Tiller Harrows Vs, tillers.

[vtsnowedin]

So I'm thinking about spring while the thermometer falls past zero yet again. This spring I want to put in some food plots plus do a better and bigger job on my gardens. I have a two bottom plow but don't have any working harrows. My first thought was to get a set of used eight foot three point hitch harrows. But as I look around there isn't much out there that doesn't need a complete rebuild. I find you can get a new 72 Inch tiller for about $2100. That would do the same job as the harrows and on the old ground gardens make the plow unnecessary. On the food plots I'd still plow it and pick off any rocks I turned up before tilling it.
So I think the limit on a set of harrows is $2000 and considering how simple they are $800 to a $1000 would be more like it.
Any thoughts guys on the advantages or disadvantages between them.

 

[HEC]

When my dad and I had a 2 acre garden plot he had the 5 ft. tiller for his Kubota tractor and I had 3 bottom plow and a set of used spring tooth harrows that I bought real cheap. I also bought a new, cheap 6 ft. harrow much like the ones at tractor supply which does a decent job when I added a bunch of weight to it. I use it now as I don't have the tiller anymore . We found during the spring of the year going over the ground with the spring tooth harrow to break up the ground some made tilling so much easier . I guess much depends on the type of ground you have . We have lots of use to be potato farmers in my area so used equipment is quite plentiful .

 

[vtsnowedin]

The food plots will be in old pastures that have been brush hogged occasionally. Thick sod with some brush roots. Of course it is Vermont and not river bottom so a good crop of basketball sized rocks will be found at each plowing.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Big rocks and tillers don't mix very well. That alone would indicate a cultivator or spring tooth harrow is a better choice. Neither are ideal primary tillage options in sod. The tiller does make a nicer seed bed in fewer passes

 

[jeff9366]

I find you can get a new 72 Inch tiller for about $2100. That would do the same job as the harrows and on the old ground gardens make the plow unnecessary. On the food plots I'd still plow it and pick off any rocks I turned up before tilling it.

True.

Short answer first: As you have a plow and a garden I would go with a PTO powered roto-tiller unless your food plots are larger than three acres (+/-).

Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrows are a form of tiller optimal for longs pulls, i.e.: fields. You need a minimum of 40 pounds weight on each Disc Harrow "pan" in order to really mix, this means a minimum pan diameter of 18". However, a pan diameter of 18" is still light and will not scratch unplowed sod well, even here in Florida where the soil is sandy loam. To be able to cut with a Disc Harrow you need 20" minimum diameter pans. You also need enough tractor to pull a DH at speed, they do not mix soil at a walking pace.

A 'B' series Kubota will pull an 18" Disc Harrow OK, over plowed loam. It takes a heavier, more powerful tractor with 4-WD to pull a 20".

I own both a medium-duty Howse 16/18", 587 pound DH ($1,100 new) [37 pounds per pan] and a robust Monroe Tufline 18/20", 915 pounds, ($2,400 new)[50 pounds per pan]. It takes plenty of throttle for my 37-hp, 5,400 pound Kubota tractor-loader to pull the Monroe Tufline in a second pass.

Disc Harrows with 9" spacing between pans cut better; better for food plots, better for firebreaks.

"Finishing" Disc Harrows have 7-1/2" spacing between pans smooth plow furrows better, mix shallower, pull easier. Unusually, my Monroe Tufline has 9" spacing front, 7-1/2" spacing rear.

Disc Harrows tend to roll over rocks. That said, pans on 20" DH tend to be thicker, heavier, stronger than pans on an 18" Disc Harrow. It is not common, but people do break or deform pans sometimes. I never have.

I have never calculated but I doubt a 72" Disc Harrow has fewer parts, or very many fewer parts, than a 72" roto-tiller, less the roto-tiller's PTO shaft.

Photo #2 Howse 16/18

Photo #3 Monroe Tufline 18/20


MORE: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=tiller+vs+disc

 

[vtsnowedin]

I have plows similar to your two bottom. The Monroe 18/20 would suit my JD 5045E and my ground. It's too bad they don't have a dealer withing 250 miles of me.

 

[jeff9366]

Surely, John Deere must have multiple 20" - 24" diameter pan Disc Harrows in Deere's lineup. While I am not sure, my friend's older Deere DH11 Disc Harrow has lever adjustment of the gang angles matching same on my Tufline. I read here that Deere contracts for some implements. It is possible Monroe Tufline makes DH11 Disc Harrow for Deere. At any rate, Monroe Tufline makes some very heavy duty implements, unfortunately for the wallet, priced in proportion.

DEERE DH11: https://www.deere.com/en_US/product...rrows/dh11_series_disk_harrows.page?#viewTabs

Main picture looks just like my Tufline. Internal picture does not match main picture.

While many Disc owners seldom or never vary gang angles, I use my DHs for a variety of tasks and find relatively rapid lever adjustment of gang angles on my Tufline 18/20 a worthwhile "premium" feature.

MONROE TUFLINE: Agriculture TH Series Tandem Discs - Monroe Tufline

Brown Manufacturing makes Discs even heavier, with an even faster lever adjustment, but too heavy for my Kubota L3560.

BDH Disc Harrows | Brown Manufacturing | 800-633-8909


I ogled Monroe Tufline and Brown implements at 2012 and 2014 Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. It took me two years to convince myself to spend for the Tufline, influence by purchase of Kubota L3560. TUFLINE IS WELL THOUGHT OUT AND ROBUST. Paint could be better.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Surely, John Deere must have multiple 20" - 24" diameter pan Disc Harrows in Deere's lineup. While I am not sure, my friends older Deere 20/20" Disc Harrow has lever adjustment of the gang angles almost matching same on my Tufline. I read here that Deere contracts for some of their implements. It is possible Monroe Tufline makes some Disc Harrows for Deere. At any rate, Monroe Tufline makes some very heavy duty implements, unfortunately for the wallet, priced in proportion.

While many Disc owners seldom or never vary the gang angles, I use my DHs for a variety of tasks and find relatively rapid lever adjustment of gang angles on my Tufline 18/20 a worthwhile "premium" feature.

MONROE TUFLINE: Agriculture TH Series Tandem Discs - Monroe Tufline

John Deere has Frontier 3PH harrows. I found a DH 1280 for sale for $2200 used but it is in Maryland and the estimated shipping is $610. If you go to their build your own web site small disks don't even come up as an option even though there are some options you can add.

 

[vtsnowedin]

What do you think of this one.
HawkLine by Behlen Country Heavy-Duty Tillage Disk — Category 1, 6-ft.6-in. Working Width, Model# DISC2018NSB | Category 1 Disc Harrows Rakes| Northern Tool + Equipment
$1400 plus $260 shipping. Not as heavy duty as I'd like but at least it is available.

 

[jeff9366]

Northern Tool's description of Bolens as Heavy Duty is TRADE PUFFERY. I'd term Bolens medium duty, like my Howse.

18" pans are light for cutting food plots. 20/18 will have 7" spacing = more "float" = less cutting.

I would seek 20" diameter pans. Because A = Pi X R squared, weight goes up rapidly with increased pan diameter.

For food plots a DH a little narrower than your outside tire width is good. It is easier to pull between trees and boulders.

With 4-WD your 4,200 pound (without FEL), 45-horsepower tractor will pull a 20" no sweat, more so with R1 ag tires. (I have R4s on my Kubota)

Disc Harrows are like Box Blades. Paying for weight is something you will not regret. Other features are nice but weight per pan is key.

Your soil condition is tough. You need thick pans, unlikely to deform on rocks.