Rototiller vs disc harrow

[familyman]

I have no experience with either (except the walk behind type), but pictures I've seen posted of the disc harrow in action show nicely turned and chopped earth. When would you prefer one over the other? Would a disc harrow be suitable for lawn prep or augmenting soil?

 

[Z-Michigan]

The disc harrow lets you move a lot more quickly and doesn't require PTO power. However, the tiller gives you the option to vary the speed and depth and therefore how much vegetation gets mixed in and how thoroughly with just one pass. The tiller doesn't like rocks; a disc doesn't either, but will generally roll over them with minor dulling of the discs. The tiller will leave a more thoroughly smoothed and bare surface, while the disc will take multiple passes to get most of the vegetation buried. The disc can be used by itself or as a leveling tool after using a plow, while the tiller would usually be used by itself. You will probably need to creep along at 1mph or less with a tiller, while the disc can be used at 3-5mph if you have the power. Traction and drawbar pull are important for discing, while only PTO power matters for the tiller.

I have a disc, and for doing multiple acres at a time it is the tool to use. The tiller would be a good choice for doing garden plots or any task where you need to intensely work a small area of soil. Either one can mix in soil augments, but the tiller can probably do it more thoroughly.

One thing to note -the impressive videos you may have seen where a large farm disc turns a field of last year's crop trash into rich black dirt does work for farm discs, but only because (1) they are going over a field that has been worked with annual crops for years and doesn't have any well-rooted weeds, and (2) farm discs are bigger and heavier than what you can pull with a CUT. The smaller discs are basically the same in what they do, but don't do it as thoroughly or deeply as the big offset discs used by farmers, and they won't convert healthy grass sod into a ready-to-plant garden plot, except with multiple passes spaced over weeks.

 

[Jaybr]

In my limited experience, the disc does a great job if turning over the soil, but leaves clumps and a rough finish. Tiller chops it up fine and leaves a nice smooth finish.

I recently prepped a field for planting food plots, a buddy ran his disc over it first then I followed with tiller. He broke it up good, and I finished it.

 

[flusher]

I have no experience with either (except the walk behind type), but pictures I've seen posted of the disc harrow in action show nicely turned and chopped earth. When would you prefer one over the other? Would a disc harrow be suitable for lawn prep or augmenting soil?

A disc would break up the top few inches of soil OK, but leave clumps that you'd have to handle if you're planning to sow grass seed.

I spent the last month installing a new lawn front and back (about 1/4 acre total). I used my Kubota B7510HST with a King Kutter middle buster to plow the soil to 6-8 inch depth. Then I used my Yanmar RS-1200 rototiller (48" wide, $300 from my local grey market tractor dealer) to bust up the clods and level the lawn area.

That's all I could do with the B7510 since it has ag tires rather than turf tires and ag tires tear up the soil too much. So to really smooth the lawn area I chained two old tires behind my Huskee riding mower and dragged them around for a few hours. I have a drop seeder to plant the grass seed (Kentucky 31 tall fescue). Then I pulled a piece of carpet remnant around with the Huskee to cover the seed. Finally I towed a 250-lb water-filled roller over the seeded ground to pack the soil and get the seed set firmly in the ground. This method seems to work OK.

 

[familyman]

Wow, thanks for all the great replies. I'll be regrading about 1-1/2 of 2 acres for water flow, and will be doing the work in phases. Every time I consider a tool for a significant chore, I try to think of how I might use it for side work, and what my investment will be. At this point, the tiller sounds like a better choice.

 

[KentT]

Wow, thanks for all the great replies. I'll be regrading about 1-1/2 of 2 acres for water flow, and will be doing the work in phases. Every time I consider a tool for a significant chore, I try to think of how I might use it for side work, and what my investment will be. At this point, the tiller sounds like a better choice.

Though it's not a "perfect match" -- the tiller will essentially replace 3 pieces of equipment that were traditionally used: turning plow, disc harrow, and spike (or other type of drag) harrow to smooth the ground.

A tiller won't till as deep as the turning plow will cut, nor will it smooth quite as nice as a spike harrow -- but it's a reasonable compromise for replacing those three implements -- for smaller jobs, as previously stated. If you were doing LARGE areas, the 3 separate implements would be the way to go. As it is, working on smaller areas, and considering the transport hassles for "side work" possibilities -- I think you've made the correct choice.

 

[jbrumberg]

familyman:

I believe the tiller choice provides you with greater utility in the long run. I agree with Z-Michigan and KentT. A tiller will give you the ability to "work" small areas for flower beds, etc. which a disc cannot do. Jay

 

[Sully2]

Wow, thanks for all the great replies. I'll be regrading about 1-1/2 of 2 acres for water flow, and will be doing the work in phases. Every time I consider a tool for a significant chore, I try to think of how I might use it for side work, and what my investment will be. At this point, the tiller sounds like a better choice.

I dont look at them as an "either / or" type of thing. Luckily I have limited access to a friend and his tiller (84 inch wide that just BARELY fits where I needed tilled) and I have a 5 foot set of discs that I bought last year ( used) for $150 and spent another $50 and a weeks worth of sweat to being them back to almost new condition.

I repeatedly went over my back yard with the disc because of the "shape" of where I wanted grass. Over and over again and with weight on it finally got the HARD CLAY cut down to about the 5-6 inch level. ( I spent all last summer TRYING to get it in shape..and it rained on and off the whole summer. Grass seed has been down 2 weeks now and I can see "baby grass shoots" coming up thru the straw now... )

With a tiller you have to CREEP forward...and thats not easy to do with a stick shift!!..because if that tiller takes a solid BITE...hang on because you will either kill the engine or go for a ride..!!!

If I didnt have any sort of access to a tiller..and was starting over again..Id STILL buy a used set of discs and a NEW 3pt tiller

 

[Sully2]

familyman:

I believe the tiller choice provides you with greater utility in the long run. I agree with Z-Michigan and KentT. A tiller will give you the ability to "work" small areas for flower beds, etc. which a disc cannot do. Jay

IMHO...your 100% correct

 

[Syncro]

Funny this thread came up when it did as I had the same delima. In my case I already had a 5' disk, although I never had used it since buying it used a few years ago. Anyways, after freeing up the bearings and tightening the thing up, I figured I'd give it a try before making the $1500 purchase for a 5' tiller. To my great delight it worked very well, BUT, the soil at our new place is 100% rock free. I think thats the big clincher, no rocks. I remember as a kid in upstate NY using s drawbar disk behind a Farmall H and having that thing just bounce over the rocky fields, even after being plowed it was rough going. I do have areas of thick sod though and that presents a problem requiring many passes, still overall I am pleased and will not buy the tiller, although I understand the benefits. I've found myself using that disk a lot in the past few weeks for many different tasks, smoothing out clumps over backfilled ditches has worked out really well.