Tiller Loading tiller in pickup

Alan L. · Mar 30, 2005

My trailer is out of commission and I am close to deciding to buy a 60" KK tiller at Tractor Supply. Can they load that in the back of my pickup? And if they do, any reason to think I can't get it out with my FEL when I get home, without banging up the truck? I would put a piece of plywood in the bed and put it on that.

My tractor is a Kubota B2710. The FEL has a lift capacity of about 800 lbs plus. I'm pretty sure I can get high enough to lift it up with a chain and have someone drive the truck out from under it. The tiller weighs 690 lbs.

ScottAR · Mar 30, 2005

Just about anything that will fit in a pickup will go in with a forklift if the operator can really drive said forklift.

The getting it out part is easier as the tractor bucket will rotate. The drive out from under it works fine, but I'm usually impatient.

I put the bucket over the 3ph mount, the top link part inside the bucket and the vertical parts near the cutting edge.

Chain the implement to the bucket and then lift. Now for the neat part, curl the bucket back and the attachment magically clears the bedside.

A side bonus is the load doesn't spin around and hit stuff as it's held to the bucket.

Takes longer to type than to do... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Jackrabbit_Slim · Mar 30, 2005

Just a reminder to have some ballast on the rear end of the tractor. The right (or wrong) angle on the loader might have your rear wheels off the ground without it. I know. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Slim

Bird · Mar 30, 2005

You and Tractor Supply shouldn't have any problem with that, Alan.

ducksjunk · Mar 30, 2005

If necessary you could find a bit of high ground, or a ditch, back the truck up to it and tow the plywood out of the box. A couple of planks might help as well. I've done this Lots of times with good sucess.
good luck with your tiller.
Richard.

theboman · Mar 30, 2005

When you lift the tiller with the FEL and begin backing up go SLOW... A swinging tiller can take out a side of the truck, a window, a mirror....or even damage you FEL.

If you have something to steady the tiller as you lift it would be a great help... Maybe a friend, or a pole like on a PHD.

I lifted my box blade out of my truck this way. My rotary cutter I backed against a hill and drug it out with a chain with my 'Bota.

Holzster · Mar 30, 2005

I just did the same thing 3 weeks ago a 60" KK 2 from my truck bed. I was going to put on my brush cutter for counter weight but forgot /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif .
I wraped a chain 3 times around the tiller & then twice around my bucket. I then tied a rope at each end of the tiller to stop the tiller from rotating.
came out no issue. - although I would put counter weight on I have a L4330 it did not feel like it was going to tip but i would have counter weight on next time.

JerryG · Mar 30, 2005

I do something similar to Scott. I put a pin in the top of the three point on the implement. Tilt the bucket to where the front of the bucket is parallel to the front of the implement. Run a chain around the pin and then to the bucket hook. Lift and tilt the bucket back. That way, you have total control of the implement.

bdog · Mar 30, 2005

I hauled a 6' tiller in my truck bed yesterday. My truck is lifted about 6 inches and we still were able to load and unload it from the side. I had a trailer attached and no room on the trailer for the tiller. I did have to put the tailgate down because my tool box did not leave enough room for the tiller. When we were unloading it one of the tines caught on the lip of the side of the bed and bent it up a little bit but I was easily able to bend it back down and you can't even tell it happened now.

Tractors4u · Mar 30, 2005

TSC should have a fork lift to load with and your tractor should easily handle that tiller.

I sold a Yanmar tiller once on Ebay. The guy that bought drove about 100 miles to pick it up. Before he came to get it he had e-mailed me about the dimensions, including how tall the tiller was, I thought he was just being picky. No, it was because he came to pick it up in his late model Toyota Landcruiser. Fortunately I had a set of forks for my FEL. I set the forks over the top of the tiller and chained it as tight as I could. There was about 2 inches to spare going into the back of the Toyota. I had to insist that we put a piece of plywood down in the floor to keep the tines from tearing the carpet up. I ask him if he had an FEL to unload with, he said no, but he had a pole boom. I would like to have seen that.