Looking at a tiller...need help

[Sniggle]

I am lookng for a tiller that would be used to prep newly cleared pasture area (read roots, will try to avoid big rocks), and then to renovate my muddy paddock next fall when I can move the horses to the new pasture for a bit (I will labd rake it first multiple times to find all the surface hidden goodies).

I would plan to make multiple tenative passes, and would not have to go too deep in much of the area. The area is approx. 3.5 acres.

I can get a landpride rta (shear pin) 1558 for $1550, and would then need to ship it (another $250, not tax).

Or I can bid on one on Ebay, a Farm Pro 57 inch, and get it for maybe around $800, and then have to ship it also about the same distance.

Thoughts? (Don't tell the wife I am throwing more money at the tractor, please

----------------------------------------------
2003 Kubota B7800, Improved seat, FEL, 60 MMM, Woods RB and LR (6 ft), PHD w/ 12 inch auger, 430 hours.

 

[WayneB]

Is the Landpride a new tiller for that price? Sounds like a good deal if so. I would highly recommend that you go for the optional slip clutch for the tiller.

I think I would stay away from buying a tiller off from E-Bay. Brand name new might be okay, but buying gray market or used I would think would be taking a gamble. TSC handles the King Kutter tiller products, or at least they were last fall. I looked at the KK tiller and think it is pretty nicely built and would hold up, but right now they are in the $1,300 and up range.

I recently picked up a Howard HR-4 but around here it will be several months before we will be digging up any dirt. Have to wait for the four or five feet of snow to melt off.

Have you thought about getting a single or two gang plow and disk to work your pasture? It might be cheaper that way and I would think the plow would be less risk of breaking down when you hit that big tree root or major rock.

wayne

 

[wushaw]

Watch out for the big roots that will jam a tiller tine, You could go through alot of shear pins if you have alot of roots.

That's a lightweight tiller weight wise that is (444lbs). My 45" Agric is 400lbs.
I am sure it it is not a lightweight work wise.

Ya may want to look at CCM tillers also their MR-160 is gear driven and 1500.00 less shipping and it's 630lbs... seems most folks like the gear driven units, I know mine is.

 

[Sniggle]

The landpride is a new tiller.

I looked at the CCM site and those are beefy tiller at a good price with clutch (if the $1500 is still valid). I will give them a call tommorrow and see what their shipping costs would be.

I may check ou their box blade also, but I am afraid that 6 feet may be a bit large for my tractor (B7800)...thoughts?

 

[DK35vince]

The King Kutter II gear drive tiller is a good tiller. They come standard with a slip clutch.
I've owned one for 8 years. Tills great, never had a problem

 

[browns40]

I would cast another vote for the King Kutter tiller--Agri-Supply would be a good place to have a look at them online, plus they deliver it all greased & oiled for use (still check it).

Get a lot of steel--heavy, rugged, gear-driven, a bunch of tines close together... end up with a real nice finished result, and cheaper than most.

The paint is terrible. The slip clutch is hard to get at at season's start (for slipping). There is no stand on the unit. Those are the only negatives I have seen--function is great. Check them out.

Good luck!

 

[centell]

The landpride is a new tiller.

I looked at the CCM site and those are beefy tiller at a good price with clutch (if the $1500 is still valid). I will give them a call tommorrow and see what their shipping costs would be.

I may check ou their box blade also, but I am afraid that 6 feet may be a bit large for my tractor (B7800)...thoughts?

I am also looking at the same identical tiller. Hear alot of good about the ccm tillers. I am also wondering what the shipping cost would be to sent to Louisiana. I have priced the Howse tillers, but they do not have the slip clutch. There prices are close, but the shipping cost would put it above the Howse tiller. I maybe wrong but will check prices again. What would be the comparison with a Howse tiller compared to a CCM. The CCM is gear driven. How about the Howse tiller.

 

[jbrumberg]

I have a CCM M-160 (gear driven) tiller and I really liked the price and dealer responsiveness, support, and technical advice. Home delivery was smooth and the tiller came as scheduled.

After I bought the CCM KK came out with the KKII gear driven tiller. They appear to be a cut above most of their other products as it relates to paint, welds, thickness of steel, etc. and they are somewhat cheaper.

You definitely want a slip clutch.

Jay

 

[case685]

You should definately consider WayneB's advice about using a disc to till newly cleared land, followed by harrows to level it. If you time it right it will be faster and easier on your tractor. Gerry

 

[Sniggle]

OK, I am backing off the tiller for now (although I want one).

I just pulled the trigger on a Woods GB 60 BB...$725 + $60 delivery (20 miles) + $42 taxes. Seemed like a good price, and the other dealer I called would not go below $850 for it.

This, in combo with my other implements, should allow me to get the surface relatively level, free of trash, and seedable....or that is the plan.....coming form a rank tractor amatuer. It should be fun

-------------------------------
2003 Kubota B7800, FEL, upgraded seat, Woods LR72 Rake, Woods RB 72 back blades, Woods GB 60 BB, TSC PHD w/12 inch auger, tooth bar, Pats Easy Change, filled rear tires.

 

[jbrumberg]

Sniggle:

You are off to a good start . Learning to use (and hopefully well with practice) what attachments you have will naturally guide you towards future attachment acquisitions . Keep us posted and send pics . Jay

 

[WayneB]

I agree totally with Jay, enjoy the bb and Woods makes good stuff!

Wayne

 

[jim_n_nh]

I can speak about the ccm m160 tiller. It is great and so is CCM. They answered all my questions and thanked me for my business. Honestly it is one of the nicest business transactions I have ever done.....And the tiller is a tank, no problems, no regrets except I should have bought it sooner.

Jim

 

[jbrumberg]

I can speak about the ccm m160 tiller. It is great and so is CCM. They answered all my questions and thanked me for my business. Honestly it is one of the nicest business transactions I have ever done.....And the tiller is a tank, no problems, no regrets except I should have bought it sooner.

Jim

Ditto ! Jay

PS their technical support/service department talked me through my only "crisis" with a very positive outcome . They definitely stand behind their product. THe M-160 was not that much more expensive than the KKII gear driven tiller (~ $300 including S & H). Jay

 

[diyDave]

Sniggle, welcome to TBN! As others have said, a tiller might not do as well as you think. I would recommend that you try to find a box blade with scarifiers as your primary implement of destruction, followed by disc, then harrow. The scarifiers on a box blade can be set real low, by adjusting your toplink to the closed position, and your lift arms all the way up. by using the BB in this position, you are able to break up the surface, and level slightly with the blade. Kind of like a chisel plow with a drag behind it. The main thing to remember with horses is not to stock your land too high for its capacity, otherwise, they eat up and compact your pasture beyond repair. Around here, 3-1/2 acres is not enough for 2 horses "on pasture" year round!

 

[Sniggle]

DiyD,

Thanks for the welcome. As I stated earlier, I did choose to go for the boxblade, a stought woods 60 incher.


I do still plan to buy hay for the winter, but I am hoping that adding the 3.5 acres of pasture will allow me to not buy hay in the summer and to turn somewhat green my existing .8 acre muddy paddock. Atleast that is the plan.

I will post some pictures later as it progresses...hopefully showing me successfully using my implement.

 

[joe48]

Sniggle, welcome to TBN! As others have said, a tiller might not do as well as you think. I would recommend that you try to find a box blade with scarifiers as your primary implement of destruction, followed by disc, then harrow. The scarifiers on a box blade can be set real low, by adjusting your toplink to the closed position, and your lift arms all the way up. by using the BB in this position, you are able to break up the surface, and level slightly with the blade. Kind of like a chisel plow with a drag behind it. The main thing to remember with horses is not to stock your land too high for its capacity, otherwise, they eat up and compact your pasture beyond repair. Around here, 3-1/2 acres is not enough for 2 horses "on pasture" year round!

Waring, be very careful what position the tractor end of the toplink is in. If you check elsewhere you will find threads discussing this.
What can happen is when doing very heavy tillage(ie; pulling roots and stumps with bb scarfiers) ,if the top link is in wrong whole for your tractor, the attachment point(with the 3 holes) can break or break the transmission casting, a VERY EXPENSIVE repair.!!
Read and use the recommendation in your owners manual or contact them or dealer for recommemdation if not in manual.

Be careful,have fun, and wear your seat belt when doing this kind of work, when the tractor stops and you don't you will understand why!! That steering wheel hurts.

 

[Barneyhunts]

I am lookng for a tiller that would be used to prep newly cleared pasture area (read roots, will try to avoid big rocks), and then to renovate my muddy paddock next fall when I can move the horses to the new pasture for a bit (I will labd rake it first multiple times to find all the surface hidden goodies).

I would plan to make multiple tenative passes, and would not have to go too deep in much of the area. The area is approx. 3.5 acres.

I can get a landpride rta (shear pin) 1558 for $1550, and would then need to ship it (another $250, not tax).

Or I can bid on one on Ebay, a Farm Pro 57 inch, and get it for maybe around $800, and then have to ship it also about the same distance.

Thoughts? (Don't tell the wife I am throwing more money at the tractor, please

----------------------------------------------
2003 Kubota B7800, Improved seat, FEL, 60 MMM, Woods RB and LR (6 ft), PHD w/ 12 inch auger, 430 hours.

I have a 32" Woods tiller that I use on my BX2200 in our garden. When I first broke the ground with this it vibrated so much on the rocks it "rattled my teeth"(at minimum depth setting). After three years of picking rock the tiller is great in those cleared areas. ARO this experience when I bought a B7800 I also bought a plow and disc for working new ground into food plots. They worked well, though I still pick a lot of rock. Good Exercise!
Good luck with your choices!

 

[Wesdor]

Drop the teeth on that box blade and you should be able to get most of the roots free. I picked up a Middle Buster (also known as a potato digger) at a sale last fall and that is pretty good at getting roots free.

diyDave suggested that you consider a disc. That is my thought as well. We have a disc and a tiller, but for what your are describing I would use the disc after going through with the box blade (teeth extended).

The tiller does a great job if you want to prepare a seed bed, but a disc and then harrow would provide good seed bed preparation at a lower cost.

Welcome to TBN

 

[frankv]

I can speak about the ccm m160 tiller. It is great and so is CCM. They answered all my questions and thanked me for my business. Honestly it is one of the nicest business transactions I have ever done.....And the tiller is a tank, no problems, no regrets except I should have bought it sooner.

Jim

I too am going to get a tiller this year. Considerred the CCM but unfortunately I've sent two emails over a two week period trying to get shipping info and a question on models answerred. Still no responses from CCM.