Tilling Tips

[oldballs]

Being fairly new at using a tractor driven tiller, I've encountered a few problems. How about some tips from the more experienced.

My ground has been gardened 40 years with a walk behind tiller and lots of hoeing. But when I let my Kubota tractor/tiller loose in the garden some new problems arise.

1. At the start of a row (run) when I rev up to 540 PTO there is this large hump left behind that has to be hand leveled with a shovel and rake.:thumbdown:

2. At the end of a row (run) when I release the PTO and raise the tiller, there is this large hole that has to be hand leveled with a shovel and rake.:thumbdown:

Anybody got some ideas on how to feather this out without the above nuisance?

 

[jim44]

For #1, I till from the center of the garden out, then overlap a little and do the other side. This at least puts the hump in the center where it's a little easier to deal with. Also if you start moving before you drop the tiller it helps a little bit.

For #2, beats me! I've been trying to figure that one out myself. If you lift the tiller gradually as you approach the edge, it helps a little, but it's not really a solution.

 

[wmonroe]

Subscribing as I have the same issues.

 

[oldballs]

Well folks, we may not get many replies since this is the season for snow, not tilling. At least we know that we aren't alone in this dilemma. I guess after spending years on the back end of a forward tine tiller, a little raking ain't all that bad............I guess. So far, we have half of the hump figured out, and now let's go for the hole.

 

[2458n]

Back drag with your front loader.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

When you're finished tilling, you could make one pass ACROSS each end to level it out. Then you'd only have one starting and one stopping point on each end to level out by hand.

 

[oldballs]

Now there's two good tips. I can tell you all what not to do. I hooked up the back blade to try and grade the humps and holes out( no position control). I consider that a small disaster because it compacted the tilled up areas and just formed a lot of windrows of dirt ridges. But, "heck", I already admitted that I'm an amateur. I can't make a cross run on my 50 x 100 garden because the sides have the deer fence in place. Actually it felt good to know that I can still sling some dirt with a shovel.........if I have to.

 

[bigdeano]

When I till with my garden tractor I have the blade on the front to level any booboos.

 

[reddog6601]

Is your tiller offset to one side? If so, it should cover the wheel tracks on that side. Keeping the offset side to the inside if the garden when you cross till should take care of most of the low spots.

 

[oldballs]

Well I had the FEL on so I could back drag as noted above on the end run holes. Getting those start humps leveled out is a problem since that end of the garden still has the deer fence standing. Guess I could take down that fence end also. Fencing sure complicates things.
And thank you all thus far.
Cheers,
Mike