Tiller Tiller

[Boondox]

Chuck -- Do you have an embankment somewhere you could back the trusty old Ford up to? In the days before my FEL I used to back up to a high spot and drag the heavy stuff right out where it didn't have so far to fall.

If you don't have a high spot, I'd suggest buying an FEL, heaping up some dirt... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Glad to hear that heavy mulch no till method actually works.

Pete

 

[bgott]

Back the truck into a ditch, use the tractor to pull the tiller out of the truck and then use the tractor to pull the truck out of the ditch.

 

[Steelfan]

My wife, and I got a great laugh out of this one. She said it sounds like something I would do. Thanks for the idea. Kent

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>it ain't gonna be too heavy</font color=blue>

That's too bad, Chuck. Thought maybe I'd found a trade for the size I want./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I suspect you'll enjoy it.

<font color=blue>I assume it was wheat straw, but it was still full of seeds</font color=blue>

That would not be good. I got oat straw from one neighbor and then wheat straw from another neighbor and so far there hasn't appeared to be any seed in either, so I've been very pleased with both.

 

[Chuck52]

Dang bgott, I read your suggestion too late. I have a fine ditch for that technique, and instead of pulling the truck out after off-loading the tiller, I could have just left it there as part of the bridge I need to build! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

In fact, I used my compost pile as an un-loading dock. Turned out to be no biggie. My son and I levered the tiller in it's skeleton crate up enough to slide some plywood under it. Then we just slid it off onto the nice soft pile and drove the truck out from under it. We were then able to wrestle it to the ground and prop it up in good position to hook it up to the tractor. Turns out my old L210 lifts it without too much groaning. I think the lift points on this tractor may be closer than the average new tractors, which helps with the lifting. Unfortunately it also means I have to shorten the pto shaft by about 3". Doesn't look like too big a deal; should be able to do it with my hacksaw. Anyway, I've got it all oiled up and greased, so I'm gonna shorten the shaft and try it out. The garden spot is probably too wet for good tilling, but I'll make a pass or two just to see how it goes. I may have to get some paint. The KK yellow clashes rather badly with Kubota orange. As a Volunteer, I think I'll go with orange!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Nice to know I did it about like most folks would have.


Chuck

 

[Chuck52]

OK. Three hours later, and I've shortened the pto shaft, tilled my small garden and also some pretty deep ruts the excavator left in moving dirt from here to there. So far, the only times I blew black smoke (or rather the L210 did...I blow green smoke occasionally) were when I was going along the edge of the garden tilling up really thick sod, and when I was smoothing out the ruts, which were also through thick sod. I didn't adjust the depth setting on the tiller, which is set at the center hole in a set of five (I think). When it started laboring, I lifted it a bit with the 3ph. I could use some more weight on the front of the tractor, but I can get by with it as is. I have front wheel weights, and I'll probably rig up something to add 100lbs or so to the front.

BTW, before cutting the pto shaft I did a search and found <font color=red>Bird</font color=red> telling someone or other how easy it was. I think he said "like cutting butter". Must be that Texas butter. Missouri butter is quite a bit harder. I went through three hacksaw blades cutting the two shafts. Of course Bird was talking about using a sawsall, and I was using my hacksaw (and I buy cheap blades), but that shouldn't make much difference, right? /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I spent more time cutting the pto shaft than tilling, but it looks like I can do what I need to do with this setup.

Chuck

 

[Bird]

Chuck, if I had to cut one now, I'd sure use my air saw, but at the time I did it on the tiller, I didn't have the air saw; just used an old fashioned manual hacksaw and didn't even wear out one blade./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Actually, I was very surprised at how easy it was to cut. Maybe Bush Hog uses softer metal for their drive shafts than the King Kutter does./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Of course, I also had the shaft in a vise on the workbench, so it was held firmly in place. Don't know whether you did or whether you were just holding it and sawing, but that could make a difference, too./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

At least I'll bet you're not as tired as I am after planting 12 bundles of onion sets this morning./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[Chuck52]

Bird, I did have it in a vise, but I was trying to be gentle with it and not distort it so much it might warp below my cut. Anyway, I couldn't lean into it as well as I should have. The @#$% cheap blades were most of the problem however. You get what you pay for, or at least sometimes you do.....well maybe not too often anymore....but you sure don't get much cheap!

If someone hasn't already done it, a good invention would be a simple device to plant onion sets while standing. All that bending over does me in real quick. I wonder if you couldn't drop them down a piece of pvc and then poke them in with a padded rod. I usually just push them in with my fingers...no need to dig a hole if the soil is nice and fluffy like I'll make it with my new toy. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif The problem would then be to figure some kind of manifold to load it up so you wouldn't have to pull the rod all the way out. Or I guess you could dig a furrow, use the tube to position the bulbs, and then rake the soil over them. That might work with beans and other big seeds too. Am I a genius or a reinventor of the wheel? Anyway, I sure hate the bending stuff. Those were the bare onion sets and not the slips, right?

Chuck

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Titanic

I have a 7500 brochure in front of me and it lists in the
implement chart a BL52C 49"(1250mm) tiller. I'd say the 50"
is OK.

 

[Bird]

Chuck, I've tried a number of ways of planting those onions and concluded there ain't no good way./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I always use the onion slips (just don't hear them called that around here). Never have tried the little bulbs. The ones I got this year are some of the largest, best looking plants I've gotten. The crate said they were bundled (with a rubber band) with 60 plants per bundle, but of course you actually get quite a few more than that I think. I've been just tilling the row, stretch my string to mark it, then get down on my hands and knees and stick them in the ground one at a time (always wind up with either too few to finish the last row or a little too many). So this time I ran the tiller down the rows, stretched my string, then with my little "V" bladed hoe make a little trench and just laid them out in the trench. Then I went back and went down the rows standing them up and pulling the dirt in on each side. That worked faster than anything else I've tried. The soil tilled quite well, but was just a little damper than I would prefer. Of course, I plant them only about 2" apart, and when they start to grow, we'll pull about every other one for green onions and to let the others have room to grow.