rototiller vs. plow

[Dargo]

A tiller will cause somewhat LESS compaction than a moldboard plow will. Plows are just about the WORST implement there is for causing a compaction layer. In fact, many of us "old timers" refer to a compaction layer as a "plow pan".

Ah, ya beat me to it!! Yeah, someone fed him some bad advice about a tiller creating hard ground and compaction. Quite the opposite is the case. Areas in my lawn where I've tilled in the last 5 or 10 years grow grass much better than areas that haven't been touched in many years. That ground is extremely hard and grass doesn't grow so well because of that fact. With my high clay content soil tilling sure helps things stay non-compacted and growing well. Unfortunately, I don't want to have to buy new grass seed every 10 years after tilling my lawn.

Heck, one of the greenest areas in my lawn is where I dropped my tiller down to 8" and tilled an area smooth from where some fool (no, not me) drove off my driveway last winter and left me with some nasty ruts.

 

[Soundguy]

Besides.. with only 1-ac I don't think I'd be running out and buying a full set of tillage equipment!

soundguy

 

[ChuckinNH]

This is a middlebuster on a BX. They can be bought as a combination subsoiler/middlebuster in "XB" size for the BX tractors at TSC for a little over a hundred bucks. Don't know if this is what you want, or need, but they are available for your tractor.

 

[santacruzer]

Thanks for all the info. My searches on the equipment you guys talked about brought up a lot of good stuff.

After the comments I've received I have a little more confidence in going with a tiller. I was hoping to be able to eliminate a tiller and use a couple of simple attachments but there's a number of reasons why that might not be practical.

And Soundguy is right...for the amount of ground I have I don't need to buy out a tractor supply business.

I will say however, that the BX 2350 is one of the best investments I've made in awhile. I can't believe what I used to do with a wheelbarrow and shovel....I guess the real question is..... why I used a wheelbarrow and shovel??????

Thanks, Paul

 

[mentat30]

I have a middle buster on a BX2350 and it works great. Don't really have a problem with traction, and I have turfs. I paid $120 for a King Kutter Middle Buster on sale at Fleet Farm. So IMHO I think a Middle buster and tiller would suit your needs.

 

[gemini5362]

Besides.. with only 1-ac I don't think I'd be running out and buying a full set of tillage equipment!

soundguy

Hmm with only 1 acre dont think he needs a lot of tilling equipment. Soundguy how many acres do you have and how big a mower do you mow it with ?

 

[gemini5362]

Actually from the way it sounds he might be better off just going and buying a good rear tine tiller that you walk behind. That will be cheaper than a 3 point tiller will be and he will probably be able to till the ground faster with the amount of space he is talking about.

 

[Botabill]

Actually from the way it sounds he might be better off just going and buying a good rear tine tiller that you walk behind. That will be cheaper than a 3 point tiller will be and he will probably be able to till the ground faster with the amount of space he is talking about.

I like the walk behind tiller. I actually have a tiller that came with my Case 446 SCUT and never use it. The walk behind (BCS) is used to til my 1 acre garden. Typically I til one row at a time as I prepare seed beds to plant. Where I live you don't want to till until you are ready to plant to save moisture. Later in the season I scuffle between the rows with walk behind tiller. I wouldn't be able to do that with a tiller on a tractor. I have a single bottom plow that I also got in the deal when I bought the 446 that I will use with my BX to cut sod and til down green manure. I've had my BCS (two wheel tractor) for 20 years. It's run without trouble since new and I could probably sell it today for the cost of a tiller for my BX.

 

[Cyberroc]

Even at 1 acre, I would do the 3pt, anything close to or over that, it would be no question. Unless your doing an already tilled area or you have a lot of extra time, even a decent size rear tine simplicity took me 4 times as long as it did with a 3pt. tiller I rented.

This was on an overgrown (heavy think weeds, no trees) area that I attempted with my front tine tiller, after an hour I gave up and barrowed the neighbors rear tine, no question that it was much easier. However after 4 hours and only being half done I decided to add a tiller to the rental I already needed for another project and finished the other half in about an hour.

Now that own my own tractor, I will own a 3pt tiller. My neighbors rear tine walk behind was around $1,000 so an extra few hundred will be more than worth it and even better over time...

Not saying that a rear tine won't perform as good in some conditions, however the overgrown area that I tilled sold me on the 3pt.

 

[Soundguy]

Hmm with only 1 acre dont think he needs a lot of tilling equipment. Soundguy how many acres do you have and how big a mower do you mow it with ?

13 ac.. and I have a 15' mower... But I got it for super cheap.. IE.. 2000$.. that's pennies on the dollar vs the cost of one new... All it took me was a couple months of sweat equity, some welding and a couple hundred bucks in small parts and paint.. etc. it was a deal i couldn't pass up, sinc eit was roughly? 1/8 the price of new equipment.

soundguy