6ft Rotory Tiller not getting job done

[tjandrews]

When we first got our Tractor Supply tiller, we tilled a garden from the year before without plowing first. That was enough. We could tell it was too hard on the tiller, and we'd wreck it before long. Now, we always moldboard plow first.

 

[Gord Baker]

You should have PLOWED it first. Tillers are not meant to be working up this type of area and soil other than small Plots.

 

[lpakiz]

If you are uncertain about the slip-clutch adjustment, ask yourself this: does it make the engine labor when you engage the ground?
If the clutch slips without loading the engine, it's set too loose.

 

[dwm1026]

New 48hp tractor and 6ft Tar River tiller. Others told me this tiller is a good unit, and I trust their opinion. My land hasn't been farmed in 3 years, so weeds have grown. I mowed the weeds down first. I then hookup up my tiller and gave it a try. Ground is clay, loam so not exactly peat. The tiller's Slip-Clutch PTO protection keep the tines from running most of the time, basically making very little progress. I went over the land three times, having to adjust 3pt manually up just scraping the dirt so didn't engage the Slip=Clutch PTO protection. Painfully slow process. End result is maybe 2-3 inches of depth of till.

I'm wondering if I first need to get a small cultivator this run over this ground first? I have about 6 more acres to go and seems very inefficient to continue with the tiller like this. Can anyone think i'm missing anything here? I'd love to just keep the tiller on and not swap it out and buy another implement (plus hooking up the tiller was a pain in the @ss). Thank you

Just wondering, what are you trying to accomplish with the land? How big an area, acres? Doubt if I’d use a tiller to break it up, disc or chisel point, then a harrow behind the disc to help smooth it out.

 

[sandytrail]

I would never use a tiller first on that type of soil. Another thing I consider is the moisture in the soil. If it has not been plowed or cultivated for years and its very dry, I will probably wait for the right moisture and then plow it first. If it was worked in the past year, might use the disc first. I think using the tiller first risks breaking something on the tiller. Not worth it.

 

[tagnamee]

New 48hp tractor and 6ft Tar River tiller. Others told me this tiller is a good unit, and I trust their opinion. My land hasn't been farmed in 3 years, so weeds have grown. I mowed the weeds down first. I then hookup up my tiller and gave it a try. Ground is clay, loam so not exactly peat. The tiller's Slip-Clutch PTO protection keep the tines from running most of the time, basically making very little progress. I went over the land three times, having to adjust 3pt manually up just scraping the dirt so didn't engage the Slip=Clutch PTO protection. Painfully slow process. End result is maybe 2-3 inches of depth of till.

I'm wondering if I first need to get a small cultivator this run over this ground first? I have about 6 more acres to go and seems very inefficient to continue with the tiller like this. Can anyone think i'm missing anything here? I'd love to just keep the tiller on and not swap it out and buy another implement (plus hooking up the tiller was a pain in the @ss). Thank you

Ya, need to go very slow. May seem painfully slow. That's been my experience and turned things over pretty well.

 

[saxon11]

I seen that, something isn't adding up. People have been known to get 6' and 60" mixed up. The OP hasn't been here since yesterday morning, maybe he'll come back with good news today.

Hey all - i wanted to thank everyone for very useful info. I was able to make the following adjustments, and now the dirt is damn near like potting soil. Much happier now. Still slips on occasion, but much better than before.

1. adjusted the slip clutch 1/4 turn, tested, and repeat. Ended doing that about 4 times.
2. raised up the depth from 2 to 1 - so now the most shallow the tines can go (on a scale of 1 to 4)
3. double-checked my leveling of the implement 3pt hitch. I noticed the right side was slightly higher than left, so adjusted it down.
4. I have a large pile of composted leaves from last Fall I dumped a few buckets into the soil as well. Worked up real nice with the clay loam soil.

When I bring my tractor in for it's first 50 hours service (at 25 hours now), I'll have the mechanic look at that slip clutch to ensure the disk aren't burned out completely from my initial use of tiller (and yes there was smoke). thank you

 

[stso9d]

New 48hp tractor and 6ft Tar River tiller. Others told me this tiller is a good unit, and I trust their opinion. My land hasn't been farmed in 3 years, so weeds have grown. I mowed the weeds down first. I then hookup up my tiller and gave it a try. Ground is clay, loam so not exactly peat. The tiller's Slip-Clutch PTO protection keep the tines from running most of the time, basically making very little progress. I went over the land three times, having to adjust 3pt manually up just scraping the dirt so didn't engage the Slip=Clutch PTO protection. Painfully slow process. End result is maybe 2-3 inches of depth of till.

I'm wondering if I first need to get a small cultivator this run over this ground first? I have about 6 more acres to go and seems very inefficient to continue with the tiller like this. Can anyone think i'm missing anything here? I'd love to just keep the tiller on and not swap it out and buy another implement (plus hooking up the tiller was a pain in the @ss). Thank you

Agree with others, why not disc first? can only reduce wear on equipment....

 

[Railroad]

Your ground may just be too hard. I've had the same situation in SW Washington with a 49hp tractor and 5' tiller. You will want to hook up your box scraper and make some cross hatch passes with the ripper teeth. Once you've broken the surface, your tiller should do the trick. If possible, wait until you've had a little rain and the soil is just damp enough to till without gumming up the tiller blades. Run in low gear and go slow...make consecutively deeper passes. This is not a fast process.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

You should have PLOWED it first. Tillers are not meant to be working up this type of area and soil other than small Plots.

That is mis information at it's best... (worst)

99% of my tiller jobs are reclaiming old ground, pastures ect., anyone "claiming" that tillers weren't designed to do this, is just showing their ignorance about tillers.

Perhaps they have only seen cheapo tillers, well built tillers can and will take on ANY ground, including ground with rocks in it. This field was a VERY old pasture full of all kinds of junk and rocks,

Today that tiller has over 2,000 acres on it, and still has the original chain, sprockets, bearing ect...

This site has more mis information about tillers and how to use them than any other I've ever been to. lol

SR