Tiller 6' King Kutter tiller owners, how many HP do you drive with?

[napabavarian]

I'm trying to decide between the 5' and the 6' models, and at the inflated California price I can't just get the 6' and not worry about the difference.

I have 32hp at the PTO, the 6' is rated for 35 minimum, it is also $300 more than the 5', but the 5' won't quite cover my tracks, 2.5" on each side, I can live with that if I need to.

I'd like to know how many people drive with less than 32 pto hp, and do you need to make multiple passes in hard ground?

Thanks!
Karl

 

[bjcsc]

Yes you make multiple passes in hard ground. Another factor to consider is your tractor's slowest ground speed at whatever engine rpm. If your lowest ground speed is too fast at your rated HP RPM, you'll have to give up HP to lower the travel speed. I run a 6' tiller in e540 most of the time. There are some times I run it at full power, too, but I've got some low ground speeds...

 

[newt92]

Hi Karl, I have a 5' KK tiller that I run on my JD 2520 and it handles it just fine. The 2520 is PTO rated at 20.5 and the tractor is 26.5 hp. I had a JD 2210 and used this tiller on it and was too much. I dont think you will have a problem at all with a 6' having 32 PTO hp. As far as hard ground, if really hard I use the skid shoes all the way up then take them off and go deeper if needed. Sod I will make two passes also to grind up better, and for gardens, one pass is all it takes. Any other questions just ask and good luck!!

Dennis

 

[Reg]

I run a 6ft KK II on a (nominal) 42 HP all gear tractor, I forget what the PTO HP is, but I don't lose as much as I would with a hydrostatic.
I run it in relatively sandy soil, but have busted old well compacted sod with it.
I have never had to use the 540 PTO gear, just the 1,000 RPM gear with the engine speed reduced to 54%
In the lowest gear the tiller pushes the tractor.

 

[napabavarian]

I understand more better now

So, I ran over to dixon, a 50 mile drive, and looked, I asked about the price increase and got some bleah bleah bleah about the cost of manufacture and fuel going up... I pointed out that this item had 2 stickers on it, so their cost couldn't have gone up on an item they had before the increase

Finally I asked if I bought it could I send a letter of complaint and they gave me a form and address, so I said I'd do it, I figured I'd either get the problem resolved with corporate, or never do buisness with them again and tell everyone about my eperience

Oh, I'm sorry, we don't tke American Express.

great, the only reason I have that card is Costco wouldn't take Visa/mastercard... Oh well... So I sit here without a tiller kinda iritated.

 

[newt92]

Boy that stinks!! Hope you find one soon. I stopped at my local Tractor Supply Store today while I was going by and there prices are as follows,

4' KK $1,249.99 + tax
5' KK $1,299.99 + tax
6' KK $1,499.99 + tax

I bought my 5' back in Feb of 04. They were $999.99 and with a 10% discount for being a farm bureau member. All said and done was around $950.

 

[allen in texas]

I run a 6' king kutter on my 3240 HST. It has 25 PTO HP. I've never had a problem and I till deep. Our soil here is sandy loam but it will get really hard when it's dry but when it's that hard, the tiller just bounces anyway so I water or wait for rain.

I can run at a ground speed that seems too fast for the tiller and not load the tractor too much so the 6 footer works for me.

 

[napabavarian]

$1900 delivered from agri supply, and I won't be back to tractor supply don't know why it would need more power, I can spin the slip clutch with my 32 in tuff ground.

 

[xlr82v2]

I'm running my 6' KK tiller on my Mahindra 3525, 27 "rated" hp... Plenty of power.

I think KK's HP requirement ratings for the tillers are pretty conservative, by at least 5 to maybe even 10 horsepower. I tilled up some virgin sod that probably hasn't been worked in 30 years that was previously cow pasture, now "lawn" and although the tractor knew the tiller was back there, it didn't have any problems running it... and I've got 8 HP less than the "recommended" from King Kutter for my tiller. In that sod, I wouldn't want much less HP, but like I said, with 27hp I had no problems at all and did not run out of power, I could always accelerate above PTO speed with the throttle if I wanted to.

With 32HP at the PTO, you'll have no problems at all with a 6 footer...

As far as multiple passes in hard ground, I think that mostly depends on your soil type and the moisture level and your travel speed more than anything else. On my previously worked garden, one pass with the tiller and it was ready to go, but the sod required 2 passes, and 3 would have really had all the grass chopped up nicely. My ground is mostly loamy soil, with some clay in spots. It typically works up beautifully.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I've got a 6' KK tiller. It's spent time on several tractors in the past 7 years. Most frequently, it's used behind a 47 hp tractor but has been used with 60hp and 32hp. I've used it in some conditions where 32 just wasn't enough. (hard, dry sod) I tilled just over an acre yesterday with the 47 hp tractor. At full depth, in moist sod, the tractor almost didn't know the tiller was even back there.

32hp (Massey Ferguson 50, Continental 4-cyl gas) struggled with the tiller in hard clay ground with fescue sod.

60hp (John Deere 2440, 4-cyl diesel) toys with the 6' tiller in anything.

47hp (MF150, 3-cyl Perkins diesel) is more than adaquate in most all conditions. Motor "works" in hard ground, but never has to lug.