Tillers? Forward or reverse rotation? Makers?

[JimME]

Jay,

I live in Maine and was wondering if you have success creating a good seedbed relatively free of rocks with your 3 pt. tiller?

I've plowed and disced a garden area then used a Troy-Bilt tiller to try and get a seedbed. There were too many rocks left on top to allow me to use my walk behind seeder and I had to seed by hand.

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[JimME]

Jay,

I live in Maine and was wondering if you have success creating a good seedbed relatively free of rocks with your 3 pt. tiller?

I've plowed and disced a garden area then used a Troy-Bilt tiller to try and get a seedbed. There were too many rocks left on top to allow me to use my walk behind seeder and I had to seed by hand.

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[GaryE]

<font color="blue"> I live in Maine and was wondering if you have success creating a good seedbed relatively free of rocks with your 3 pt. tiller? </font>

Jim,

The easiest way I have found is to till it, scoop the top soil and rocks out with your FEL and sift it. Then return soil to the bed and rottotill, repeat as needed.

Good luck,

Gary

 

[GaryE]

<font color="blue"> I live in Maine and was wondering if you have success creating a good seedbed relatively free of rocks with your 3 pt. tiller? </font>

Jim,

The easiest way I have found is to till it, scoop the top soil and rocks out with your FEL and sift it. Then return soil to the bed and rottotill, repeat as needed.

Good luck,

Gary

 

[63DH8]

I recently bought a reverse roation Landpride for my 4x4 15 hp Bolens. I've had rocks half the size of footballs get kicked forward of the tiller by the tines. Prior to getting a clutch PTO shaft from DDT, (Thanks DDT! You're a Godsend!) the shearbolt would break and I'd have to replace the bolt. It got to the point where I bought a box of 100 bolts as replacement. I no longer have to do that thanks to the PTO clutch.

My little Bolens\Iseki doesn't seem to have much problems pulling the tiller even in hardpacked ground.

I have a friend who has a larger regular rotation Landpride tiller. My reverese roatation tiller seems to leave the ground smoother than his forward roation tiller. He was impressed enough where he traded his tiller in for a reverse roation tiller.

 

[63DH8]

I recently bought a reverse roation Landpride for my 4x4 15 hp Bolens. I've had rocks half the size of footballs get kicked forward of the tiller by the tines. Prior to getting a clutch PTO shaft from DDT, (Thanks DDT! You're a Godsend!) the shearbolt would break and I'd have to replace the bolt. It got to the point where I bought a box of 100 bolts as replacement. I no longer have to do that thanks to the PTO clutch.

My little Bolens\Iseki doesn't seem to have much problems pulling the tiller even in hardpacked ground.

I have a friend who has a larger regular rotation Landpride tiller. My reverese roatation tiller seems to leave the ground smoother than his forward roation tiller. He was impressed enough where he traded his tiller in for a reverse roation tiller.

 

[jbrumberg]

Jim:
I really like my new CCM M-160 tiller, but it does not "create" new seed beds that are rock free. GaryE's suggestion is machine intensive, but effective at establishing a rock free seed bed. In established gardens my tiller leaves a rock free bed. In creating new seed beds I still use a field mattock/bar pick (ocassionally), garden fork, and pick rocks manually after tilling (The tiller is good at bringing up small rocks as well as locating big rocks. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) Subsequent tillings paired with the introduction of organic materials, various rock dusts, etc, leaves a good seed bed. I still get a "rock harvest" each spring, but it is manageable. I used to use my single bottom plow prior to tilling, but I've gotten pretty lazy about attaching implements and I still had to pick rocks. Perseverance and time will win out in the end. Hang in there and good luck! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Jay

 

[jbrumberg]

Jim:
I really like my new CCM M-160 tiller, but it does not "create" new seed beds that are rock free. GaryE's suggestion is machine intensive, but effective at establishing a rock free seed bed. In established gardens my tiller leaves a rock free bed. In creating new seed beds I still use a field mattock/bar pick (ocassionally), garden fork, and pick rocks manually after tilling (The tiller is good at bringing up small rocks as well as locating big rocks. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) Subsequent tillings paired with the introduction of organic materials, various rock dusts, etc, leaves a good seed bed. I still get a "rock harvest" each spring, but it is manageable. I used to use my single bottom plow prior to tilling, but I've gotten pretty lazy about attaching implements and I still had to pick rocks. Perseverance and time will win out in the end. Hang in there and good luck! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Jay

 

[neverenough]

I have been doing a lot of research on the tillers myself. I'm leaning towords the Landpride counter rotating tiller, but not sold on it yet. One thing I have been told is the "C" shaped tines take less power to work than the "L" shaped ones. The only counter rotating tillers I have found have the "C" shaped tines. This may negate some of the need for more power vs. an "L" tine tiller.

Land pride makes counter rotating tillers, as does Agric. Deere offers a hydraulic 42 inch tiller that can run either way.

 

[neverenough]

I have been doing a lot of research on the tillers myself. I'm leaning towords the Landpride counter rotating tiller, but not sold on it yet. One thing I have been told is the "C" shaped tines take less power to work than the "L" shaped ones. The only counter rotating tillers I have found have the "C" shaped tines. This may negate some of the need for more power vs. an "L" tine tiller.

Land pride makes counter rotating tillers, as does Agric. Deere offers a hydraulic 42 inch tiller that can run either way.