Is it really worth $1000 more????

851 roger · Jun 9, 2013

I'm going to purchase a new tiller in the next several weeks. The big question I have is this: are the reverse tine tillers really worth the extra $1000 they charge? My soil is not rocky or extremely hard. I would like some user input here. I have heard ALL the stuff from the dealers, now it's your turn.
Thank you all !!!!!!!!!!!!

Ed of all trades · Jun 9, 2013

I am a gardener and would not have a reverse tine tiller. My goal is to put as much organic matter in my soil as I can and a forward tine tiller does that better job of that than a reverse. My KK does a great job of working in a number of soils from red clay to good loam. I see no benefits of a reverse tine and I do see reasons not to have one. :2cents:

Don87 · Jun 9, 2013

I would not pay an extra 1,000 dollars for a reverse tine tiller. I've had both and they both worked pretty much the same for me.

EastTexFrank · Jun 9, 2013

Reverse tine tillers were designed for walk behind models to help prevent your arms being pulled out of the sockets when it lurched forward and took off. Stick a tiller on the back of a tractor and it's of no benefit what-so-ever and sure as heck not worth a $1000.

paulemar · Jun 9, 2013

I have a forward tine 48" tiller and can't see how a reverse tine tiller could do a better job. I thought about it when I was in the market for a tiller, but decided that hooking a tree root or rock from underneath would not be a good thing. Fortunately, I made the right decision. While tilling an older garden, I ran over an at least 15 ft long 3" diameter pipe that was buried deeper than my old Troy-Bilt could go. When I hit it with my new tiller, it made an awful racket and partially lifted the pipe out of the ground. I dug it up at the edge of the garden, cut it off, removed the pipe, checked out the tiller, and went on with the job at hand. I would not have liked to hook that pipe with reverse a tine tiller. Mine just bounced over it and shook it. Whew!

dave1949 · Jun 9, 2013

I have a walk tiller behind with forward and reverse. I never use reverse because if I snag a rock the tiller can't leap over it, and it usually shears a pin on the tine shaft.

I agree it seems unneeded on a tractor that isn't going to be pushed or pulled by the tiller.

RaydaKub · Jun 9, 2013

dave1949 said:
I have a walk tiller behind with forward and reverse. I never use reverse because if I snag a rock the tiller can't leap over it, and it usually shears a pin on the tine shaft.

I agree it seems unneeded on a tractor that isn't going to be pushed or pulled by the tiller.

I've only run tillers a couple times. Having one snag a rock or root they leap forward. Is there any chance of a tiller jumping back at you on a reverse model?

crazyal · Jun 10, 2013

RaydaKub said:
I've only run tillers a couple times. Having one snag a rock or root they leap forward. Is there any chance of a tiller jumping back at you on a reverse model?

Hopefully the wheels driving forward would counter act the force.

super55 · Jun 10, 2013

I will be the first to admit that reverse tine tillers really do leave a much nicer looking seedbed for planting and probably will do a better job pulverizing the soil. Is it worth a thousand dollars I would say so.

I will admit that a lot of times for my final till I will run the tiller in reverse. But I don't have one I just merely run the tractor in reverse with the tiller lightly set in the soil.

dave1949 · Jun 10, 2013

RaydaKub said:
I've only run tillers a couple times. Having one snag a rock or root they leap forward. Is there any chance of a tiller jumping back at you on a reverse model?

The depth bar and forward travel drive of the wheels keep it from jumping backwards, the tine shaft shear pin becomes the weakest link (by design) at that point.

In reverse, the countering forces, forward wheels & reversing tines, do act together to really churn the soil well and deep. One pass in reverse is probably worth two in forward, but the end result is the same. I could see the benefit for tilling heavy sod or the like, but for established garden soil I don't think reverse is that much better to make it worth spending more to get.

Bird · Jun 10, 2013

I've had both large and small forward turning walk behind tillers, and I used to have the biggest rear tine counterrotating Craftsman walk behind. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Maybe the reverse tine tiller will do a better job of making a seed bed, but I think just going slower with the forward turning tiller works just about as well.

The forward turning Bush Hog tiller I had for the tractor not only jumped over a few tree roots, but I was once tilling around a house for a neighbor and we found a brick sidewalk with about an inch of dirt covering the whole thing. And another place I found a large (about 3 feet) chunk of concrete. And I never sheared a pin or damaged the tiller. So I would not even want a reverse tine, or counterrotating, tiller on the tractor, even if they were the same price.

bigtiller · Jun 10, 2013

Heck no they're not worth an extra $1000. It is just a different way to till the soil with a different set of pros and cons. Weight is your largest asset when tilling. The heaver the tiller the better it works.

hawkeye08 · Jun 10, 2013

I have used a forward tine Troy Built on a yard that had dead sod (lawn sprayed with roundup the year before, all brown and dead). The forward tine beat me up and took many passes to get acceptable results. This is where reverse rotating tines would shine. They handle sod much better, but then again, how often are you taking out sod? If you do it frequently, I would go with the reverse rotation if I was messing with sod, otherwise I would get the less expensive one.

851 roger · Jun 10, 2013

WOW !!!! Good response >>>
I would like to say, I will be putting the new tiller (after purchased) on the back of A 1960 Ford 851 Power Master with 62 HP. The only real draw back to this set up is, this tractor does not have a granny gear (really slow speed). The old tiller worked fairly well, however the tines were worn almost away and instead of putting money into the old thing I've decided to go new. So the old dog will go up on the market the day the new one is purchased.
The info. you all have send is really good KEEP IT COMING.
Thanx Roger

dclynch · Jun 10, 2013

MY .02 I have a forward tiller my neighbor has a reverse tine. We compared side by side in sod I had to go over it 2 to 3 times to his one in the garden their was no difference they both worked about the same.

KenB2920 · Jun 10, 2013

I have a 5' KK forward tine. The reverse tine was like $200 more. I spoke with the salesmen and he actually said its not worth it. I am grateful I saved the money as mine supersedes my expectations. Works fantastic.

851 roger · Jun 15, 2013

OK, I went out a couple of days ago and spend the money on a six foot tiller from TSC. It's a Countyline and so far it works really good. The wife now has a hard time getting me to come in. Could that be a good thing???? I think I might need more land, five acres should till up pretty fast. LOL.
Thanks again to all that responded, your input was very helpful in my decision. Gotta go-----there is untilled dirt in them thar hills