Tiller choice

[WM75Guy]

I run a 6' Land Pride tiller on my TC40DA with 33 HP PTO. Haven't had any problems.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Help me out. How do you work “tine speed” into the equation? And how does it make a huge difference?

A tiller should be run at WOT like a mower. I’m trying to understand how “tine speed” figures in. And how would someone determine tine speed and use that to guide their decision about proper tiller?

I think this is an example of TBN over-complicating an issue. Unless there’s something wrong or badly designed, the typical tractor should handle the smallest tiller that covers the rear tire tracks. It really is that simple.

Considering I did this for a living for many years and I had 3 tillers working, including a 6' and a 7' all on many different tractors, I think I know a thing or two about tillage with a tiller.

All tillers are NOT created equal, tine speed is determined by several things including the ratio in the gear box, as they are NOT all the same. If it's geared higher in the gear box, it takes more power to run.

All you guys with those mighty 25 and 30 hp tractors, I'll bet every one of you that your tractor will overheat powering my 6' tiller! It's a Howard, BTW as are all three of mine.

You should be running your tiller at pto speed and adjust your ground speed to get the tillage you want. That is what's easiest on your tractors engine.

Yeaa yeaaa, I know one of you guys that's tilled some gardens knows more than me, but keep in mind just ONE of my tillers has over 2000 acres on it, and counting.

SR

 

[CoyPatton]

I’d need a six footer to cover my tracks, but that width requires just a bit more PTO HP than I have. That, coupled with our heavy clay soil, has me worried that it might be too much for the JD. A five footer covers half my wheel width while not overtaxing the tractor, which I could live with

An old hp rule that a then old timer, taught me (a now old timer at 65) was roughly 6 engine HP for every foot of implement width. Or 4 PTO HP for every foot of implement width. Based on either of this rule, you are safe for a 6’ tiller.
A few of suggestions for tilling regardless of soil type
-For soil not tilled in a while, consider a plow (or disc) prior to tilling depending on desired depth of cut
-Always plan on multiple passes at differing angles (90 or 45 degrees) even if tilled the previous year
-Never try to till to desired depth in untilled (even if tilled last year) in a single pass
-Always use high engine RPM’s, and slow ground speed for better tilling result
-Keep ur tines snd tine shaft clear of vines and other junk—protects seals on shaft from failure.

 

[Cdash]

I don't think a 6' tiller would be a problem at all. I use a 60" behind my JD 2520, which is about 25hp, and it has plenty of power. I actually for a hobby till peoples' gardens through the area with it. Heck, I'd think my 2520 could handle a 72", power-wise. You'll thank yourself so, so much in the future if you but a tiller that at least is wider than your tractor's tire track width.

I'll second this. I run a 60" King Kutter behind my JD 4100 in clay soils. Previously worked soils, it does just fine. If I get in it too early, when it's a bit too wet, it'll lug a bit, but can control that with the depth. In soils that hasn't been touched before, I need to start with shallow pass and increase depth on successive passes. Is it too big for it? Probably, but have been using it for over 10 and haven't blown up anything yet.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I'd adjust ground speed if possible, long before considering a "narrow" tiller ... With HST it's pretty easy, with gear you gotta hope you have low enough gearing to choose from ... I'm not sure if the 4044R even has the choice of a gear transmission ...

You can also just not bury it on the first pass ... AND most important rule on tilling ... DON'T till when the ground is wet!

 

[Boondox]

All the used six footers I’ve looked at over the winter had been used hard and resembled pix of Russian military equipment after a drone strike. Yesterday I looked at a 60” Kuhn EL43-150. Two years old, minimal use, and impeccably maintained. It can easily be offset so I bought it. From the looks of it it’s going to last my lifetime.

I never work wet soil so it’ll be a while before it sees use, and I’ll preface it with a heavy c-tine cultivator in a cross-hatch pattern. Any small stones uncovered will be used to line drainage ditches, and any large boulders will be harvested with my excavator for stone walls.

 

[lej]

I run a 6' Land Pride tiller on my TC40DA with 33 HP PTO. Haven't had any problems.

All the used six footers I’ve looked at over the winter had been used hard and resembled pix of Russian military equipment after a drone strike. Yesterday I looked at a 60” Kuhn EL43-150. Two years old, minimal use, and impeccably maintained. It can easily be offset so I bought it. From the looks of it it’s going to last my lifetime.

I never work wet soil so it’ll be a while before it sees use, and I’ll preface it with a heavy c-tine cultivator in a cross-hatch pattern. Any small stones uncovered will be used to line drainage ditches, and any large boulders will be harvested with my excavator for stone walls.

I run a 6’ county line tiller behind a 40 horse Foton tractor. I can till full depth on anything except really wet ground. I run in low #1 and it does great! If it’s muddy it will bog me down unless I pull it shallower. Dry ground it is a ground eating machine!

 

[BigBlue1]

I keep seeing people talking about tiller performance and "wet ground". In what scenario does ANYONE till when the soil is wet? No matter how well or poorly a tiller operates, the resulting ground is going to be horrible for planting anything if it was wet when tilled. I mean... unless you all are tilling sand or something. Trying to plant in hard clumpy soil after being tilled wet is the worst.

 

[ptsg]

I keep seeing people talking about tiller performance and "wet ground". In what scenario does ANYONE till when the soil is wet? No matter how well or poorly a tiller operates, the resulting ground is going to be horrible for planting anything if it was wet when tilled. I mean... unless you all are tilling sand or something. Trying to plant in hard clumpy soil after being tilled wet is the worst.

Some times there is simply no choice but to till wet ground. It is what it is.

We went from a severe drought to a completely water saturated soil in the entire country within 3 to 4 months of nearly continuous rain.

We and lots of other people in country have been waiting and waiting for things to dry out but it's a very slow process and we need to get vegetables and what not planted when it's the correct time.

Last week I just plowed a plot on the land to plant vegetables. This was on the other propriety where it's an heavy clay soil. This have been drying fairly well and plan on tilling it this week.

Here at home, it's a dark sandy soil. I had to till it when it was wet and it's already half way planted with various vegetables.

 

[BigBlue1]

Some times there is simply no choice but to till wet ground. It is what it is.

We went from a severe drought to a completely water saturated soil in the entire country within 3 to 4 months of nearly continuous rain.

We and lots of other people in country have been waiting and waiting for things to dry out but it's a very slow process and we need to get vegetables and what not planted when it's the correct time.

Last week I just plowed a plot on the land to plant vegetables. This was on the other propriety where it's an heavy clay soil. This have been drying fairly well and plan on tilling it this week.

Here at home, it's a dark sandy soil. I had to till it when it was wet and it's already half way planted with various vegetables.

I fail to see it. You can't plant when the soil is that saturated and the resulting ground will be very hard if you wait for it to dry. Seeds won't even come through that most of the time. Maybe you have different soils? If the soil is we it doesn't get tilled here.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I'm guessing that they are preparing a rice patty ... Much different than what I'm used to!

 

[Jaygyver]

I borrowed the neighbors JD 1023(?) subcompact with the 4' JD one and on my early/mid summer clay, had zero problems. I had it as deep as it could be set and couldn't go fast if I wanted to. In some areas I literally had to come to a stop to keep the tiller from hopping. Even in the softer areas I think it only bogged down when I got in a hurry.
I probably tilled raw ground about 2 acres getting ready to seed some grass.

I can't see the tiller being that much harder on the pto than a brush cutter in tall grass. When it starts to bog you slow down. It never once got any hotter than when using my 5' finish mower. Unless it's a reverse rotation tiller you're getting pushed a bit by it anyway so you're not pulling anything hard enough to overheat a tranny I would think?