Tiller worth it?

B7500 · Jun 2, 2003

I have an area a little under 1 acre (200x200) that I want to plant a garden. Would that size justify buying a tiller for my tractor?
Thanks,
Terry

Bird · Jun 2, 2003

Absolutely!

jmattox1 · Jun 2, 2003

B7500,

I have 2 small gardens due to the way my property is laid out. Total area is 30X70 and 20X30.

Just purchased (Early April) for an early Fathers Day present a 5' Landpride Tiller.

I have tilled both gardens put in grass seed with it, yep hand sewn then tilled in works great, and pepaired flower beds with it.

Once you purchase it you may think of many other projects it may help with.

GaryK · Jun 2, 2003

I have a Caroni tiller and love it, I till three gardens of varying sizes. It sure beats walking behind a selfpropelled tiller that beats the hell out of you in rocky soil. I think the Caroni was about $850 and you would pay that much for a good walk behind. Where I live now the soil has NO rocks and i am finished in no time.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 2, 2003

I think that would justify a small tiller. It might cost 2 times as much as a decent walk behind tiller, but is easier on your back and is one less thing to keep running.

Cdash · Jun 3, 2003

Seeing how I plant a 30x30 garden and bought a 5' King Kutter tiller, I would say your garden sizes justify it. They do a good job and don't beat you up, like others have said!

Anonymous Poster · Jun 3, 2003

Well, I'll chime in with everyone else--definitely worth it! I do a 30'x30' garden every year and my First Choice 4' tiller saved my back this year. I'm thinking about expanding the garden next year and the tiller will definitely do the job easier, faster, and better than a walk-behind. Besides, it's always fun playing (working, I mean) with the power toys! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

B7500 · Jun 3, 2003

Thanks guys for all of your inputs. Now, which one and what size would be good for my tractor/area size?

robertm · Jun 3, 2003

Hey B7500 let me know what you decide and how it works. I have the same thoughts, and I have a B7500, too. What model Bearcat do you have? Do you like it? I'm looking for one of those, too! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

I have a 75' X 200' garden and I till it with the tractor. You could do it with a walk behind fairly easily now that it has been created and the soil is in good shape. I do my little garden with a mantis "chainsaw" (2 cycle) tiller. That garden is 25' X 50'. The soil is light and there are almost no rocks at this point. It takes so little time to do it with the small tiller there is no point in putting the big tiller on the tractor. I leave the backhoe on the tractor, and though it is easy to take on and off, it does take some time to do.
In my experience the big job is creating a new garden. I won't use herbicide in my vegetable gardens so eliminating the sod has been a big challenge in the past. If you till it in you have chopped up grass that grows back with a vengeance and you fight it all season. Every time you till you also expose new grass and weed seeds that sprout and you fight them too. What I do now is take the backhoe and cut off the sod. I find that with the FEL I tended to remove too much soil, with the backhoe I can take off just the amount of sod I want. Then I dig down 15" or so with the backhoe to loosen up the soil and remove all the rocks (I have a LOT of rocks). The tiller will only get down six to eight inches deep. When I used the tiller in the past to loosen up the soil for a new bed I thought at times it was going to bounce so hard on the rocks it would rip off the tractor. I had to till with the parking brake engaged to keep the tiller from driving the tractor forward and I bolted angle iron to the top of the tiller so I could stack cement blocks on it to add additional weight.
After the rocks are out of the new bed I till once to chop the clods up and then add compost and soil to replace the volume of rocks I’ve removed and till again. After that the tilling is almost effortless.
We have been using weed barrier fabric in the garden for the last few years and it is a great time saver. We used to fight the weeds all summer long and now a few minutes with the hoe takes care of any that sneak through the gaps in the fabric. I hated weeding corn and onions in the past because the sprouting grass looks just like them. Now I plant them through the weed barrier and forget about them until it is harvest time.
A small tiller would probably do your garden just fine. If you purchase one that is smaller then the width of your tire tracks though, be sure that you can shift it to one side to eliminate one tire track. This limits you to being able to till in only one direction in the bed but that is seldom an issue. With my BX22 the weight of most tillers is an issue. Even most of the smallest ones are over the mfg’s stated 3pt weight limit for my tractor. You should consider that when making your purchase. Given the choice I’d buy one large enough to eliminate both tire tracks.

B7500 · Jun 4, 2003

Thanks DaveB, good tips! I'll probably do just as you because I still have small tree stubs to remove first. The BH will do that best.
-T

buck1 · Jun 4, 2003

Get out there and beat the ground with a hoe for two hours. Then use one of those so called upright garden tillers that will jar your brains out. You'll know the answer REAL quick. I'll save you the trouble, get the pto tiller.

B7500 · Jun 4, 2003

Buck1, thanks for the reply. I never intended to use one of those "upright tilles" because I bought a tractor to use it. But, don't you think digging it up first with my hoe makes sense?
-Terry

B7500 · Jun 4, 2003

RobertM,
Sorry to take so long with your question. I have a Bearcat model 73454 that is a perfect match for your and my B7500. Does an excellent job. (see attached)

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2003

I have about 2 acres. I have been using a troybuilt horse (8HP) for abot 15 years. Its hard work. I ahve a bad leg, infact I hope to have it amputated later this month I was looking for a small tractor about amonth ago and ran accross an add for a mower deck and a tiller for an MTD 20 HP garden tractor for $200. I went and looked at them they were brand new so I bought them as I needed a mower deck, mine is about rusted out. I wanted to try the tiller . I had to modify my Murray 18 HP garden tractor to mount the tiller. Actually it was just drilling some holes and getting some different belts for the included PTO. I works great I can till as much area with it in an hour and a half as I could in a day with the troybuilt. Last week I got the tractor I really wanted a Yanmar F20D and it came with a tiller also I have not yet had a chance to use it. I will probably not get a chance to use it until I get my new leg. Gives me something to look forward to.

Bird · Jun 5, 2003

The tiller news sounds good, but sorry to hear about the leg. Hope all goes well for you, and I know you'll enjoy those tillers that do the work while you ride instead of walk.

B7500 · Jun 5, 2003

Ditto Bird.

boustany · Jun 6, 2003

well, I have (well my wife has) a garden that is about 100' by 50', give or take, but I till all my neeighbours gardens too, so I do about an acre a year. I have a 48" tiller and it works fine.

Many tillers 'side shift' to they don't have to be big to do the job. I said it a dozen times before, but tilling is so fast and efficient with a CUT and tiller, you don't have to go for size.

ps: if you have a garage with a solid floor, make a dolly to move the tiller around with. It really speeds up attachment.

Chief · Jun 11, 2003

I have a garden about half that size. I have been wrestling with an Ardisam Earth Quake walk behind tiller for several years. I finally get tired of a soar back, and Popeye forearms. Got a Land Pride 1584 tiller. LOVE IT! Took me maybe a half hour to do what used to take me 8 hours. And I had fun for a change. Get the PTO tiller! No brainer for me. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mosey · Jun 11, 2003

You're getting a lot of "yes" responses, and I agree. I do feel like I should point out one disadvantage of a tiller for your tractor vs a walk behind, just so you have all the facts before you buy anything. If you're used to tilling in between the rows after things start growing, then you'll have to space things really far apart. I also have and old front tine tiller that I use for that, since once the ground is loosened up good it's not too bad on my back. But, a better solution that I just started last year, is to mulch in between the rows with grass clippings. I put it down about 2" thick, so it blocks the light and weeds don't grow. That saves a lot of time and effort in the long run and keeps the moisture in. It also makes good fertilizer for the next season. I don't even use my walk behind anymore except to go in during mid season and till up and area to replant something.