Thoughts on a PTO tiller & uses?

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I have a 40hp Deere, FEL & backhoe, lots of attachments but I'm considering a PTO tiller.
One area I have, about an acre, is on about a 20 to 25 degree slope. I'd like to get it as level as I can, it's near woods and had lots of waist-high scrub pines and cedars which I used my 5ft bucket & tooth bar uprooting & piling downhill...edge of woods where it gets very steep. I tried bucket, backhoe and 7ft rear blade but nothing works well for leveling.
It seems like with a tiller I could loosen soil, then back blade work it downhill, etc. in passes. I'm guessing when finished I'd have about a 3ft drop-off at top, 3ft bank at bottom.
Area is a long rectangle.
If a tiller would work, what's a good brand? It would only get about 50 hrs use a year.
It also could be used for a small garden.
Another idea is would I be ahead just paying someone? I'm guessing an excavator would charge about what a tiller costs...but it would be better than if I did it.
One part possibly a for a 120'x60' riding ring, another planting Christmas trees.
Thanks.

 

[jyoutz]

I don’t think a tiller would work if you have very large roots in the soil; small roots yes. I had a Woods brand tiller for over 25 years and I bought it used from an equipment rental company. It never gave me any problems and I beat that thing on hard clay ground with small rocks. I think that any of the reputable implement companies would make good tillers. Be sure and get one a bit wider than your wheel track. Mine was a chain drive, but some companies like King Kutter offer gear drive models; probably more durable, but more costly to repair if you snap a gear tooth. Mine had a slip clutch driveline instead of a shear bolt and I think the slip clutch is better if you’re hitting rocks or roots.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

A chain drive tiller is only less durable IF you buy a cheapo tiller with an undersized chain to begin with!

GOOD tillers are expensive.

SR

 

[bigtiller]

I have a 40hp Deere, FEL & backhoe, lots of attachments but I'm considering a PTO tiller.
One area I have, about an acre, is on about a 20 to 25 degree slope. I'd like to get it as level as I can, it's near woods and had lots of waist-high scrub pines and cedars which I used my 5ft bucket & tooth bar uprooting & piling downhill...edge of woods where it gets very steep. I tried bucket, backhoe and 7ft rear blade but nothing works well for leveling.
It seems like with a tiller I could loosen soil, then back blade work it downhill, etc. in passes. I'm guessing when finished I'd have about a 3ft drop-off at top, 3ft bank at bottom.
Area is a long rectangle.
If a tiller would work, what's a good brand? It would only get about 50 hrs use a year.
It also could be used for a small garden.
Another idea is would I be ahead just paying someone? I'm guessing an excavator would charge about what a tiller costs...but it would be better than if I did it.
One part possibly a for a 120'x60' riding ring, another planting Christmas trees.
Thanks.

I tilled a customers garden for 5 years that was on a 20 degree slope. It was extra work for me to keep the soil in the garden and not sliding down hill and creating a dead furrow on the uphill side.

So I think if you tilled driving only up hill, the soil will move down mostly on its own. To help force it downhill, move the steering wheel half a turn back & forth, forcing the tiller to wiggle back & forth.

Kinda like a woman swinging her money maker, as you watch her walk away.

A forward tine travel tiller would be best for this job....Any brand will do. They all will probably out live both of us.

 

[CalG]

A blade, straight or box, is the tool to "terrace". Box blades usually have ripper tines that work soil and roots.

A small box blade (loading considerations, soil is HEAVY!) is my choice.

BTDT!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

A blade, straight or box, is the tool to "terrace". Box blades usually have ripper tines that work soil and roots.

A small box blade (loading considerations, soil is HEAVY!) is my choice.

BTDT!

As I was writing I thought about a box blade.
I wonder if that would be better than a tiller?

 

[jyoutz]

As I was writing I thought about a box blade.
I wonder if that would be better than a tiller?

I wouldn’t buy a tiller unless you plan to do a garden annually or are establishing a large lawn.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

There are places on my land like a pasture that's not all that steep, but an area maybe 300ft long that drops 2ft then continues. So bush hogging I go straight downhill then if I don't lift deck it scalps. I'm thinking about tiller I could work that area then level with rear blade so pasture would all be even (15°-20° slope). Of course, seed area.
Picture is area I'd like level. I held camera level and I'd leave those large poplars but remove cedars beyond, now they're 6" at base.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I'm thinking with the 7ft backblade I wouldn't need a box blade. I know it doesn't have rippers but it's super heavy duty and adjustable every direction and hydraulic top link. For my purposes wouldn't a tiller be more useful? I could till high spots, then grade it smooth.
I tried bucket, then toothed bucket, etc. and it doesn't work well.

 

[nybirdman]

IMHO,a tiller does not well unless you remove the vegetation and plow.I think a heavy box blade with scarifiers would be a better choice.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

IMHO,a tiller does not well unless you remove the vegetation and plow.I think a heavy box blade with scarifiers would be a better choice.

Thanks for reply. Wouldn't the tiller do well if I mowed the area first, low as I can? I'll certainly get a box blade if that works better.

 

[bigtiller]

Thanks for reply. Wouldn't the tiller do well if I mowed the area first, low as I can? I'll certainly get a box blade if that works better.

Yes it would, tillers are great for busting short grass and sod.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Thanks for reply. Wouldn't the tiller do well if I mowed the area first, low as I can? I'll certainly get a box blade if that works better.

IF you buy a cheapo tiller or a light weight tiller then NO, but if you buy a heavy well-built tiller, then YES it will work well.

Mine are Howards and they would do a great job.

SR

 

[ptsg]

As long as there are no hidden stumps or anything like that, I would just run the tiller on it. Run it up and down so you don't risk flipping your tractor.

Here is a job I did some time ago. Didn't bother with mowing at all. Tallest brush and grass was about 2 ft high. This was the first pass, looking from the bottom of the land up:

And the end result, after 2 passes on the entire land looking from the top:

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

This was virgin clay loam pasture. Used my IronCraft tiller to break it open for planting.

 

[wawajake]

The most frustrating job with a tiller is unwrapping and cutting the roots and long grasses wrapped tight on the tiller. So you have to avoid that aspect. Depending on the soil makeup your thought process might work at least to loosen then use bucket to move. ( with a toothbar ideally) . I have also used my tiller to make nice consistent drainage swales. Takes some consistency in repositioning tractor and tiller every 4 or 5 ft along swale being made.

 

[Spindifferent]

I have a 40hp Deere, FEL & backhoe, lots of attachments but I'm considering a PTO tiller.
One area I have, about an acre, is on about a 20 to 25 degree slope. I'd like to get it as level as I can, it's near woods and had lots of waist-high scrub pines and cedars which I used my 5ft bucket & tooth bar uprooting & piling downhill...edge of woods where it gets very steep. I tried bucket, backhoe and 7ft rear blade but nothing works well for leveling.
It seems like with a tiller I could loosen soil, then back blade work it downhill, etc. in passes. I'm guessing when finished I'd have about a 3ft drop-off at top, 3ft bank at bottom.
Area is a long rectangle.
If a tiller would work, what's a good brand? It would only get about 50 hrs use a year.
It also could be used for a small garden.
Another idea is would I be ahead just paying someone? I'm guessing an excavator would charge about what a tiller costs...but it would be better than if I did it.
One part possibly a for a 120'x60' riding ring, another planting Christmas trees.
Thanks.

Rocks and roots are not friends of tillers...

Hard compacted soil is not a friend of tillers...

Wet soil is not a friend of tillers...

With optimal soil, you'll get around 7 inches of tilled depth with each pass. Anything other than optimal, you'll be multiplying the number of tiller passes over the same ground to get any workable depth.

You'll be compacting the soil every time you drive over it as you go from tilling to back blading over the same ground.

If it was me, I'd hire out to someone with the right tools for the job or rent a dozer and try it myself.

Good luck!

 

[kthompson]

I am a "I rather do it myself" person. I have some experience with tiller and on slope and on soil that had never been tilled on top of that. Had been timber land and trees cut, and stumps dug about four years earlier. I took it slow and shallow. I ran up and down the slope, but I would have been safe going across the slope, I would say it was less than your slope.
The tillering it did level it out a good bit. I have tilled it once more and next time (get the idea no rush on this job?) will be using rake or blade to smooth it out.

I agree you need to cut the vegetation and let it dry out before tilling it.

On your rear blade, sounds like a nice one. I like a rear blade and also a box blade. To me different tools but for leveling either can do the job. Box blade is better if really moving dirt to low spots but take the rear blade and rotate it so it is not parallel to the tractor rear tires. It will slide the dirt moving the dirt and leveling the ground better than if is parallel to the tractor tires.

You will find out most tools or equipment can be used for more than one task. If and you may find some who will not recommend this but hey I have used a moldboard or in my area bottom plows to cut a ditch and level dirt. They can also pull small roots out the ground. If you are doing using them in many roots take it slow.

I assume you do not have a disk since no mention. If you are only wanting to "tear" it up and have a friend nearby with a heavy disk ask them about disking it. Most likely will not cost much.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I installed & used my Everything Attachments blade today. I think I remember it's 640# and it really works well. I'm thinking for major leveling I'll probably use a local excavator that has proper equipment. A tiller with that back blade would do all I need. EA is back in business and have tiller. Anyone have one? I want a decent one, although it wouldn't get lots of use but handy to have.

 

[jyoutz]

One thing that a tiller does better than any other implement is create several inches of soft fluffy soil. Soil that can be easily moved with your dandy blade.