Rototillers for beginners

[Torvy]

So I have a lot of time behind a self-propelled tiller. I am looking into a PTO tiller for my future tractor. Tractor will be in the 30-50 HP range. Tiller will be 4-6 ft, I think.

Chain drive or gear drive? Reverse action or regular? Anything else I need to consider? Brands?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CH4Ohio]

Get a tiller that is a little wider than your rear tire track -- that's the most important criterion. When you decide on the future tractor, you can define that requirement.

I like gear drive but they all work great. I've used Kubota, Befco, Woods, and King Kutter. Frankly, I think the 15 year old King Kutter 5' tiller that I have beats everything that I've ever used. Between me and neighbors, it tills several acres every year. Will turn sod into powder in a couple passes when the ground is right.

 

[Torvy]

So, most likely wider than I was thinking. I was just going to offset it to one side...is that a bad idea?

 

[Grandad4]

There are also some Italian companies in the tiller business making pretty nice products. Had one of those for years that was trouble free.

Coming from the walk-behind type tillers, you'll be shocked at how much area you can work in so lttle time. Brace yourself for one huge garden if that's your thing! I had a 72" tiller and thought it was total overkill for our modest needs.

It was chain drive, standard rotation, my 46 hp tractor never really knew it was there.

You probably already know fence wire, roots and rocks are the curses of any tiller

 

[CH4Ohio]

Well, you mentioned a "4' - 6' tiller". A 6' tiller will cover the rear tire track of a pretty good size tractor. I have a 5' behind a B series 30 HP tractor and it's perfect.

You'll leave serious tire tracks in fresh tilled dirt. Better to center the tiller and cover the tire tracks on every pass rather than offset a smaller tiller and try to always keep one wheel out of the freshly tilled dirt. Don't think you'll be able to navigate that and every additional pass will create another rut that you have to clean up.

I'd say that a 5' or 6' tiller is still probably about right. Just suggesting that you decide after you pick your tractor. I seriously doubt that you'll need or want anything bigger.

 

[Diggin It]

Mine is an LS branded Taylor Pittsburgh 60". It sets off to the right side by a few inches to cover the right wheel track.

Taylor Pittsburgh

Taylor Pittsburgh specializes in all types of tillage equipment - rotary cutters, mowers, disc harrows, hay equipment, tillage tools, seeders, ATV products, renovators, and much more.

www.taylorpittsburgh.com

 

[Torvy]

I checked the master spreadsheet...The widest is an LS mt355e at just under 75". Wider is better for stability, but may make it tough in the trees. I don't know that it would do well with a 76" tiller...I've seen a 74"...may have to go a full 7'. That's why I am looking into implements before I decide. Your advice is helping me narrow my very large list. The TYM 574 has about the same power and weight but is 10 inches narrower.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I have a 5' King Kutter gear drive tiller. Love it. It is a beast and tills everything I have run it on. Used it for creating several vegetable gardens, leveling the yard around an above ground pool and preparing it for grass seed. Has a slip clutch so no sheer pins to worry about. I highly recommend it.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I want a County Line, giving me the option of a reverse rotation or forward. Reverse will till better and leave a smoother finish. The tiller pulls against the tractor and sucks itself down into the dirt.

Forward rotation is better if you hit a rock or something. It'll jump up over the obstacle. Forward will try to push the tractor, and it won't give as nice a finished surface behind the tiller.

I plan to till some unknown ground, and my tractor is low on PTO horsepower, so I think I'm going to set mine up for forward rotation. So the tractor isn't straining to pull against the tiller and using HP to turn the tiller.

 

[/pine]

Working new ground that has been undisturbed for any length of time is no different than with a walk behind tiller....they will only penetrate so deep...
...Depending on the type of soil a till can loosen a thin layer of cultivated earth on top of a hard pan...
A turn plow or deep scarifiers prior to tilling can help prevent this...

 

[nikerret]

I use a Land Pride RTR0550 behind my BX25D. It’s a reverse spin and I have had excellent luck with it. I bought it used and it’s never missed a beat. The “05” is their lightest model and it’s built very well. I initially went to buy a 1550, which is a heavier duty unit, but that unit had sold and the 0550 was the right price. Any reservations I did have are gone.

I prefer the reverse spin. It digs in and I can control how finely it grinds by adjusting my speed and the tailgate. It only goes a few inches, but if I go slowly and over it a few times (I try to go different directions over the same spot), I can get it around 8” deep. That’s been plenty, for every job I have taken it on.

Here is a garden I started, for a customer. From grass yard to tilled in around an hour.

And another picture. This was just doing some weedy uneven areas.

 

[Williy]

You want the forward rotation as the reverse
rotation you can get rocks stuck in the tines
and play hell getting them out. Keep your
tiller centered and wider than the back tires.

willy

 

[coobie]

Kuhn and Maschio make darn nice tillers.

 

[Ken Kegris]

Be sure and get a slip clutch, It will save on parts in the long run, mainly if you hit some unknown rocks.

 

[Beeenvenue]

Getting one to cover your tires may be tough. Most 25-40hp are now 60-63” with r1 or r14s so that means 6’

In some soils that may be fine. I struggle to pull a 5’ forward rotation with my 35hp machine, even in low I have to slow down to a crawl to keep it from bogging my engine. I have heavy heavy clay soils.

You may be fine with wider but unless someone tells you what kind of soil they have you cannot extrapolate to your situation.

 

[ruffdog]

I have a 5' KK that covered the tracks of the TC33D tractor but I now have the Toolcat which is 5'6" wide. I do pull the tiller to one side so as I move over, the tracks are covered. I can till ~14" deep with it and turn it to powder but, some say over-tilling ruins the microbes etc in the soil.

 

[Bearsixty7]

I have a TerraForce 62" gear drive I purchased from a local dealer (EA sells them as well) I have only used it for a few hours but it works great! It is just a little wider than my tractor with R1's so it covers the tire tracks.

 

[ning]

I got the tiller I talked about in this thread at auction (unused, not particularly new, works perfectly, just under 7' wide) for $800 + auction fee + taxes = just under $1k. It's an absolute monster and chews up the ground like crazy with nearly zero effort from me.

Last summer I tilled a 20x30 plot in land I've never touched before with it in minutes; it would've taken me at least a couple solid days with my 18" rear-tine tiller and beat my body to heck working it. Though I rarely use the tiller, once a year is enough to make it a worthwhile purchase.

 

[Golden Rocket]

There are also some Italian companies in the tiller business making pretty nice products. Had one of those for years that was trouble free.

Coming from the walk-behind type tillers, you'll be shocked at how much area you can work in so lttle time. Brace yourself for one huge garden if that's your thing! I had a 72" tiller and thought it was total overkill for our modest needs.

It was chain drive, standard rotation, my 46 hp tractor never really knew it was there.

You probably already know fence wire, roots and rocks are the curses of any tiller

I understand that if your area of work has lots of rock and/or root, it might be best to use a forward rotation tiller as it will throw the debris out the back making for less entanglement issues - what is your experience with that respect?

 

[bigtiller]

I understand that if your area of work has lots of rock and/or root, it might be best to use a forward rotation tiller as it will throw the debris out the back making for less entanglement issues - what is your experience with that respect?

I agree, forward is best for rocks. A reverse rotation tiller sometimes will push a rock in front of it for several feet until it roles off to the side. Or it might suck it up and try to ear it. Sometimes with mine, I need to be watching the entire width of the tiller watching for rolling rocks. That position gets uncomfortable pretty fast.