Tiller Tiller for brush clearing - abusive?

[SuburbanMD]

Would I be abusing my tiller (42" Frontier mounted on JD X475AWS SCUT) if I used it to clear brush, by backing in and tilling my way out? I would remove the leveling board first. I have turf tires so my traction is limited.

 

[SnowRidge]

Probably. I wouldn't use my tiller for that.

 

[Reg]

Depends on what you back up onto/into.
If it is the edge of your cleared land and the edge is into woods you would likely run into roots. Depending on the species they could run far out and be very near the surface. I think I would try it, but till very shallow for the first pass or two.
Also, depending on who cleared your land and how... there could be all sorts of construction debris half buried back there. Maybe...

 

[Highbeam]

In my experience tillers are quite fragile. The tines easily break off on even smallish rocks. If you can subsoil the area and remove the large debris and rocks then a tiller is a grand tool to level out the area. Too expensive to abuse on pioneer work.

 

[john_bud]

Been there done that, broke the tines, cracked the metal.

jb

 

[Bird]

Unlike John Bud, I've not been there or done that. Nor would I.

 

[shvl73]

I would think, if you have a slip clutch adjusted correctly, you would have to re-adjust it frequently until it eventually needed replacement. If you had shear pins, you'd get tired of constant replacement. I can't imagine during either scenario, it doing much clearing of brush. If its under 1" stuff, and you have a string trimmer with a brush blade, cut it first then mow it slowly. If its small stuff, it won't hurt the deck and it'll cut it up fairly well.

 

[browns40]

Yes. That would constitute tiller abuse... you can go to jail for less than that!

Thats where bushhog & scarifiers/subsoiler comes into play--likely for about the price of a new tiller... you have an X475 though, so I am not sure how much brush clearing that'll get you (???)

 

[Rara Avis]

Would I be abusing my tiller (42" Frontier mounted on JD X475AWS SCUT) if I used it to clear brush, by backing in and tilling my way out? I would remove the leveling board first. I have turf tires so my traction is limited.

If I were a Tiller saleman...I say go for it...because you become a REPEAT customer...

 

[2manyrocks]

Looks to me like this would end up being both an expensive and slow way to clear brush.

Probably rough on the operator and the tractor, too.

The brush might look better than the repair bills?

 

[sandman2234]

If the tiller does anything, it will probably wrap the smaller stuff around the center shaft, causing you more work than it's worth.
I say no to using a tiller for that. Probably be cheaper to hire it out, than to tear up the tiller.
If you don't have funds allocated for clearing, just sell the tiller or trade it off to someone with a bush hog, because it won't be worth anything when you get done.
David from jax

 

[SkunkWerX]

Also, to pile on, the vegetation you are tilling could get hopelessly wrapped up on your rotor and tines, and you could be hours cutting and prying it outta there.
Roots and vines are especailly good at getting wedged in so tight you have to use exploratory surgery to remove the entangled mess.

Definately try to cut first, then maybe a subsoiler, middlebuster type of tool to pre-dig and find the "bad things".

 

[SuburbanMD]

Thanks everyone, I get the drift BTW, it's maybe 1000-1500 square feet of brush, so speed wouldn't be an issue. Maybe I'll rent a Billy Goat walk-behind brush cutter.

 

[Rara Avis]

Thanks everyone, I get the drift BTW, it's maybe 1000-1500 square feet of brush, so speed wouldn't be an issue. Maybe I'll rent a Billy Goat walk-behind brush cutter.

If that's the case, get/rent a DR Trimmer walk-behind...mow it down and then till it...

 

[hsvhobbit]

instead of renting a DR, why not rent a bushhog?

 

[jeffinsgf]

instead of renting a DR, why not rent a bushhog?

Because an X475AWS is not a SCUT. It is a good big heavy garden tractor, but it is not a SCUT and couldn't handle any rotary cutter you could find on rental.

Now, renting a CUT with a rotary cutter should be an option.

I would rent a CUT with a rotary cutter, knock it down, then switch to a middle buster and rip the ground up with that, drag as much root trash out as I could and then bring in the GT and tiller.

 

[SuburbanMD]

Renting 3-point and PTO attachments for the X475AWS might be problematic. It's got a "limited cat 1 hitch", so it's, umm, limited. The dealer actually had to shorten the PTO shaft on the 42" Frontier tiller. I can live with the limitations, given that I've only got 2 acres, and the tractor is maneuverable enough to handle all the mowing.

 

[SuburbanMD]

Oops, I stand corrected, it is a garden tractor, not a SCUT. It's still the biggest tractor on my block . Renting a CUT with rotary cutter really seems like overkill; it would finish the job in the blink of an eye, and where's the fun in that? There's enough room to have fun with a mini-excavator or backhoe, but that's got to be really expensive, and I'd end up with lots of debris. Oh, and there are wires overhead. I'm content to have the stumps and roots stay in the ground, as long as they're cut down to where the X475's deck can mow over them.

 

[Lanse]

I dont really know what your lawnmower can handle. I would have someone with a big one come in with a bushhog or a subsoiler.

 

[Rara Avis]

cutting down 1500 sq ft???

Heck...he could use a hand scythe...

plus think of all the execise he'd get...