Tiller 5' King Kutter Tiller

dooleysm · Aug 1, 2007

I just happened to be looking online at the Orscheln's website yesterday and noticed they had their 5' King Kutter tillers on sale for $1099. After all the great reviews I've read on TBN, that's the model I've been wanting. I wasn't planning on getting it until nex spring, using our tax refund, but with that great price, combined with their 6 months no interest/no payments, how can I pass it up?

Unfortunately, it's an hour drive and I'm booked solid the rest of the week and have a load of friends coming into town this weekend, soo, I called dad and asked if he'd drive down there and pick it up for me. He's recently retired and yesterday he came out and bush hogged my pond dam, so I know he's starting to get bored (he claims he's not bored, but that he just 'ran out of things to do around here', I claim that is the very definition of 'bored'). Anway, he's agreed to drive my truck down there today to pick up the tiller and deliver it to me tonight.

Life is good, I can't wait!

BamaRob · Aug 1, 2007

Congrats! My 5' KK-II is one of my favorite attachments (my wife's absolute favorite). Be sure to fill the gearboxes (the main gearbox on top and the smaller one on the side) per the instructions before using it. Also, check the length of the PTO shaft (per the instructions) before using. The instruction booklet will likely be taped under the thing somewhere if the dealer doesn't give it to your father. Or, you can download the manual in PDF here.

Later,

BR

bjr · Aug 1, 2007

That is a good price, be glad you didn't pass that one up. Do the oil fill thing and check blade mounting bolts so's you don't lose anything right at first then go have fun with it. bjr

Highbeam · Aug 1, 2007

That's a great deal! I wish I could find one like that in this area. Nothing smooths out nastiness like a tiller. Pleasure to run too.

Alan L. · Aug 1, 2007

Good price on a good tiller. I think I paid $1140 2 years ago.

dooleysm · Aug 1, 2007

None close to Washington, but they appear to have locations in several states:

Arkansas
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Missouri
Nebraska
Oklahoma

Farmwithjunk · Aug 1, 2007

I've never been an advocate of King Kutter products in general, but their tillers are the exception. I bought one several years back, with the sole purpose of using it until it died to prep some waterways and filter strips I was re-seeding, then buying a "good one" for a keeper. After hammering the daylights out of the KK tiller, wearing out a set of tines, I came to the conclusion I already OWNED a good one. I replaced the tines and kept what I had. At first, I told people it was a good tiller for the money. Now I just tell them it's a good tiller....period..... Tougher'n a $2 steak, it is!

I've used it on the back of a 60 (pto) hp tractor without any problems.

5'er is made of the same components. Shouldn't be anything but a pleasure to own and operate.

YA DONE GOOD!

dooleysm · Aug 1, 2007

Comments like that are exactly why I went with the King Kutter tiller.

I heart TBN!

dooleysm · Aug 1, 2007

Got it home and uncrated (that was a chore, taking all those nails out of that wood crate). Oiled and greased it up and went to hook it up...oops, no slip clutch. Was that supposed to come with it? On the PTO shaft they gave me the one side has the push button bearing deal and 6 (or is it 5, whatever) splines to hook to the tractor's PTO output shaft. The other side has a smooth female connector with a hole drilled through it for what appears to be a bolt to go through. The input to the drive the tiller is the 6 spline male PTO connector.

I've never looked at a slip clutch, but I'm assuming one would be 'connectorized' so that it would drop right in to what I've got, should I call Orscheln's and expect them to provide me with one? Or am I stuck going out to buy one? Surely you don't use the tiller without?

Farmwithjunk · Aug 1, 2007

They gave you the wrong PTO shaft. That tiller comes with a slip clutch and the right shaft. Call 'em back and INSIST on getting the right one. They made a mistake. They should make it worth your while to make the return trip IMHO. (Some sort of gift certificate maybe?)

dooleysm · Aug 2, 2007

They had the right one still sitting there and are going to happily exchange with me. Not ideal, but an honest mistake that won't hurt me any, other than having to wait a bit longer to try out my new toy.

Dan239 · Aug 2, 2007

Make sure you are getting the gear driven tiller and not the XB which is much lighter weight and red in color. The gear driven one is the TG-60 model and is yellow/orange color. My 4' did come with a slip clutch.

Daniel

john_bud · Aug 2, 2007

While you are waiting on that slip clutch, read the booklet on how to adjust it. Put it in the bathroom and read it over and over again. I love slip clutches, but they demand maintenance. You MUST slip them before use if the implement has sat for more than a couple weeks or if it was rained on.

Don't forget!

My KK has had a rough life, but never wimpers, just works.

jb

dooleysm · Aug 7, 2007

I finally got some more gear oil last night and topped it off. That sucker took a load of oil, over 3 quarts I think in total.

I tilled up an area of about 20'x20' where I am planning my 'big' garden next year. I had bush hogged that area about a month ago, so the weeds were back around 1', maybe a bit more. It turned that area into a fine powder. Beautiful. I could really tell my L3000 was straining in places. After 20 minutes I was covered in sweat and dirt and the tractor was starting to run hot so I shut her down. The intake screen was covered in dust and weed seeds from the last round of bush hogging.

So far I'm loving that tiller. It's a very nice implement and I can't wait to start putting it to real use!

john_bud · Aug 7, 2007

If you are running hot, you need to clean the screen more often. No big deal, just get in the habit of sliding it out and brushing it off before each use.

I ran my TG-60 for 10 hours Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday in DRY DRY DRY clay with gobs of rocks. Actually broke a few things too.

jb

dooleysm · Aug 7, 2007

It never runs hot until later in the summer when that screen gets clogged with weed seeds and whatnot from bush hogging. My dad just mowed the pond dam and he forgot to clean the screen. No big deal as I was just testing out the tiller.

The 95 degree temps probably didn't help the situation either. I'm not sure if high humidity affects tractors too, but it sure affects me. The 20 minutes I was out there tilling was enough for me anyway.

Alan L. · Aug 7, 2007

When I got my KK tiller at TSC a couple of years ago the sales people had no clue as to which PTO shaft to give. I had to go in the back and find it myself.

I am ashamed to say I have never slipped the clutch so I need to loosen it up and do that before I use it again. We don't have any rocks, but you never know what you might hit.

dooleysm · Aug 8, 2007

The manual says something about controlling the soil 'mixture' with the adjustable metal 'flap' at the rear of the tiller. It's too hot for me to want to go out and play with that right now. Can anyone explain how this works?

JC-jetro · Aug 8, 2007

dooleysm said:
The manual says something about controlling the soil 'mixture' with the adjustable metal 'flap' at the rear of the tiller. It's too hot for me to want to go out and play with that right now. Can anyone explain how this works?

The lower the flap the more time has the tiller to whip soil up between the tines and the back flap ... hence more of the powder like tilling. If you have the flap all the way up bunch of clumps ends up being slung out from the action of the tines hence not as good of tilling. I see no reason to have to lift the flap up all the way from the back unless you are cleaning the mud off of the tines with a stick or something.

JC