Biggest 3pt tiller for 27hp tractor

[Ryan03]

I am considering beginning to look for a good used 3pt pto tiller to use on my farmtrac DTC 270. The machine is 27hp, and I think around 19 or 20 pto hp. I will be using it to install my back and side yards, which will be about 1.5 acres, consisting of packed yellow clay and topsoil. After the yard install, I may occasionaly use it for a side job here and there. I don't want to exceed $1200.00 for a used one, but $700 to $900 would be better. I was thinking of a used 60 inch tiller, I may also consider around a 72 inch, but am not sure if the tractor would handle it, As I have never used a PTO tiller before, just my trusty hand me down rear tine troy built. What is the biggest tiller you would recomend for my size tractor, and what is the risk of damaging the tractor while using a PTO tiller. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GeneD14]

Your soil condition has alot to do with what size tiller your tractor can handle. For hard yellow clay 72" sounds way to big. 48" definitely could handle, 60" maybe.

Boy I wish I would have read your question last week. I had to drive up to Akron for a meeting.
I have a 58" CCM gear drive tiller in very good shape with less than 50 hours on it that I was contemplating selling to buy a bigger unit.

 

[JDeerekid]

I am considering beginning to look for a good used 3pt pto tiller to use on my farmtrac DTC 270. The machine is 27hp, and I think around 19 or 20 pto hp. I will be using it to install my back and side yards, which will be about 1.5 acres, consisting of packed yellow clay and topsoil. After the yard install, I may occasionaly use it for a side job here and there. I don't want to exceed $1200.00 for a used one, but $700 to $900 would be better. I was thinking of a used 60 inch tiller, I may also consider around a 72 inch, but am not sure if the tractor would handle it, As I have never used a PTO tiller before, just my trusty hand me down rear tine troy built. What is the biggest tiller you would recomend for my size tractor, and what is the risk of damaging the tractor while using a PTO tiller. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I think I would stay with the 5ft tiller. My neighbor has the same tractor as you and uses a 5ft KKII and as long as you are moving in a low gear it works fine. Take multiple passes so it won't work the tractor to much. If you get a tiller make sure it has a slip clutch and that it is working properly to reduce the risk of damage to the tractor.
If it were me I would go buy a new 5ft KKII.

 

[GeneD14]

As far as damage to the tractor: make sure the pto drive has a slip clutch that works properly. It you hit a big burried rock or object it will let the pto drive shaft slip and not break the tiller or the tractor. Some tillers have a shear bolt instead that will shear off and let the drive shaft slip if you hit something hard. If it has a shear bolt make sure it wasn't replaced with a hardened grade 5 or grade 8 bolt by the previous owner. This is a common problem with used pto driven implements.

 

[Ryan03]

Boy I wish I would have read your question last week. I had to drive up to Akron for a meeting.
I have a 58" CCM gear drive tiller in very good shape with less than 50 hours on it that I was contemplating selling to buy a bigger unit.

If you decide to sell it, Pm me the details, I may still be interested, I have family in London Ohio, which would be 3 or 4 hours from you, and a good place for me to stop and break up the trip. I probably could not get down that way for about a month and a half though, lots to do right now.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I am thinking more in the 4ft range. Look at some of the manufactures web sites and see what they recomend. I have a 5ft on a 26 hp PTO and in hard ground it is all it can handle.
Bill

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

I am considering beginning to look for a good used 3pt pto tiller to use on my farmtrac DTC 270. The machine is 27hp, and I think around 19 or 20 pto hp. I will be using it to install my back and side yards, which will be about 1.5 acres, consisting of packed yellow clay and topsoil. After the yard install, I may occasionaly use it for a side job here and there. I don't want to exceed $1200.00 for a used one, but $700 to $900 would be better. I was thinking of a used 60 inch tiller, I may also consider around a 72 inch, but am not sure if the tractor would handle it, As I have never used a PTO tiller before, just my trusty hand me down rear tine troy built. What is the biggest tiller you would recomend for my size tractor, and what is the risk of damaging the tractor while using a PTO tiller. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

You will do fine with a 60" Tiller. I use a 60" tiller on my Mahindra 2810 in heavy clay and it doesn't even make it work hard. Your tractor is pretty comparable.

 

[nmu98]

I have a 72 on my 3720. I think that is 35HP at the PTO and 44 engine. I think I am on the bottom end of HP for that size tiller. I think you would do fine with a 55-60 inch with C tines or hybrids. L tines might not be so hot for you in clay as they rob more HP.

 

[Lindy]

Another data point for you.

B3030 -- 30hp, 23 PTO, and I use a KKII 60" tiller. We have red clay that gets pretty hard in the summer months. This combo was ok tilling up about 1/2 acre in a couple of passes perpendicular to one another. We plan to redo about 4 acres of lawn, and this was stage 1.

I wouldn't want to go any bigger on the tiller than that with my B3030.