FIRST ROTOTILLER PURCHASE

[inveresk]

I'm looking to make a first tiller purchase. I only have a small area to till, around 4 acres, and it won't be done very often, so I don't want to spend more than I have to. This is my first attempt at preparing an existing meadow/orchard and resowing it so I'm starting at a fairly low level of knowledge and virtually no experience. I've looked at a broad range of tillers from the Jinma to the Farm King with a wide range in price. I've done as much homework as I can online but there are a number things I need advise on,

1 How important is tilling depth? The Jinma can till to a depth of less then 5" max but is really cheap whereas the Farm King has a 17" rotor diameter so should be able to dig at least a couple inches deeper. However, the Farm King is 3 - 4X more expensive. Is tilling depth important? If so, why?

2 Can anyone give feedback on the Jinma build quality and robustness?

3 Are reverse tine tillers more expensive and are they worth it?

4 Is it normal/better to disc an existing meadow first before rototilling or can I get away with just the one implement? I don't mind making several passes if that's what it takes.

5 Anything else I should be aware of that might make a difference to the choice of implement or how I use it?

 

[ronjhall]

Cannot answer all your questions.
<font color="blue"> 1 How important is tilling depth? </font>
I only till about 4 to 6". My tiller will go 8". I find that soil type will determine how deep to till. Sand will only need 3 to 4". Clay need to be tilled deeper.
<font color="blue"> 3 Are reverse tine tillers more expensive and are they worth it? </font>
My reverse tine tiller can till most soil in one pass. But it requires more power to run it. Here is a link to a thread on a reverse tine tiller. Click Here
<font color="blue"> 4 Is it normal/better to disk an existing meadow first before rototilling or can I get away with just the one implement? </font>
If area that need to be tilled has tall weeds. I cut them down with a rotary cutter. If you do not the weeds will tangle around the tines. Using a disk will also help to chop up the weeds.