Tiller New King Kutter 6' Tiller

[Dougster]

We need a TSC in Central MA. I priced a 6' KK tiller at a local tractor dealer a couple weeks ago: $1999 plus 5% sales tax. You guys near a TSC are fortunate.
Bob

Hi Bob - I know exactly who you are talking about... and they are older and rusting worse there than the ones at TSC. Gee, I wonder why?

Keep in mind that TSC for you central MA guys is right down Route 395 in Griswold, CT... a nice, smooth, straight shot! And they are coming to Worcester, MA and the sales tax-free land of "Live Free or Die" later this summer... or so I'm told.

Also... Milton CAT right off Route 495 in Milford, MA has some KK-made Challenger-branded ones on 30% off sale... same color, different name & model numbers... but still a little pricey (if I remember correctly) compared to TSC. However, I'm told they are "ready to bargain" even more to clear them out.

Dougster

 

[john_bud]

We need a TSC in Central MA. I priced a 6' KK tiller at a local tractor dealer a couple weeks ago: $1999 plus 5% sales tax. You guys near a TSC are fortunate.

Bob

I don't know about that. The local farm store here has sales on the 5' KK for $1199 and the 6' for $1499. Plus 5.5% tax. Seems both of you guys have it rough.

Dougster. Don't feel too bad about backing out. The KK tiller is a good unit, but it is not commercial use quality. I wouldn't hesitate to use one daily for a full season, but wouldn't be surprised if it was in need of repair or replacement after 500- 1000 hours of use.


jb

 

[Farmwithjunk]

And when I asked on the phone, why couldn't they have been honest and told me that the gosh-darned crates were falling apart so bring down the equipment trailer rather than the easier, more convenient dump. And why KK can't spend 1% more to fully crate them like the big boys and Italian machines is beyond me. It's like they are purposely trying to maintain this image of the super-economy brand and this is a vital part of their "shtick"... crappy crating!

But maybe I am not getting across my point very well... and it is this: I don't have a lot of money left. I am not rich or even "comfortable" like many of you folks. I worked long and hard for the little money I've got left ......

Dougster

Well, let me try to address your concerns one last time. The majority of tillers on the market are foriegn made. I'm trying to recall, but I THINK King Kutter tillers are made in Alabama or Georgia. Overseas shipping (probably in ocean-going containers) would demand a well built crate, regardless of price range. Tossing an economy brand tiller in a truck and hauling it up from Alabama is a little less of a trek. Maybe they should be a little more secured to the pallet, but this is the very first case I know of where KK's crates have been brought out as an issue.

I'm not exactly a Fortune 500 business myself. On top of that, I'm good ol' fashioned CHEAP. (I see it as frugal. My wife and kids call me CHEAP) That's why I was so willing to overlook a few runs in the paint, a couple minor scratches, and the "stigma" associated with owning an "economy brand tiller".

I might suggest that you contact either SWEET FARM EQUIPMENT or CCM, both members here at TBN. They sell brands that are reasonably popular, and relatively cheap, and they ship to your door.

 

[Dougster]

Don't feel too bad about backing out. The KK tiller is a good unit, but it is not commercial use quality. I wouldn't hesitate to use one daily for a full season, but wouldn't be surprised if it was in need of repair or replacement after 500- 1000 hours of use.
jb

I understand JB... but so-called "commercial grade" tillers cost more than my house. I view my struggling little business effort here as being a "jack of all trades, master of none"... sort of a "Swiss Army Knife" (as one client called it) of miscellaneous land and property-related services mainly aimed at homeowners. No way that I would ever get enough tilling work before I die to ever justify a commercial unit. It's crystal clear that this particular service has got to be in the mix... but will always be a very small part of my business overall.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

Maybe they should be a little more secured to the pallet, but this is the very first case I know of where KK's crates have been brought out as an issue.

The main problem is that there is no pallet at all. They are basically shipped like this tiller (also made by KK):

The difference, of course, is that this "crate" is still intact and the ones at TSC were trashed and leaning over far worse than a certain tower in Pisa, Italy!

If it had been shipped on a normal pallet, I would probably own one today... for better or worse... because at least it would have arrived at TSC reasonably intact and I could have gotten it into the dump trailer and home without further destroying it or the dump trailer.

Dougster

 

[JimR]

We need a TSC in Central MA. I priced a 6' KK tiller at a local tractor dealer a couple weeks ago: $1999 plus 5% sales tax. You guys near a TSC are fortunate.

Bob

There's a TSC in Enfield, CT that I visit once in awhile. They would do well in the Spencer/Brookfield area. I have a four foot JD tiller that I picked up recently for $100.00. I then sunk another $90.00 into it to replace the bearings. It doesn't cover my five foot path. But it does work great and till the land.

 

[Dougster]

There's a TSC in Enfield, CT that I visit once in awhile. They would do well in the Spencer/Brookfield area.

Enfield (CT) is a pretty good store. They carry some stuff that Griswold doesn't. Only problem there is that insane amounts of road salt placed on the major road right adjacent to their yard migrates in constantly as salt dust, settles everywhere... and makes for some VERY nasty corrosion of everything stored outside. And I do mean everything! Makes the stuff stored outdoors at Griswold look "factory fresh" by comparison!

I'll bet that new "Worcester" store is going to be somewhere out on the west side... probably out in Spencer where the competition is based. Haven't heard an exact location yet, but that's my best guess!

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

By the way, the first TSC in the great sales tax-free state of "Live Free or Die" will be in Merrimack Commons, 515 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, NH 03054

They are saying two more months, but I think it will be open long before that.

Dougster

 

[Bob_Young]

Doug, ya' got me chucklin' with your crate critique. There's probably nothing else on the truck that's anywhere near as tough as those tillers. Only reason I can see for the crate is to protect the truck and everything else from the tiller....and I gotta admit it's a mite skimpy to accomplish even that much.

Anyhow, I love my 6' KK tiller. It sat under the snow at TSC all winter long...collecting character (you'd probably call it rust). Came spring (or almost), the expected TSC 10% off coupon appeared in the mailbox and I hightailed it in there to glom onto that tiller before anyone else did. It had a yellow PTO shaft that I'm now glad that I didn't tinker with.

Put it to work at the neighbor's place tilling some food plots. Not many rocks but lots of roots. You could smell the clutch when it grabbed a root. Thought it'd take 2 or 3 passes to get the plots ready...the ground hadn't been turned up in decades. It took only one and did an excellent job. I was amazed.

It did seem give my 45HP L4300 a workout. A 5 footer might've been a better match; but I reasoned that I could always take off a set of tines or two in really hard going. Besides, the 6 footer covers my tracks.

FWJ's glowing reports are what tipped the scales in its favor. I held my nose, closed my eyes and wrote the check. I don't like rust that much either.
Bob

 

[john_bud]

I held my nose, closed my eyes and wrote the check. I don't like rust that much either.
Bob

Good write up Bob!

I gotta ask, how much rust was left on it after the first couple food plots? I'd bet not much! My 5' KK get's pretty shiny and strangly stays that way until spring in a dirt floor pole building.
jb

 

[Dougster]

Doug, ya' got me chucklin' with your crate critique. There's probably nothing else on the truck that's anywhere near as tough as those tillers. Only reason I can see for the crate is to protect the truck and everything else from the tiller....and I gotta admit it's a mite skimpy to accomplish even that much.

Anyhow, I love my 6' KK tiller. It sat under the snow at TSC all winter long...collecting character (you'd probably call it rust). Came spring (or almost), the expected TSC 10% off coupon appeared in the mailbox and I hightailed it in there to glom onto that tiller before anyone else did. It had a yellow PTO shaft that I'm now glad that I didn't tinker with.

Put it to work at the neighbor's place tilling some food plots. Not many rocks but lots of roots. You could smell the clutch when it grabbed a root. Thought it'd take 2 or 3 passes to get the plots ready...the ground hadn't been turned up in decades. It took only one and did an excellent job. I was amazed.

It did seem give my 45HP L4300 a workout. A 5 footer might've been a better match; but I reasoned that I could always take off a set of tines or two in really hard going. Besides, the 6 footer covers my tracks.

FWJ's glowing reports are what tipped the scales in its favor. I held my nose, closed my eyes and wrote the check. I don't like rust that much either.
Bob

Well, don't think that PTO HP issue isn't there in the back of my mind. With a mere 33 point something PTO HP... but a need to cover a 68-70" track... my first goal had been to go with a smaller offset machine. Seemed to make the most sense for my tractor and needs. Shopped them quite a bit, but came up dry. Everything I found was either way too expensive and/or didn't fully cover my track. That's when I gave up, swallowed hard... and decided to go 6' and KK. I tried to prepare myself mentally for the experience of dealing with TSC and plunking down $1,700 of perfectly good money for a globby, rusty, mistreated beast of a machine... but when the time came, I couldn't go through with it. The fact that I feel I was lied to about it's condition and crate situation (causing me to bring down the wrong trailer) clearly did not help.

And again... I may still end up going that route. But I just want to take some time right now and investigate offset alternatives further. Right now I am still waiting for some prices and shipping quotes. I should know by the end of this week whether or not I can find and have delivered an offset machine that will both cover my track (on one side) and not break the bank.

Dougster

 

[RollTideRam]

I don't have the money to get a tiller yet. I priced a 5' KK local for $1250 loaded on my truck and a 55" Frontier for $1950 at my Deere dealer. I know you would not buy from my Deere dealer, because they are already out of the crate. JC

 

[jbrumberg]

There is a TSC in western MA in Pittsfield. I am not allowed to go there without adult "supervision" . I seriously looked at TSC's tillers, but ended up purchasing a tiller through CCM. I have no second thoughts about my decision. Jay

 

[Dougster]

I don't have the money to get a tiller yet. I priced a 5' KK local for $1250 loaded on my truck and a 55" Frontier for $1950 at my Deere dealer. I know you would not buy from my Deere dealer, because they are already out of the crate. JC

I wouldn't purchase a tiller from my local Deere dealer either... but not because of any crate situation. First, I'll bet their crates are built just fine. Tillers are probably even shrink-wrapped too. Secondly, if it is out of the crate with no evidence of having been damaged, mishandled or mistreated... that is a big plus. Probably means they went over the machine pretty well after shipping and fixed any problems they found. Thirdly, I'll bet they would have come up with a half-decent pallet and strapped it down to the pallet nicely for a safe ride home.

I respect folks who treat fine equipment well. I fear equipment bought from folks who do not treat (or know how to treat) the equipment they're selling well. Does that make any sense at all?

No JC... the reason I wouldn't (didn't) buy a tiller from my local JD dealer was that his prices were simply sky high... crazy high... like everything else sitting on his lot. Buying lime green will never be for me.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

There is a TSC in western MA in Pittsfield. I am not allowed to go there without adult "supervision" . I seriously looked at TSC's tillers, but ended up purchasing a tiller through CCM. I have no second thoughts about my decision. Jay

Hi Jay - FarmWithJunk pointed out Sweet Farm Equipment and CCM to me in an earlier post in this thread. I was somewhat familiar with SFE through my Internet travels but... for whatever reason... I was not familiar with CCM at all. It's not usually a big priority for me to investigate equipment suppliers farther than a day's drive from the house... especially on an item that is likely to need parts or dealer service at some point... but I did check out CCM and it looks like there are some very interesting possibilities down there. Couldn't get in touch with them yesterday, but I will try again today.

Meanwhile, I've got to ask you: Are there any farm equipment dealers I should check out in Western Mass... specifically in regard to this tiller? My folks are in Springfield and I grew up out there so taking a ride out that way is no problem for me (I'll get a free meal!). I know about the Mahindra dealer in Belchertown (where my Red Beast originally came from)... and no sense in checking out any lime green or orange dealers... but if there are any dealers you can think of out there who might carry affordable tillers, please reply here or send me a PM. Thanks!

Dougster

 

[jinman]

All this talk about crates has me smiling because I have NEVER seen a tiller in a crate at my TSC. They line them up on their parking lot (8 to 10 in a row) and there is no crate when they come off the truck. It must have something to do with shipping to your area that requires a crate. The PTO shafts are kept inside the store and they give you one when you purchase a tiller. I guess there is a lot of difference in the way things are handled in shipping, but maybe the shipper makes all the difference.

My KK tiller was painted pretty well. I don't recall how perfect it was, but I do know that I thought it was pretty darn nice. It has performed flawlessly for me except when I till in sticky clay and have to get off the tractor and dig clay out of the tines. Clay will gum up anything if it is wet.

I'm not sure why ToddC's PTO shaft failed, but I'd suggest that it is a significant problem that was handled under warranty. I believe and hope that he will be up and running for a very long time. His tractor and mine are almost identical and this tiller seems to be a perfect fit for me.

Dougster, I think you made the right decision because you didn't feel comfortable with the deal. You should never do something that does not have your confidence. For you, the tiller you saw was the wrong one. You don't know if it was good or bad, just that it would have been troublesome and a source of anxiety for you. That's all the reason you need to walk away.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

All this talk about crates has me smiling because I have NEVER seen a tiller in a crate at my TSC. They line them up on their parking lot (8 to 10 in a row) and there is no crate when they come off the truck. It must have something to do with shipping to your area that requires a crate. The PTO shafts are kept inside the store and they give you one when you purchase a tiller. I guess there is a lot of difference in the way things are handled in shipping, but maybe the shipper makes all the difference.

My KK tiller was painted pretty well. I don't recall how perfect it was, but I do know that I thought it was pretty darn nice. It has performed flawlessly for me except when I till in sticky clay and have to get off the tractor and dig clay out of the tines. Clay will gum up anything if it is wet.

It's been more than 6 years since I got my KK 6'er, and that's about how I recall the circumstances around buying mine. The paint wasn't buffed and waxed, but it wasn't bad for a piece of equipment that was about to be chopping up dirt and sod. A couple runs in the paint, a few minor scratches, and a little surface rust, but nothing to be alarmed about.

The TSC store nearest to here has 'em ricked up like firewood! Our TSC Store NEVER disappoints me. I EXPECT poor service, lack of product knowledge, and total confusion. They ALWAYS oblidge me.

By the way Jim, I saw your garden photo spread! Quite impressive as usual. I didn't have time last night to respond to that post. I was busy picking sugar snap peas and cutting cabbage. (dry hot weather earlier than usual put a dent in my cabbage crop this year... )

 

[Dougster]

Dougster, I think you made the right decision because you didn't feel comfortable with the deal. You should never do something that does not have your confidence. For you, the tiller you saw was the wrong one. You don't know if it was good or bad, just that it would have been troublesome and a source of anxiety for you. That's all the reason you need to walk away.

Hi Jim - I guarantee that you live in a wholly different world down there. I've got to believe that your TSC folks have to know the equipment and what the heck they are doing or they won't last very long. Up here, TSC is mainly just a another hardware store... kind of combined with an Agway... that happens to also sell some tractor parts & farm implements. Ask one semi-technical, tractor-related question and find out really quick that you already know a thousand times more than the speechless sales kid (or assistant manager or manager) staring back at you.

But your last paragraph is right on the money. It just felt all wrong and so I walked away to give it a bit more research and thought... maybe to return someday with enough wood, chains and the right trailer to get it home safely... or maybe I find the offset machine that I originally set out to buy.

Dougster

 

[KentT]

We need a TSC in Central MA. I priced a 6' KK tiller at a local tractor dealer a couple weeks ago: $1999 plus 5% sales tax. You guys near a TSC are fortunate.

Bob

There's a TSC in Enfield, CT, just over the state line from Springfield... I bought my KK boxblade there, after pricing Landpride at local dealers.

 

[shvl73]

Up here, TSC is mainly just a another hardware store... kind of combined with an Agway... that happens to also sell some tractor parts & farm implements. Ask one semi-technical, tractor-related question and find out really quick that you already know a thousand times more than the speechless sales kid (or assistant manager or manager) staring back at you.
Dougster

To me, they're more of a cross between Wal-Mart/Home Depot and an Agway. I believe they are not much different, wherever you go. I've been to ones from VA on up and most are the same. Just like a Wal-Mart/Home Depot, some are a little better but, not a whole lot. I go to the big box stores not expecting or needing much help, and that's how it is, similar to a TSC. It'll be interesting to have one in Merrimack.