Tiller FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller

   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller #1  

nikdfish

Platinum Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
928
Location
Person Co. NC
Tractor
John Deere 3038E & 1025R FILB
Just thought I'd let anyone who might be considering a County Line branded Tarter Gate tiller at TSC know that Tarter Gate will not talk to end users about parts.

I picked up a County Line 5' tiller, made by Tarter, at the Danville VA TSC last week. When doing the assembly & initial lube I found that the grease fitting on the outboard hub did not seal. There was a small dent on the edge that apparently keeps the little ball from seating properly. As a result, grease spits back out when the gun is removed & continues to ooze even after several days.

I tried replacing it with a regular 1/4" zerk, which looked right in terms of size & threads, but it didn't easily thread in as far as the bad one. I didn't want to force it when it might not be the right size, so I put the old one back in.

I contacted Tarter via their web site contact page & asked for the specs on the grease fitting so I could properly replace it from a local source. I referenced the part numbers from the tiller manual parts illustrations, so there would be no ambiguity about the fitting I was talking about. Their one line reply was "go back to the Danville TSC and ask them".

I called the Danville TSC and their response was for me to bring in the bad one and they'd find a match "even if it has to come from another tiller".

It's over 45 miles from the tiller's location to the Danville TSC, a 90+ mile round trip because nobody wants to/can provide the info I need to be sure I replace it with the right fitting.

Arrrrrrghhhhh! If getting parts or parts info for this tiller is going to be this much of a production every time, I'm tempted to just load it up take it back.


Nick
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller #2  
Not out of sorts really at all.

Tarter has an agreement to supply TSC with units and in return TSC handles warranty and service for at least the initial return period if not more. Essentially, TSC has agreed to sell them and handle the service inquiries for a given period of time and Tarter has agreed to supply them with units at a certain quantity.

If you're received a damaged unit from TSC then Tarter's response is going to be to take it up with TSC, not them, since they have no liability in the instance and they aren't going to advise you to take steps to alter the state of the unit as you received it from the retailer.

It's just like you bought a Poulan chainsaw from Lowes, got it home, and found a ruptured fuel tank out of the box. Poulan will say that's Lowes' problem, not theirs, since Lowes accepted delivery and responsibility for the stock.
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Understood.

I wasn't asking for, or expecting them to send, a replacement. I just wanted to know the proper size. I'd much prefer pick one up locally, on my own dime, than to make a round trip to the store where it was purchased.

I guess I've gotten spoiled by the ease with which most information is available these days and become uneasy when it is not.


Nick
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller #4  
Hmmmm... Mabe its a metric grease zerk. Take it to your local parts place and see if they can help with it.... Simple part, but very frustrating situation when equipment is new....and dealer is farther away than just 'town'.

If the zerk can't be matched by your local source, I would buy a 1/4'' pipe tap and make a 1/4" zerk work.....be cheaper than a 90 mile round trip but, thats just me.

Sooo....... County line name is on tarters tillers now too?? Not just king kutter tillers being re-badged to the county line name any more???
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller #5  
I had the same thing happen (well almost). I damaged a zerk fitting on my ZTR wheel and since I had an assortment, I decided to just pull the one out and replace it since it was leaking a bit. The zerk was just pressed in and nothing I had would fit. Luckily I had a tap that was just the right size, so I tapped it out to 1/4" and put in one of my assorted ones. Much better than original now. I might just do the other one the same way before it starts leaking. Heck who uses pressed in zerks anyway.
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller #6  
I had the same thing happen (well almost). I damaged a zerk fitting on my ZTR wheel and since I had an assortment, I decided to just pull the one out and replace it since it was leaking a bit. The zerk was just pressed in and nothing I had would fit. Luckily I had a tap that was just the right size, so I tapped it out to 1/4" and put in one of my assorted ones. Much better than original now. I might just do the other one the same way before it starts leaking. Heck who uses pressed in zerks anyway.

This is the way I replace pressed zert fittings too. It might surprize you on how many MFrs. have decided that pressed Zerts are good enough? They must have proved it is faster or cheaper to use them? I also have a few metric fittings just in case?
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Well I went by the TSC today. They couldn't find a definative answer either. No in-store parts spec list and the person they talked with at Tarter Gate didn't have a clue as to the size, just the in house part number. They told TSC they'd ship them a replacement.

Kudos to TSC for making an effort though. They weren't sure on the size, but sent me home with a small assortment of "possibles". Turns out a metric 10mm was the needed size. It threaded in with no resistance.

On a down note, there appears to have been water in the top gearbox (pto input). I had initially filled the gear boxes with the gear oil they (TSC) had indicated was correct, 80w90. When I double checked the operation manual, I saw it specified 85w145. I had run it a couple of minutes in testing, but figured I'd put in the proper weight before running it in the dirt. When the top gearbox was drained, it looked like chocolate milk (the side gearbox oil had come out looking the same as when it went in).

I put in the right stuff & did a small amount of tilling. Then, after I had dismounted it, I removed the small overflow plug on the top gearbox & tipped the tiller to get some oil to run out. Again, it looked like chocolate milk. I guess I'll have to keep flushing till it comes out clear.

Nick
 
   / FYI re: County Line (Tarter Gate) Tiller #9  
Glad to here ya got till'n. Metric grease zerks have caused the same ordeal for me also. Good to here TSC gave you a small variety of zerks to try.

Some were on TBN, I read that a KK tiller that had leaked due to using 80-90 weight oil on the side gear case output. Kinda same situation as you... hear some gear oil for the tiller, When it should have been 85-140 or 000 type grease. Poor fella went as far as to replace seals and THEN read the specs....:D

I have been told and read also to change the "new" tillers oil after the first years use, considered the break in period.

But on your top box, keep flushing. I somehow got water in mine and was successful ridding it of water by adding some diesel in with the oil and just running it without tilling. After clean, I added 'bout half 85-140 and topped it off with 000 grease. No problems yet to date
 
 
 
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