So the Mrs wants a big garden. What do I use?

[prof fate]

that can happen.
ALL compost should be done so that it gets hot enough to kill seeds in it. I had a hard time doing that till I got the tractor - well, the loader. Easy not to pile it high, turn it as needed - I'll turn it and see ash inside it's so hot in the pile.

Saw on tv a thing called a 'tertill' - a robot weeder, sorta like a roomba sweeper, it is let loose in the garden and it weeds every day...just coming out so no price on it. tempting!

I gardened for a long time, then made the mistake of letting a guy dump a trailer load of horse manure in the garden, thought it would be good fertilizer. Horrible mistake. The horrible weeds totally ruined it. Be careful what you put in your garden.

 

[Diggin It]

Set the new tiller loose today (once I got it hooked up right). Made 5 or 6 passes. Not sure I'm getting down deep enough though. Broke the sod and a bunch of roots close to the surface. It's riding on the skids and they can't be set any deeper, so I guess I'm as deep as I can be.

 

[def38]

Wow, a gal who wants to walk behind a vibrating, bucking tiller for hours? She must be tough.

 

[oosik]

True story - it was the late summer of 1982. The wife & I marked out the spot for our garden that we would plant in 1983. I had a brand new Troybilt 8hp horse. So I started it and began the process of tilling virgin ground. It bucked, it jumped and then - at times - it went pretty smooth. The plot I was tilling was 75' x 150' - a quarter acre. So after an hour - I asked the wife to steer this bronco while I made a quick trip over the hill. Before I could return - she was yelling and then screaming. The tiller had taken off - touching down about every five feet - raring up and making another five foot leap. Happily - she had turned loose and was not dragging behind the tiller. I caught up with it - slowed it down and began the tilling process again.

I just wish I could have caught the episode on film. The wife was totally pissed but she did get over it. She NEVER ran that tiller - ever again.

 

[goeduck]

True story - it was the late summer of 1982. The wife & I marked out the spot for our garden that we would plant in 1983. I had a brand new Troybilt 8hp horse. So I started it and began the process of tilling virgin ground. It bucked, it jumped and then - at times - it went pretty smooth. The plot I was tilling was 75' x 150' - a quarter acre. So after an hour - I asked the wife to steer this bronco while I made a quick trip over the hill. Before I could return - she was yelling and then screaming. The tiller had taken off - touching down about every five feet - raring up and making another five foot leap. Happily - she had turned loose and was not dragging behind the tiller. I caught up with it - slowed it down and began the tilling process again.

I just wish I could have caught the episode on film. The wife was totally pissed but she did get over it. She NEVER ran that tiller - ever again.

Great story! I never lean forward when tilling with my Troybilt. If it hits a rock just right it can stand on its nose and the handle bars can come up under your chin and break your jaw. There is a reason they call these things a Horse.

 

[dnw64]

If you have rocks, leave the rear door open and it will tend to kick the rocks out and leave most laying on top of the ground to be picked up.

I was wondering what the chain was for. Will have to remember this.

 

[dnw64]

If funds are available a BCS tiller/power unit is a GREAT gardening tool. Best machine I have ever bought for use in a garden.

When I was an early teen (about 40 years ago) my Dad bought a BCS power unit, with tiller and snowblower. It was supposed to be the be-all and end-all, but he bought it with the manual rope pull-start... What a pain! I hated that thing. Most often I just would prefer to shovel the double-width, 150 foot long driveway...

 

[3gunr]

forget the walk behind and get a 3 pt tiller .If you can find an old yanmar tiller they work great on hard soils.I have a 5 ft farm king and a six ft yanmar i wouldnt get rid of either.Back in aughust i tilled about 2 acres of old pastuer in about 4 hrs i was amazed at how well the old yanmar did.I also have 2 old troy builts fine for a little garden otherwise forget it.

 

[fried1765]

Every 10 years (or more!!),, I do this to the garden,,

Other than that, I use a walk behind tiller,,

Love that steering brake!

 

[fried1765]

forget the walk behind and get a 3 pt tiller .If you can find an old yanmar tiller they work great on hard soils.I have a 5 ft farm king and a six ft yanmar i wouldnt get rid of either.Back in aughust i tilled about 2 acres of old pastuer in about 4 hrs i was amazed at how well the old yanmar did.I also have 2 old troy builts fine for a little garden otherwise forget it.

I have an 8HP Troy Bilt tiller, ...it sits in a corner in the barn.
No much good on virgin ground..... unless you have some bronc handling experience.
My 60" KK 3pt. tiller works wonders,..... while I comfortably ride in my tractor seat.