Fix'n to get a Tiller

[coobie]

Could have fooled me. Useful for what? Sucking down expensive diesel fuel and agitating the ground as in deep tilling? Why do you think smart farmers went from moldboard (deep tillage) to no till crops? Simple answer. Deep tillage (and that is exactly what a rototiller is), is wastefull both in fuel and nutrient retention.

backhoes (tractor mounted) and number one, rotary tillers are number 2. Most useless (and expensive) to buy and maintain implements.

Your quote NOT mine.Strange how the willy/nilly change there thoughts in a few posts.Drugs Maybe??

 

[flat tyre]

I’ve done large scale weed abatement for nearly 40 years and I only use top line Howard tillers HE, E and presently the R500 series. I mainly use 70 and 80 inch widths. Your tractor should have a minimum of 70 HP if you want to use a 70 or wider inch tiller. If your soil is rocky or has lots of roots stick with the disc. High weeds are not a problem if the HP is adequate. Soil has to be dry but not rock hard or any tiller will bounce. Soil that is muddy is a nightmare.As with any implement, you get what you pay for, inexpensive tillers are a waste of money.

 

[hornett22]

I run a 5' modern ag tiller on my 1626 all the time. Use the snot out of it. I till some large gardens and food plots for customers.

Same with my backhoe. Wouldn't be without either.

 

[Avenger]

Seems I'm a bit late to this party. But to answer some questions I saw (that have likely been answered already):

You will need a tiller wide enough to cover your tracks. Preferably one that is slightly offset, so you can turn and still cover your tracks. I have a 6ft woods on my tractor, I always turn to the right.
You will defiantly want a slip clutch. You will hit rocks, tree roots, underground pipes and electrical, the dog's bone, etc. The slip clutch will save you a ton of down time.
Hitting such objects is not typically a problem (unless its one of the pipes or electrical, but that's another issue).

Your tractor can easily run a 6ft tiller that digs down to about 7inches. I know, because that's what I have on my tractor, and my tractor is the same as your tractor (minus the cab).

King Kutter is a great economy brand! I use that brand for implements I know I'm going to beat up, like my rotary mower. I beat the hell outta that thing, and I spend a lot of time repairing it. But a tiller? No, I probably wouldn't skimp on a tiller. They are a bit more complicated than a rotary mower. King Kutter seems to cut corners almost everywhere. Thin metal plates, lack of reinforcement at key locations, and some of the worst welds I have ever seen on a manufactured implement. But, if you only use it for an hour per year, then it's hard to justify the cost of a name brand implement. If it breaks down hard, go buy another one and you will still be spending less than a main name brand.

As for speeding up your time in the field vs plowing and disking. That depends. Tillers are S-L-O-W! When I'm tilling, I'm in Range 1, Gear 1 @ PTO Rpm, and its almost too fast for my soil. I have to take a shallow pass, and then a second deeper pass in my garden. My tractor does not have a creep gear. It gets the job done, but its no speed demon.

For anything over an acre, I'd probably plow and disk. I explored that when I was hired to manage a 10 acre pasture lot for a neighbor. Plow and disk or till with tiller? I opted for the plow, but my neighbor sold the lot before I got to work it. (New neighbor put in a park!)

Hope this helps.

 

[pokey1416]

Never said it did. Far as opinions go, far as I can tell, this forum is all about opinions.

Flip is that you? Missed you over on OTT, to many serious posts

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I rate 3 point tillers right up there with tractor backhoes., or should I say down there. Tractor backhoes are tops for uselessness on my list however.

Yeah, them backhoes are completely useless. Until you need to dig a hole. That thing is a life saver around here. Completely useless right now, though. Don't need to dig a hole at the moment.

 

[5030]

If I need to dig or trench, I use a mini-ex. Much easier and quicker For the up front cost of a back hoe attachment that spends the bulk of it's life sitting in a corner, unused, you can rent a mini-ex for a whole pile of hours.

 

[5030]

Flip is that you? Missed you over on OTT, to many serious posts

I'll never tell...lol

 

[Torvy]

If I need to dig or trench, I use a mini-ex. Much easier and quicker For the up front cost of a back hoe attachment that spends the bulk of it's life sitting in a corner, unused, you can rent a mini-ex for a whole pile of hours.

Spending other people's money? I know it is hard to understand when you have so much. I don't think a backhoe is worth the money to me, but I could certainly understand why someone would want to have one available. Renting may be cheaper, but not always available when you want one.

 

[DK35vince]

Spending other people's money? I know it is hard to understand when you have so much. I don't think a backhoe is worth the money to me, but I could certainly understand why someone would want to have one available. Renting may be cheaper, but not always available when you want one.

Renting may be cheaper if you need to rent occasionally.
If I needed to rent every time I've used my backhoe it would have not only been much less convenient, but also more costly