Troy Bilt Horse Tiller

[jeep44]

I picked up one of those old Horse 1 tillers a few weeks ago, with a 6hp Tecumseh,and two matched belts, from an ad on CL for $65.From a date on a sticker on the hood, I'm guessing it is a '76 model. It was very rusty from having been left outside,and there was so much play in the main shaft that it had ruined the seal at the pulley end. I was going to put a new engine on it, but when I pulled the head,everything looked very good and unworn,so I decided to re-use it. I doubt any new engine is made like this HH60 cast iron one,anyway. The carb was filled with gooey dried gas,and it took some doing to get it all out. The gas tank was rusty, but I got a plastic tank from another TB tiller off eBay. New seals and bearing shims on the mainshaft,and a set of new tines,plus new points,condensor,and plug. I probably put a little more than $200 into it in total,and it is a good,strong-running machine. With none of the safety interlocks that are on my '87 7hp Horse, I can just stand there as it runs down a row. I repainted the whole thing,and I am quite pleased with it-there is nothing like the Garden-Way made TroyBilts!

 

[Michael Veach]

I just bought what appears to be an older model troybilt tiller that I found on web classifieds. The add stated "older model tiller hasn't run in years" I went to look at it and the man said someone gave it to him not running many years before, and it's been outside in the New England weather for past 5 or more years. I like to tinker, so I paid him $30.00 since the motor seemed to have good compression. When my son and I got it home, we put gas in it, a new spark plug and primed the carb with engine starter. I was amazed when it started on the first pull. After changing the oil, I started it again and proceeded to till up a hard compact area of my back yard under an old maple tree that I've been avoiding for the past 10+ years. This machine chewed up that "hard" compact dirt into "perfect" workable soil in a 30x30 area in about 15-20 minutes. I only found a portion of a decal on the plate behind the tines with Troybilt name, and a techumseh emblem on the front of the engine. I don't know the size of the engine, or year or model of the tiller. Does anyone know of web page with pictures of older model troybilt tillers?

 

[bontai_Joe]

Does your tiller look close to the one in the photo above your post? If yes, then it's a Horse model. The serial number would be on the transmission case stamped in the cast iron on the top left side (I think?). That will allow some one here to pin down a year of manufacture.

 

[boxygen]

Its truely amazing how well those old tecumseh engines run. I started mine in the dead of winter with one pull. Of course I didnt have any tilling to in Febuary in maine but I just wanted to see if it would. I wish my other, much newer stuff ran that well. The old troybilts are tough as it gets.

 

[coobie]

I bought a older troy-bilt horse tiller today with the 8hp briggs engine in good condition and paid $750.coobie

 

[jeep44]

Like the other person stated,the serial number will be on the top edge of the transmission case,by the tire on the right side. The T-handle,BTW,is the where you would fill the trans. with gear oil (You would unscrew it and fill through the hole that handle is threaded into. The upper pipe plug in the side of the transmission is the level hole for the trans-you would fill it until it runs out there.

I just bought what appears to be an older model troybilt tiller that I found on web classifieds. The add stated "older model tiller hasn't run in years" I went to look at it and the man said someone gave it to him not running many years before, and it's been outside in the New England weather for past 5 or more years. I like to tinker, so I paid him $30.00 since the motor seemed to have good compression. When my son and I got it home, we put gas in it, a new spark plug and primed the carb with engine starter. I was amazed when it started on the first pull. After changing the oil, I started it again and proceeded to till up a hard compact area of my back yard under an old maple tree that I've been avoiding for the past 10+ years. This machine chewed up that "hard" compact dirt into "perfect" workable soil in a 30x30 area in about 15-20 minutes. I only found a portion of a decal on the plate behind the tines with Troybilt name, and a techumseh emblem on the front of the engine. I don't know the size of the engine, or year or model of the tiller. Does anyone know of web page with pictures of older model troybilt tillers?

 

[WayneB]

I just bought what appears to be an older model troybilt tiller that I found on web classifieds. The add stated "older model tiller hasn't run in years" I went to look at it and the man said someone gave it to him not running many years before, and it's been outside in the New England weather for past 5 or more years.

If it has the PTO tine drive then it was built post 1989. I am not sure just when they switched engines on the Horse models, but it is possible that it would be the HH60 engine. The older models had the Kohler engines on the horse models I think.

Most of the tillers from that age group were the 6 HP HH-60's. They also built the 7 HP and 8 HP models and I believe, not sure, that the 7 HP models were mostly Kohler or Briggs engines and the 8 HP were Briggs engines in the early years.

Information from the Troybilt parts manual:

The 6HP Tecumseh Model HH60 specification # 105115H is the standard recoil starting, manual choke, dual element air cleaner with a 1" crankshaft turned down at the tpower takeoff end to 3/4".

The 6HP Tecumseh Modle #HH-60, specification # 105116H is the electric starting, manual choke same as ab ove but with the electric start and key switch starting system.

The 7 HP Kohler, "Professional" model #K161T, specificaiton #281293 was the standard recoil starting model. Has a remote throttle lever engine shtoff switch, introduced on tiller serial #599200.

On the 8 HP models most of the older tillers were the Briggs & Stratton "Professional", model #195432 type #0149-01 standard recoil starting. Troybilt also offered the 8 HP Briggs with electric start and the model # was 195437.

Serial number locations:

On Tillers shipped before 7/5/71 look on top left hand side of the motor mount and the part number will start with 1002.

On tillers shipped after 7/5/71 look on the transmission case (right hand side) part number will start with 1000. This is about 41/2" right above the wheel axle.

If you would like copies of the Troybult stuff send me your email address and I will try to email them to you. wbracy at gsinet.net (you have to replace the at with @)

 

[jas67]

I got a Troybilt Horse for $50 in similar condition. The big problem, is that it sat outside with no spark plug in it. I didn't even bother with the engine. It was seized. Even if I could free it, the carb was probably junk from sitting to long anyway. I picked up a 6.5HP Briggs from an eBay vendor for about $220 including shipping. That plus a pair of new belts, and a reverse disc from Replacement Parts and Accessories for your Troy-Bilt tiller - CustomPartsInc.com for $29.99 (MTD (who now owns Troybilt) wants $59 for one), and a couple of shims to re-shim the main transmission shaft (it had about 3/16" of play), and its like a new tiller. The total investment was a little under $400. These tillers typically sell around me for $600-$800 (closer $800 when they have new or newer engines).

 

[jeep44]

I can't understand why someone would leave an expensive,valuable machine like one of these tillers outside to just rust away. They are like an old Jeep or an old Harley-no matter how far gone they are,someone will always rescue them and get them running again.

 

[Saxman]

I have had some experience with Troy Bilt tillers. In 1986 I bought a used 1981 Horse from a dealer to see if they were as good as I had always heard. This Horse had a 7 HP K series Kohler engine. At that time there were two top of the line units or Pro models as some called them, the 7 HP Kohler and the 8 HP with the industrial Briggs. I have always been a big fan of the cast iron Kohlers so it was a no brainer for me which unit to choose. In 1992 I traded the 7 HP tiller back to the same dealer on a brand new 8HP unit with the new Kohler Magnum series engine, by the way he allowed me what I paid for the 81 model in on the new tiller. I have had the 8 HP Horse ever since, I keep it washed and waxed and in the garage so it still looks new, in the 17 years of hard use I have replaced the tines one time, used the hard surfaced tines, the recoil rope one time and one drive belt. They are great machines and this one will last me for the rest of my life.

Steve