How to pick a tiller

[rangerfredbob]

If you are always working the same garden plot with no roots or rocks in it, the risk is low, you aren't working hundreds of acres for production. If a slip clutch is involved, keep it working and you'd probably be fine.

 

[countrybumpkin]

You only have 52 hp at the pto , a quality brand tiller with slip clutch adjusted properly will be fine.

 

[oosik]

Just a thought here. Back in the day we had a garden. 80 X 140 And it was fenced. I had a 4WD Ford 1700 then. I had a single bottom moldboard plow. I was able to get into this garden site and break the virgin ground with the tractor and moldboard plow.

I backed into the garden plot. Forward with plow down - back with plow up. It became very obvious that the tractor and a PTO rototiller would never do.

I bought a Troy Bilt 8 hp rototiller. It worked great for the 15 or so years we gardened.

I could have used a PTO driven rototiller if the garden would not have been fenced. Just make my turns outside the garden plot.

 

[Trillium Farm]

there are different types of tiller, I'm assuming you are talking about a "Rotary Tiller" you 60hp machine ought to be able to handle either one, but if clay I'd chose the smaller of the 2.

 

[Sonny580]

I have used my King-Kutter 72" tiller on tractors from 20 hp(not successful but will work) to tractors of 80 HP. ---KK says 40 is the limit, BUT when you have ground to cover----well go big power. I ran the KK full depth low range on a souped up IH 706 and the slip clutch will prevent damage to the tiller. ---I know my ground and there is nothing to hit, so I might get brave on my ground.
If you have around 50 hp, you can run a 72" tiller with no problems. ---I wouldn't recommend a long pto shaft either!--you need to look into a set of shorter lift arms for tiller use.

 

[countrybumpkin]

there are different types of tiller, I'm assuming you are talking about a "Rotary Tiller" you 60hp machine ought to be able to handle either one, but if clay I'd chose the smaller of the 2.

He’s more worried about too much power damaging the tiller.

 

[JohnnyMX]

I got a reverse tiller when I got the MX. Plenty of power to pull it. Things (weeds, roots, grasses) like to get wrapped up on mine in new ground. I don't think I understood how badly they get beat up when breaking new ground with rocks, roots, etc. My Land Pride is already bent or misshapen in areas from rocks. Get as heavy duty as you can if you plan on breaking ground in less than ideal situations. Tilling your grass you've mowed for years doesn't count. That's a piece of cake. Dealer said reverse would get my plots going faster.
This is the main differences I thought about.
Forward vs. Reverse
Gear vs. Chain
Slip Clutch vs. Shear Bolt
Heavy Duty vs. Good Enough
# of tines & shape

 

[Gator6x4]

Go here and view the Everything Attachments video on how to measure and cut a PTO shaft. Figure five horsepower for every foot of width for a PTO Tiller. Example 7 foot wide, 35 PTO horsepower required. Be sure and get a tiller with a slip clutch and make sure it slips. everything attachment on how to cut and measure a pto shaft - Google Search

How to adjust a slip clutch.

everything attachment on how to adjust a slipclutch - Google Search

 

[powerscol]

Weight is your friend when it comes to tiller. I do not like revers rotations ones as they tend to throw things at the tractor and you. If it just for the garden and once a year usage then take a look at your local AGG rental place, They also may have used ones for sale. I got my Ansuug (see ny signature) that way. Its a 50+ rated HP tiller and I am easily running it with 26hp pto. Also you will want the width to be wider then your rear tire stance. Hope this helps

 

[Ffphil]

Thank you all for your input. I ended up buying a Frontier 3070 front rotation from my local JD dealer. The green doesn’t look too bad with the red tractor. A real stout looking machine at half the cost of some of the others I was looking at. I did learn how to measure and cut the PTO shaft from Everything Attachment video. I will search them for how to adjust the slip clutch. So much to learn. Hoping we will have a stretch of good weather this week so I can test it out.