Garden tiller suggestions

[Twotone]

I bought a brand new Troy Bilt Horse model in 1990 for my 8000 sq ft vegetable garden. I opted for the 7 hp IC Briggs instead of the Kohler 8 hp. which I think was a couple hundred bucks more at that time. I think I paid $1200 for it delivered to my door.

It's probably the best piece of equipment I've ever owned. Zero dollars in repairs, just a few bucks for maintenance. I used to till everyones garden, but that got old when I saw the weeds they grew all summer. I never loan it out.

I use it for cultivating all the time. Sweet corn planted in 3 foot row spacing allows the tiller to pass without damage, all while walking in the row next to the one you are cultivating. No footprints. Tomatoes get planted in cages 3 foot apart in the row, rows 7 feet apart. Peas and Beans get planted in wide rows 8 feet wide. Vine crops get 8-10 foot row spacing and once they take off, you can't cultivate anyway. Potatoes also get 3 foot row spacing.

That said, I'm looking to buy a CUT this spring and a 3 pt tiller is a must for me. I will keep the Troy Bilt for cultivating and the CUT for whole garden tilling and large areas.
I did every thing with the Troy Bilt for 19 years and it worked great, but age is creeping up on me and I'm looking for a faster, easier way, plus tractors are fun.

Tom

 

[bontai_Joe]

Harold Gravely must have been a mechanical genius. Until someone sees a rotary plow in action, it's hard to imagine that it would work.

YouTube - Other side of the Gravely

Benjamin Franklin Gravey WAS a genius, held 65 patents in his life for gardening machinery AND photographic equipment. http://www.gravely.com/about_us/TheGravelyStory.pdf

 

[2manyrocks]

My apologies to Mr. Gravely for getting his name wrong and my thanks to bontai-joe for reminding us all what a genius Mr. Gravely was.

 

[oldmech]

Hi! I just read: Gravely gave much credit for some of first tractor mechanical works to a Gifted engineer and close friend EUSTACHE ROSE who also stockholder in the company. ROSE was a mechanical inventor and engineer whose work with GRAVELY was IMPORTANT in the development of the tractor. It is purported that ROSE INVENTED the first AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION used by Chrysler Corporation.
I believe Than L model Gravely is a lot from EUSTACHE ROSE because the Transmission with two planetary gear sets and bands is very close at an automatic transmission.
I think we must thanks MR. EUSTACHE ROSE and MR.GRAVELY. For their very good works. Good Luck Oldmech

 

[ChuckinNH]

I've used a CRT tiller, and they work pretty well for breaking up new soil. I've had a Troy Built "Econo Horse" with the 6hp engine for a little over 20 years now. It needs some seals around the gearbox, but it's been a good tiller for sure. I have about 3000 sq ft of vegetable gardens, and various flower gardens here, and there, and have done everything with the rear tine tiller. I may get a tiller for my B2620 this year, or perhaps just a single bottom plow. The picture in my avatar shows some of my compost piles.

 

[whistlepig]

Harold Gravely must have been a mechanical genius. Until someone sees a rotary plow in action, it's hard to imagine that it would work.

YouTube - Other side of the Gravely

Gravely is good stuff. I am on my second Gravely riding tractor/mower. It's a 16-G and it is a tank. Motor under under the seat and will stick like glue on a cliff. Gravely no longer makes riding tractors. A good thing gone with nothing like it to replace it.

 

[flusher]

I am looking at purchasing a rear tine tiller sometime in the near future. I want to keep it under $800 and from the looking I have been doing there are a lot of different brands out there. So far I have looked at the following brands which have counter-rotating tines. Cub Cadet, Troy-bilt, Yard Machines, Craftsman, Husqvarna. The Husqvarna says it has a 10 inch depth whereas the others only show to be 6 - 7 inch. Does anyone have any experience with any of the above brands. Prices were all pretty close ranging from around $650 to $799. Part of this garden has been tilled in the past, but I plan on expanding it which of course is covered in grass. Thanks for any responses.

I found a used Yanmar RS-1200 rototiller (48" wide) for $300 and used it with my 2005 Kubota B7510HST

Last year I found a 1976 Bolens G1453 garden tractor with 32" wide rototiller and 42" wide mower deck on craigslist for $600.

Got tired of my Yard Machines walk behind rototiller.

Check around and you'll probably find a nice, inexpensive used rototiller for your Mahindra.

 

[IXLR8]

I found a place where I can rent a 6ft 3pt tiller for $50/day, $300/week. For the few times I need to till garden/yard.. I think this is the route I am going to take. I would like to have my own tiller... but I just can't justify the cost vs use. Looking at use vs cost, it would take over 10 yrs for me to break even and I wouldn't need to find a place to store it, or have money tied up in it.

 

[Nissan197]

I have located a couple of rear tine tillers on the local craigslist. One is a Craftsman 7 HP and the other is a Huskee with a Honda engine. Both have crt and reverse. Any opinions on either?

 

[LBrown59]

I have located a couple of rear tine tillers on the local craigslist. One is a Craftsman 7 HP and the other is a Huskee with a Honda engine. Both have crt and reverse. Any opinions on either?

I'd stil go the difference and get a tiller for the tractor.

 

[Baucom]

2 pts come to mind when reading this thread: 1) for those recommending a 3 pt tiller for the tractor--even if he puts a tiller on the tractor, he will still have a lot of use for a walk behind tiller once the garden is planted. The walk behind will do everything the tractor mounted tiller will do (just slower), but the 3 pt tiller won't do everything the walk behind will do (like cultivating between rows). 2) IMO if you are buying a tiller with unidirectional tines, buy one with FRT because it's more versatile (if you don't try to go too deep in one pass, FRT will bust sod just fine plus FRT mulches crop residue better than CRT). However, a dual rotation tiller would be much better as it has CRT for sod busting (still don't go too deep in 1 pass) and FRT for cultivating and mulching crop residue.

CRT only tillers are basically good for sod busting and don't really excel at much else. They want to dig too deep for proper cultivating, and CRT just pushes mulch/crop residue forward and piles it up behind the drive wheels.

 

[Nissan197]

I went with the Craftsman off of Craigslist. Couple of years old, but looks new. Still has the knobbies on the tires and no scratches on the paint. Was 60 degrees yesterday and took it out. Worked good for the 10 minutes I messed with it. Back to 18 degrees today so will have to wait a couple of months before taking it out again. I think it will work great for my applications. Running between rows was one of the big things I needed one for.

 

[LBrown59]

2 pts come to mind when reading this thread: 1) for those recommending a 3 pt tiller for the tractor--even if he puts a tiller on the tractor, he will still have a lot of use for a walk behind tiller once the garden is planted. The walk behind will do everything the tractor mounted tiller will do (just slower), but the 3 pt tiller won't do everything the walk behind will do (like cultivating between rows). 2) IMO if you are buying a tiller with unidirectional tines, buy one with FRT because it's more versatile (if you don't try to go too deep in one pass, FRT will bust sod just fine plus FRT mulches crop residue better than CRT). However, a dual rotation tiller would be much better as it has CRT for sod busting (still don't go too deep in 1 pass) and FRT for cultivating and mulching crop residue.

CRT only tillers are basically good for sod busting and don't really excel at much else. They want to dig too deep for proper cultivating, and CRT just pushes mulch/crop residue forward and piles it up behind the drive wheels.

Tilling gardens isn't the only thing a tiller can do.
Here I am using it to do lansscaping/grading task.

PS
I have never used this tiller to till a garden with.

 

[Baucom]

Tilling gardens isn't the only thing a tiller can do.
Here I am using it to do lansscaping/grading task.

PS
I have never used this tiller to till a garden with.

Tilling gardens isn't all a tiller can be used for, however the OP's question specifically pertained to use in a garden. Your situation is different since you have never used your tiller to till a garden (unlike the OP's situation). I stand by my statement 100% that if someone only has 1 tiller they are better off with a walk behind since you can't shrink a 3 pt tiller to fit in small spaces (like between rows in a garden).

In time the OP will likely add a 3 pt tiller for his tractor, and then will have the best of both worlds. Until then, he has the most versatile option.

Congrats to the OP on your purchase. That Craftsman is made by AYP (makes Husqvarna) and used and maintained properly will give you many years of service. Enjoy, you got the machine that best fit your needs.

 

[2manyrocks]

Congratulations. Give us a rundown on how you like your tiller after you use it.

 

[1972SprintConvertible]

I have a 80' by 80' garden and I use three tillers and love all three. A 48" bush hog 3 point a craftsman 17" dual rotation and a 10" and they all work great.