the lowest point
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paulemar
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 26, 2011
- Messages
- 187
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Tractor
- Kubota BX25, 60" MMM, 3 point hitch
5 & 1/2" from the ground is much better than the 9 & 1/2" I originally had on my BX25. As i mentioned earlier in this thread my Brinly cat 0 12" plow wouldn't plow deeper than 2 or 3 inches. The extra 4 inches down travel that your tractor has would have worked fine if mine went that low. This all started with me when I bought a new Kubota ballast box, hooked it up to the 3 point hitch, and it wouldn't lower to the ground. I had to set the B. Box on 4x4's to install and remove it. I knew then that I'd have to be careful when buying anything that was ground engaging as the pins would have to be mounted high enough to allow the implement to reach full depth. I won't know for sure until Spring and I remove the front plow and Ballast box whether my previously mentioned modifications will work.
Well here's yet another update, the good and the bad. Bad-The Tarter tiller I bought (through Smith Equipment/Cub Cadet Superstore) $1,600 and free shipping didn't go through. They said they were out of stock, and the page where they were advertising it has been taken down. Good-Found the same tiller at Lowes ( Yes Lowes) for $1505. Bad-It's not yet available at the Paso Robles, CA store. Good-I took the price from Lowes to the Paso Robles Tractor Supply Company, where they sell the Tarter look alike (made by Behlen) for $1,699.99 and they sold it to me for $1,499.99 with tax=$1,612.49. Bad-It did not work with my Quick Hitch, Bummer!! Good-TSC took it back no problem, and I found out that design is not QH compatible. So it looks like a King Kutter Professional tiller is in my future.
On another note, after talking with the managers at TSC, found out that in the western US they sell Behlen equipment, and in the eastern US they sell Tarter. They used to sell King Kutter but KK wanted TSC to also repair the equipment and they said no to that.
newt92
Gold Member
"I found out that design is not QH compatible." My KK tiller hooked right up to my Harbor Freight quick hitch.. I have the 27.5" QH
