Troy bilt quality and questions

[jduke]

I am looking for a troy bilt tiller. I understand the garden way versions of the tiller are the best. Is this true? I found a Big Red model, but it is a newer one by MTD with an 11hp B&S motor.

Also, I also found a 6hp horse and 8hp horse both Tecumseh engines. They look like 'older' models. Is there any reason at all to shy away from the Tecumseh motor and keep looking for a Kohler?

 

[gauthier]

Well I'm sure you know that troybilt went out of bussines many years ago and one of those big lawnmower makers[mtd or ayp] bought them.
I got an old horse,made by the original company,and its one of the few things like that you have that you would spend about as much as it costs new to fix.

Bought a new troybilt pressure washer and push mower over the past several years,both I took back to lowes very quick.

 

[2manyrocks]

If you look at the other posts here, some folks have put replacment "chonda'" engines on the older Troy Bilts. They run about $160 at HF full price, but as low as $99 on sale. At that price, it's hardly worth trying to fix the older engines.

What you want is a solid older Horse model. Keep in mind that a new set of tines can cost $150 or more unless someone else knows where to get the good ones cheaper. The tines are an expected wear item.

But if you can find an older one in good condition at the right price, it's hard to beat.

 

[2720wes]

I have never used a MTD Troy-Bilt so I can't commit but I have read many owners that weren't satisfied with them.

I do have an 84 Garden Way Troy-Bilt horse and it has been a fantastic machine and is still going strong. I would NOT sell it for any price, well anything under $2000. I bet it will last the rest of my life, hopefully 40 more years, at its present rate of use. Not a bad investment of $1900 26 years ago

 

[brucew44guns]

AAAHHH---the good old days, so called. I bought a 7hp Koehler horse in 1977. About 730 dollars including freight to Oregon as I recall. I've put 3 or 4 sets of tines on thru the years, has original belts, and tires finally got rotten so replaced them. Carb had to be redone. But that thing still looks excellent, starts on one or 2 pulls, and just is a joy to operate. No way is it leaving here till I die, (might have it chained to my head stone!!) I always used Chevron Delo 30 wt oil, and changed it very frequently if I used it often, just takes a quart. Hope you could find a beautiful condition older original Horse, and 7 HP is plenty to get in some serious tilling.

 

[vfrodl]

I have a 6hp Horse I bought it used in 1985 it still is going strong. I have just replaced the belt, and several sets of tines. It still starts 1 or 2 pulls, till down whatever I want. It has the Tecumseh motor. I have had no problems at all with this motor.

 

[Jeff Quinn]

They ain't what they used to be!
I traded mine for a new BCS several years ago, and am so glad that i did. It tills faster, has three forward gears, and is HEAVY DUTY! Love it! So much smoother than my Troy Built Horse model.

 

[Saxman]

I bought a used Horse in 1986 with the 7HP Kohler engine to see if I liked to garden, something I always wanted to do. Well I did and had a blast so in 1992 I traded it back to the dealer and got all my money back in trade for a brand new Horse with the 8HP Kohler Magnum engine. I have had it ever since, put a new set of hard surfaced tines on it several years ago, I keep it washed and waxed and I am a tick about changing the oil in it. I expect my grandsons to wear it out, been a wonderful machine and I would not trade it for a dozen MTD "troy bilts" It is a shame to see old established names in the business being taken over and ruined to make a quick buck. Always remember, "you get what you pay for"

steve

 

[mojoinco]

Haven't seen any reasons listed that the MTD units are less than the old Garden Way units.

Keep in mind that changes over the years are minimal, though some besides tires and engines are significant:

Some had pto shafts, some of the earliest models may have limited availability of parts (not many), or require a number of other parts to be changed to update the machine (and repair it). Later models had two choices of speed ranges, which required moving the belts to alternate pulleys. There were options for a number of features, but they were always very expensive. Like a welder/generator, chipper, etc, that attached in place of the tilling unit. It was cheaper to buy these units as stand alone purpose built units.

The biggest thing? The Horse is a simple machine that is really the H-D of rototillers. The BCS and similar machines are much nicer, do more, but cost more. You don't do much more than till, or maybe push a bit of snow with one.

 

[2720wes]

Haven't seen any reasons listed that the MTD units are less than the old Garden Way units.


I looked at some of the brochures Garden Way sent when we were thinking about buying the Troy-Bilt. They machined a lot of their own parts, measured everything to tight tolerances, used high quality parts from other manufacturers and had very high quality control. In other words they took great pride in their product and built a precision machine to last which it has.

I would be very surprised if a giant mass producer like MTD did the same. I would bet a lot of mass produced parts from who knows where are used. The few MTD products I have owned were good but far from high quality and didn't last anywhere close to Garden Way or John Deere equipment

 

[johnrex62]

Haven't seen any reasons listed that the MTD units are less than the old Garden Way units.

Keep in mind that changes over the years are minimal, though some besides tires and engines are significant:

Some had pto shafts, some of the earliest models may have limited availability of parts (not many), or require a number of other parts to be changed to update the machine (and repair it). Later models had two choices of speed ranges, which required moving the belts to alternate pulleys. There were options for a number of features, but they were always very expensive. Like a welder/generator, chipper, etc, that attached in place of the tilling unit. It was cheaper to buy these units as stand alone purpose built units.

The biggest thing? The Horse is a simple machine that is really the H-D of rototillers. The BCS and similar machines are much nicer, do more, but cost more. You don't do much more than till, or maybe push a bit of snow with one.

From what I have been reading from the afficianados, the Garden Way product was cast, hand assembled and much more durable than the stamped machine assembled models MTD puts out. The newer machines are significantly lighter and have much more sheet metal than the old machines. I think if you can find an older horse in good condition, you will be happier with it than a new model.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Unless i miss the point newer than 86 is Junk? I have a mtd high wheel mower for trimming had it for maybe ten years every spring starts up good mows good ? Gotta be honest i dont expect to till more than 2 hrs per week or so during gardening season in Maine May - Sept.

 

[2720wes]

Unless i miss the point newer than 86 is Junk?

I believe Garden Way made the Troy-Bilts up to about 2000 and MTD since then.

I wouldn't say the MTD's are junk, just not as good as the Garden Way's. If I were buying a tiller I would buy a used Troy-Bilt from either the 70's, 80's or 90's. Mine is an 84 model and is a fantastic machine.

 

[wbarbour]

what year way the gardenway troybilt model 12058 made?

 

[2720wes]

what year way the gardenway troybilt model 12058 made?

I checked that model number on the MTD online manual site and it said that model number was made between 1992-94. If that information is correct I would say you have one of the good Garden Way TroyBilts

 

[ptexer]

I have a 1980 horse tiller and a 1993 chipper shredder. The tiller goes and goes. Starts first pull every spring with a new plug. I had it for 26 years before changing points. The chipper shredder very heavily used and abused, still running well. There are a lot of internal parts in shredder that need replaced due to normal wear. I can not find all of them. So I had to make them myself. I have rebuilt the machine 3 times with parts I made. It still runs well and is in balance.

 

[wbarbour]

Thanks. I hope it is a good one!

 

[tcreeley]

I've always used a 6hp troybilt. It worked well- but slow. Then I started renting the troybilt large model horse- Did a great job with clay soil, but needs room to maneuver. Then I rented a big size Honda. ( I tried BCS before- lousy.) It was great, better than troybilt. I have arthritis in my left hip and it hurts to walk behind a tiller - but the Honda made all of the difference - got the job done.

 

[Saxman]

I don't think the 1986 date for junk is correct. I have a 1992 Horse with the 8hp Kohler Magnum that is 100% Garden Way made in Troy, NY. It still looks and runs like new and will last me the rest of my life.

Steve

 

[Shmudda]

It's all in how you take care of them.....

Like my grandfather used to say: Take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

Craig