Tiller Tiller Question. 4' or 5' Tiller ?

[Buckchaser]

I'm in the market for a new tiller ( or good used one ). I'm only tilling about 2-3 acres.. My rear tractor tire width is 5'. Does it make any difference to go 4' or 5' tiller for my tractor.. 4' tiller is less costly and lighter weight, but 5' would cover width of tires. PTO HP is 27 if that makes any difference. Any advice would be helpful ? Thanks..

 

[nybirdman]

Covering the tracks is nice but not totally necessary IMHO .You should be able to handle a five footer with no problem,tillers are not a big power draw.I would advise to plow new plots,at least break the sod with a single bottom(middle buster).Middle buster can be purchased for about $150,great tool for the money.
We use a five foot roto-tiller on two tractors,bigger one is six ft.wide.
Most have slip clutches;learn how to service and do it every spring.

 

[jeff9366]

This is a good question which identifies you as very new to tractor operation.

Forward rotation roto-tillers require little horsepower to operate; the rotating tines push the tractor forward.

PTO 27-horsepower will operate a 5' roto-tiller easily.

Buy the five foot wide tiller. Or buy a six foot wide tiller. Wider tillers are more fuel efficient per unit of work.

The objective in tilling is to loosen soil. With a 48" tiller your rear tires will leave two tractor compacted prints behind the tiller. The tractor is carrying not only its own weight but a portion of the roto-tiller weight, which is transferred to the tractor through the Three Point Hitch Lower Links.



Do not till unless soil condition is moist. Not dry, not wet; moist.


Some GEAR transmission tractors will not operate at a slow enough speed over the ground for a roto-tiller.



Reverse rotation tillers, perhaps 10% of the roto-tiller market, require much more power than forward rotation roto-tillers.





Modify your T-B-N PROFILE to identify your tractor in every post.

 

[TheMan419]

Cover the tire tracks for the reason Jeff stated. I am operating a 5 foot tiller with my 25 (engine) HP tractor. That is pushing the limits through my clay soil. Land was planted in corn 2 years ago.

I mowed short, sprayed round up and waited 2 weeks. Stuff died. It was much easier to till.

You will likely have a slip clutch. Learn how to adjust it and make sure you do. If you hit a big rock or something this will be what saves your tractor from damages.

I found I had to go about a fast walking pace to get a good result. I did about 10 acres. Took me several days to do, but got it done.

I don't know your soil conditions. Mine are clay which is tough.

 

[Buckchaser]

Thanks for the help guys.. My soil has clay mixed with good soil and was planted last year so hopefully soft enough to just till it up.. I'll spot test it first in case I have to disc it. You're right, 5 foot tiller is the way I should go. It makes sense for the tiller to have the wheels covered and forward and not reverse rotation .. My ground does have some rocks so slip clutch makes sense also. Thanks again and if you have recommendations on tillers please let me know.. I was looking at King Kutter and Landpride..They seem to get good reviews. I found a used KK almost new cond..that might be worth going after, but open to other ideas..

 

[jeff9366]

I advise breaking new plots with Middlebuster, AKA Potato Plow, which can be purchased for about $150, great tool for the money.

VIDEO: TRACTOR MIDDLEBUSTER - YouTube

tractor potato plow - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

My soil has clay mixed with good soil and was planted last year so hopefully soft enough to just till. I'll spot test it first in case I have to disc it.

I was looking at King Kutter and Landpride. I found a used KK almost new condition that might be worth going after.

If you have a Tandem Disc Harrow with pans at least 18" in diameter you do not need a PTO powered roto-tiller in the conditions you have specified. Disc Harrows and Roto-tillers are both soil mixing implements. They mix in distinct ways, but produce the same result if operated and adjusted properly.

If you learn how to adjust a Box Frame Tandem Disc Harrow it will leave ground nearly as smooth as a roto-tiller.
Angle Iron frame Disc Harrows usually cannot be adjusted.

MORE: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=


King Kutter roto-tillers are fine for a few acres. I am indifferent as to gear driven or chain driven tines.
When there is snow on the ground used implement prices are low. Once Spring arrives used implement prices escalate.


Modify your T-B-N PROFILE to identify your tractor in every post.

 

[frugalangler]

Also, wider tiller can be narrowed by removing tines, narrow tiller can't be widened, though, so go wider and be safe.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

This is a good questionForward rotation roto-tillers require little horsepower to operate; the rotating tines push the tractor forward.

PTO 27-horsepower will operate a 5' roto-tiller easily.

Buy the five foot wide tiller. Or buy a six foot wide tiller. Wider tillers are more fuel efficient per unit of work.

Really? I'd love to see ANY 25, 30 PTO hp compact tractor come over and run my 6' Howard!!

It's NOT going to happen with out that tractor over heating in no time! That is, IF you actually put it in the ground!

Maybe it would a tinker toy tiller in sand or a garden spot, but it sure as he!! won't run a 6' Howard in a field with decent soil, especially if it has sod. And, that's what folks hire me to till, fields of sod and old garden spots.

I tried it on one of my 30 hp tinker toy tractors and it was too much for it so I'm not guessing here...

Point being, all tillers are NOT created equal... The better ones have more flanges, more tines and are designed to cut deeper.

SR

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I'll take that action.

Bring it up here.

Challenge accepted.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Well, if you are going to take it, then take it...come a running, we will see what it does in one of my food plots... Be prepared to be embarrassed!

SR

 

[jeff9366]

I'm only tilling 2-3 acres.

My soil has clay mixed with good soil and was planted last year so hopefully soft enough to just till it up.

If you have recommendations on tillers please let me know.

I was looking at King Kutter and Landpride..They seem to get good reviews.

I found a used KK almost new cond..that might be worth going after, but open to other ideas..

The OP is a newbie, seeking a new or used roto-tiller for light duty conditions over a small area.

The OP has recently worked soil. The OP is considering middle-of-the-road King Kutter and Land Pride roto-tillers.

The OP only wants to roto-till two to three acres.

Commercial duty Howard brand has an fine reputation among those do much tilling work, especially commercial tilling.

Using the OP's parameters his 27-horsepower/PTO will power a 60" or 72" Land Pride or King Kutter roto-tiller without issue, although perhaps not a rare, heavy Howard.

The post on Howard roto-tillers is fine but not germane to the OP's situation.

Besides, it seems OP has a Disc Harrow already. (?)

 

[Uncle Lar]

I've got the kk60in. Its offset so covers one tire track on my CK25HST. On first time claymixed ground it took a shallow pass, then a deeper pass. Works great for me.

 

[TheMan419]

The OP is a newbie, seeking a new or used roto-tiller for light duty conditions over a small area.

The OP has worked soil. The OP is considering middle-of-the-road King Kutter and Land Pride roto-tillers.

The OP only wants to roto-till two to three acres.

Commercial duty Howard brand has an fine reputation among those do much tilling work, especially commercial tilling.

Using the OP's parameters his 27-horsepower/PTO will power a 60" or 72" Land Pride or King Kutter roto-tiller without issue, although perhaps not a rare, heavy Howard.

The post on Howard roto-tillers is fine but not germane to the OP's situation.

Besides, it seems OP has a Disc Harrow already. (?)

Amen. There is a huge difference between those of us doing jobs on our personal property and those doing it commercially.

I filled 10 acres of clay soil on my 24 hp tractor w a new tsc brand 5 foot tiller. Lots of people here said it would take forever, tractor would over heat etc.

Well it took 2-3 days. Not one time did temp gauge get over where it is when I Bush hog.

Would I want that set up to till for a living? No. But it fit my budget and was cheaper than hiring it out even w the equipment purchase.

As to the op you are on the right track.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Well, if you are going to take it, then take it...come a running, we will see what it does in one of my food plots... Be prepared to be embarrassed!

SR

Bring it up here. I have a pasture that hasn't had the ground broken on it since at least the 1940's. If it's going to be a test, let it be a test. I have no idea how far away you are from me, but unlike you, I put my location in my profile. I'm smack dab in the center of ND. I have no idea where "upper midwest" is, but I'm not hiding.

I don't normally feed the trolls. Chalk it up to one too many single malt scotch's last evening after supper. Now, I'm on my way out of town for 2 days, but I'll be back late Fri night, or Sat morning. So if I don't respond to your next "cute" reply, don't get your feels hurt that I'm ignoring you. I'll be happy to PM you my address if you want to bring that thing by for a spin. But I'm a working man, 70-ish hrs a week normally. So I don't get much time to "play" like some of you interweb ninja warriors (aka trolls). And sometimes I get called out of town on short notice (like now, hospital in town 3 hrs away has emergency equip that went down, so off I go).

So, invitation stands. Bring it by. You're the one with all the free time.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Well, if you are going to take it, then take it...come a running, we will see what it does in one of my food plots... Be prepared to be embarrassed!

SR

I put my money on the tiller.

 

[skipperbrown]

I have a 4' tiller and a 5' wide tractor. The tiller, a King Kutter, is offset and only one tire is not covered. When I am done tilling, there is only one tire track remaining. If you are going to be cultivating 2 acres or more often, I'd recommend a disk over a tiller. It will work the ground much faster and the cost is about the same. We plant about 20 ac in food plots every year and can disk the entire thing in a day, easy. Using a tiller would take a week. You can pull a tiller at about 1 to 2 mph if that fast. A disk can run as fast as HP and roughness allows, in our case, about 5 to 6 mph.

 

[newbury]

I've a 5 foot KK tiller. At my Virginia lot I've mostly Marine clay that is the consistency approaching wet shale. My M4700 with loaded rears had difficulty pulling the tiller for a full depth pass, I had to make two passes. In areas where the soil had more loam it was no problem.

Local conditions can be very important.

 

[cphilip]

Hmmm... my 25 runs a 60" without any problem....And its PTO is just barely over 20HP. Yea it takes two or three passes in virgin clay grassy pasture but thats kind of expected. My 60Hp tractor also took a few passes in that condition.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'm smack dab in the center of ND. I have no idea where "upper midwest" is, but I'm not hiding.

I don't normally feed the trolls. Chalk it up to one too many single malt scotch's last evening after supper.

So, invitation stands. Bring it by. You're the one with all the free time.

No troll here, I'm coming up on two thousand acres of custom ground tilled, most of it through my 6' tiller, (I have three Howards) so I know what works and what doesn't.

Nope, if you want to be embarrassed, pick a time this spring, pm me and I'll give you my address. I'm probably close to a thousand miles away and I don't need to haul my equipment over there when I already know what will happen.

A 25 or 30 pto hp compact tractor just isn't going to handle a 6' Howard, tilling like I do on every custom job I go to...

SR