Tiller Reverse or Forward Tine Tiller ?

madhatter · May 13, 2008

Hi,

I am buying a new Landpride tiller in the next day or so. I have the option of the 50" forward RTA1050 or 50" reverse RTR05 tiller. I will be tilling garden and some sod but mostly areas that have been cleared of brush, so there will be some small roots etc... Which tiller should I go with ? The reverse tiller is lighter than the forward as well, not sure why. Will the reverse tiller get plugged with roots or will it clear them ???

Any advice would be great.

vallyfarm · May 13, 2008

Rocks, sod, roots all point towards a foward tine tiller. A reverse tine gives a better, smoother job, but can really do a number on the tiller and the tractor if it is pulling through tough stuff and bucking on the tractor. The foward tine tiller can ride up and over obsticals that a reverse tine will sit on and beat on until something gives. Mike

madhatter · May 13, 2008

vallyfarm said:
Rocks, sod, roots all point towards a foward tine tiller. A reverse tine gives a better, smoother job, but can really do a number on the tiller and the tractor if it is pulling through tough stuff and bucking on the tractor. The foward tine tiller can ride up and over obsticals that a reverse tine will sit on and beat on until something gives. Mike

Ya the more I think about it, the more I should maybe get a forward tiller. My dealer keeps trying to convince me to go reverse, saying it will bury rocks,roots, etc... but would roots and rocks possibly get stuck in the tiller ? Where as the forward would maybe spit them out the back ? Although I guess a forward could push the tractorin hard soil... ? I dunno

rayh76 · May 13, 2008

What kind of horsepower do you have at your PTO? I have a LP RTR2072. I have had it one year and love it. It is a reverse tine, 20 series (heavier built for my 40 HP tractor), and 6 ft wide. It is a monster. As I have said recently in another thread, I tilled up my corn stalks with ease after the picking was complete. I did get some wrap around the tines but I just ran the tiller at a fast speed when out of the dirt and spun them off. Also, if you get the reverse, I believe with mine, you can convert it to a forward with some work. Need to reverse all the tines, and flip the gear box over if I remember right.

rayh76 · May 13, 2008

I would guess that the 5 series is lighter duty than the 10 series. The reason for the lighter weight. I would compare the 10 series RTA vs the RTR.

madhatter · May 13, 2008

rayh76 said:
What kind of horsepower do you have at your PTO? I have a LP RTR2072. I have had it one year and love it. It is a reverse tine, 20 series (heavier built for my 40 HP tractor), and 6 ft wide. It is a monster. As I have said recently in another thread, I tilled up my corn stalks with ease after the picking was complete. I did get some wrap around the tines but I just ran the tiller at a fast speed when out of the dirt and spun them off. Also, if you get the reverse, I believe with mine, you can convert it to a forward with some work. Need to reverse all the tines, and flip the gear box over if I remember right.

It's a Massey 2310. About 24hp, 19 at the pto. I hear the reverse till indeed work well, just worried about the roots and rocks....

rayh76 · May 13, 2008

madhatter said:
It's a Massey 2310. About 24hp, 19 at the pto. I hear the reverse till indeed work well, just worried about the roots and rocks....

Whichever one you get, get a slipclutch so you won't have to worry about the rocks.

bigtiller · May 13, 2008

madhatter said:
It's a Massey 2310. About 24hp, 19 at the pto. I hear the reverse till indeed work well, just worried about the roots and rocks....

I have the reverse tine Land Pride tiller you are talking about and I also had a JD 450 tiller. The RTR will be more of a problem with rocks than with a forward tine tiller but the RTR will work MUCH better in small roots and sod. But, if you keep an eye on the tines and remove the rocks as the tines kick them up then you will be fine. The RTR roles them up in front with little problem. The forward tine tillers beat on the rock while climbing over it until it can spit it out the back all-the-while the tiller is jumping up and down.

jinjimbob · May 14, 2008

Just got a RTR1050, a 50" reverse tiller, (a high $1900, more for orange), for a B2320, haven't used it yet. I got it for rocky ground, rocks smaller than a baseball (I hope!).

Did you watch the videos here? LP Media Library
I know they are biased.

ronjhall · May 14, 2008

My reverse tine tiller works good on roots that are under 2". Rocks are a different story. There is a chance rocks larger than a soft ball can get caught between the tines and top of tiller. Tiller will stall when this happens. A good slip clutch is needed.