Tiller forward or reverse?

[sbakf]

My last postings were directed at what size tractor I needed. I settled on a Kubota L5740 - bought it a few days after they went back to the 60 month 0%. I packaged it with a number of implements (perhaps too many), but still find myself wanting for more or better. I have nearly 20 acres of very rough pasture(s). Previous owner had leased the property (40 Ac total) to a bird hunting club and the pastures were repeatedly disked and seeded - nothing more. They used a very big MF with dual rear wheels and disks about half the size of the rear wheels on my Kubota. The fields look beautiful from a distance after I hit them with my rotary cutter, but I'm beating the **** out of myself (and my tractor) in doing so. These fields are rougher than a dried rocky river bottom in the mountains of eastern TN. I've got to get them smoothed out - but how? My 6' disk, cultipacker and/or box blade will work, but it might take me until December to finish - don't know if my body would last that long though. It takes me about 5-10 passes with the above to get a 6' strip flat enough and suitable to reseed - too laborious to my way of thinking. With pad and pencil, I'm figuring 35 there-and-backs of 208' each to cover 1 acre - and that's only one pass-over. As stated, it's taking me 5-10 passes with the above implements to prep for seeding.

I wanted a rotary tiller from the beginning - tractor salesman talked me out of it - he said a disk/cultipacker combo would do the job. True, but I sometimes feel like I'm trying to take down a mountain with a spoon. Would a tiller make life easier? I had been looking at a 80"-88" Bush Hog, direct drive tiller. I got so frustrated one afternoon, I caller my tractor salesman and told him that if the Bush Hog tiller would fit my LP quick hitch, to put it on his truck and get it to me first thing next morning. He call back later and sadly said - it won't fit. So started looking at the Land Pride tillers. Their reverse rotation tiller(s) caught my interest. Are they really better than the forward rotating tiller? Could I prep a strip of pasture in 1-2 passes? Would doing so justify the $4K-$5K expenditure?

I would appreciate any feedback you care to offer. THANKS

 

[KennyV]

I would not think of rotor tilling 20 acres of rough pasture with a 7 foot tiller...
I'd disk it and then hit it with a 12 foot or larger speed mover, your tractor is not big enough to tackle this, but you should be able to locate one large enough.
Depending on your soil type, disk and follow up with a spike tooth will prep it for seed.
You have enough tractor to pull 20 foot spike tooth harrow...
Disk and harrow will burn less fuel and I think will go faster.
You will be able to knock it out in a reasonable time. KennyV

 

[AndyG]

I know that you want to do this yourself and so would I. I hate hiring out work. In this case it may be the way to go. This fall, hire a local farmer to work this ground for you one more time (probably disk). Here in S.W. Indiana a lot of the farmers a pulling a "finishing tool" which really does not work the soil very deep but it leaves a very smooth surface. After they have been over it with the big equipment your disk and packer should have an easy time of turning it into a nice smooth seed bed. I think that you can do this fo a lot less than $5K!

 

[clemsonfor]

i would rent a tiller before buying a $5K tiller for this. It will beat the Sh$& out of it, so you will want to take it back to the rental house. If satisfied start looking for a good used one and save the money, you can always take that quich hitch off, or buy new if you have to spend the money. You can always lease your fields to a local farmer who would then work them for a crop which should leave them smoother than they are now, and if not maybe yall can work out something where he does not pay but at the end of the season he smoothes them out for you so they are ready for reseeding. He may want more than one year of a commitment for this work though.

-nate

 

[sbakf]

Your comments track pretty close to what I've been thinking. It's been raining lately and I've haven't had much to do in the field(s). The soil on my property is a loam with slight variations in sand and clay content - no rock(s) to speak of. When dry, some areas get pretty hard. When wet, all areas get soft (cushy), but not sink to your axles mud. With the latter, I sometimes think I could flatten it out quick with a big roller - don't have one of those, though.

Nate - with the tiller riding on skids, it probably would get beat to ****. Rental might be the way to go, but haven't found such a place that's close. Crop farming isn't big around here - big spreads are primarily for raising cattle.

Andy/Kenny - yes, I would like to do it myself. But you're right - I haven't the capacity to do it in a quick and proper way. One of my adjoining neighbors came by a few weeks back and said he would be willing to help ("when and if he gets some free time away from his business"). He saw what I was working with and invited me over to his place to show me what the big boys use (he didn't say that). My tractor and stuff are but toys next to his equipments. I think the front half of my L5740 would fit in the cab of his big JD - and he has 2 of them posed like twins for a photo. He also showed me a thing he called a "do-all (?)." Quite an impressive piece of machinery. The width and length of this thing would probably come close to matching the footprint of my small barn. It has 4 or 5 different function parts all hooked in tandem - this thing is huge.

I'm holding off on the tiller (today) - have some more thinking to do. Might go dig some post holes to occupy my time.

 

[TripleR]

I have to agree with AndyG, no use tying money up in a piece of equipment for one job or even renting something and wearing yourself out. I would pay someone to do it. Our renters/friends have several tractors including a couple of John Deere 8430s with all manner of equipment which would leave a very smooth seedbed in short order.

I like doing my own stuff too, but some times it is just not practical.