Charles Billings
Silver Member
I have been looking for a 6 ft King Kutter rotary tiller to turn my garden over and plant some winter rye. Those dealers that I have contacted locally said they wouldn't have any more until spring. So, when I saw the following auction ad I decided to go: Auction Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009. "Farm Equipment - 50+ NEW 3 pt hitch farm impliments to include: Bush Hogs, Tillers, Grader Blades, Finish Mowers, Fertilizer Spreaders and Much More!!" Their picture showed a 54-tine tiller still in its crate and listed items 1004 and 1005 as 6 ft tillers. In response to my email they replied that all of the implements were King Kutter.
So, I made the 3 hour trip (each way) to New Hampshire. Item 1004 was bid beyond my interst level--the guy who got it was not going to stop bidding, so I did, knowing there was one more 6 footer. I won item 1005 for $1322.50, a reasonable price for a new 6 KK, minus any warranty. I kept questioning how new these machines were, because it was obvious that they had some use, but was assured that they were new, with perhaps some demo use.
When I got the tiller home, off the truck and on some blocks, I started to play with it a little, and was dismayed to find that I could spin the PTO shaft freely without any obstruction, but the tiller shaft/blades did not rotate. I didn't hear any grinding noise, which was some relief. I removed the side gear box cover, and as I did the top gear (#17 in KK's manual/16 teeth) dropped out on top of the cover. There is no sign of a retaining ring, although now I know it should be there, I will search again when I have some day light. There are some small nicks on three teeth (approximately 10 to 11 o'clock) of the middle gear (#16). This obviously occurred when the top gear slid down and lodged against the middle.
If I read KK's tiller manual correctly, gear #17 is only held in place by a retaining ring, unlike gears #'s 16 and 18, which are held in place with a flat washer and bolt. If all I need to do to rescue this machine is to buy and install a new retaining ring, I guess I can overcome the fact that this KK was not "NEW", as advertised. I won't know for sure if everything works as intended until I get the top gear back in place and secured to the pinion shaft with a retaining ring.
Is anyone familiar enough with the KK gear box, or the information in their manual, to say if I have diagnosed the problem and solution correctly? Also, are retaining rings generic so I could get one locally, or should I order one from KK? Any other comments or suggestions are welcome.
So, I made the 3 hour trip (each way) to New Hampshire. Item 1004 was bid beyond my interst level--the guy who got it was not going to stop bidding, so I did, knowing there was one more 6 footer. I won item 1005 for $1322.50, a reasonable price for a new 6 KK, minus any warranty. I kept questioning how new these machines were, because it was obvious that they had some use, but was assured that they were new, with perhaps some demo use.
When I got the tiller home, off the truck and on some blocks, I started to play with it a little, and was dismayed to find that I could spin the PTO shaft freely without any obstruction, but the tiller shaft/blades did not rotate. I didn't hear any grinding noise, which was some relief. I removed the side gear box cover, and as I did the top gear (#17 in KK's manual/16 teeth) dropped out on top of the cover. There is no sign of a retaining ring, although now I know it should be there, I will search again when I have some day light. There are some small nicks on three teeth (approximately 10 to 11 o'clock) of the middle gear (#16). This obviously occurred when the top gear slid down and lodged against the middle.
If I read KK's tiller manual correctly, gear #17 is only held in place by a retaining ring, unlike gears #'s 16 and 18, which are held in place with a flat washer and bolt. If all I need to do to rescue this machine is to buy and install a new retaining ring, I guess I can overcome the fact that this KK was not "NEW", as advertised. I won't know for sure if everything works as intended until I get the top gear back in place and secured to the pinion shaft with a retaining ring.
Is anyone familiar enough with the KK gear box, or the information in their manual, to say if I have diagnosed the problem and solution correctly? Also, are retaining rings generic so I could get one locally, or should I order one from KK? Any other comments or suggestions are welcome.
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