2005 Kubota BX 2230...tiller?

[planelivin]

First of all, this is my first post so thanks for having me here.

I have been reading for several days using the search function and have gotten some good info for implements for my 2005 BX2230. Only thing is many of those are dated in the 2004-2008 range given the model of the tractor. So with that said, I have had my 2230 for 6 years and it has 225 hours on it. When I purchased it it was more lawn mower (60" belly) with a front loader ( LA211) than I needed at the time but I knew one day I would need the capacity of a compact tractor and its versatility as I had purchased some raw land next to the golf course to develope a small horse farm later.

Kinda scary my plan actually panned out!

Anyway, I recently purchased a Land Pride RCR 1548 bush hog and have been pleased.

I have decided to purchase the Land Pride PD10 with the 9" auger bit( $1050.00 quoted price) for the rest of my fencing and some newer trellis work. But I also need a tiller (wife wants a big garden) and the Land Pride is high on my list.

What size and any others should I consider? The Land Pride RTR 05 is being quoted in the $1900.00 range new. I believe that is a 48" or a 42" model. Can't recall now. Sounds like I can easily go with a 48" model and this tractor will handle it fine.

I'm also looking at the LAnd Pride BB05 box scrapper.

I maintain 15 acres of horses, apples, peaches, grapes, and beehives.

Anyway, just looking for current 2011 thoughts.

Thanks.

 

[LBrown59]

First of all, this is my first post so thanks for having me here.

I have been reading for several days using the search function and have gotten some good info for implements for my 2005 BX2230. Only thing is many of those are dated in the 2004-2008 range given the model of the tractor. So with that said, I have had my 2230 for 6 years and it has 225 hours on it. When I purchased it it was more lawn mower (60" belly) with a front loader ( LA211) than I needed at the time but I knew one day I would need the capacity of a compact tractor and its versatility as I had purchased some raw land next to the golf course to develope a small horse farm later.

Kinda scary my plan actually panned out!

Anyway, I recently purchased a Land Pride RCR 1548 bush hog and have been pleased.

I have decided to purchase the Land Pride PD10 with the 9" auger bit( $1050.00 quoted price) for the rest of my fencing and some newer trellis work. But I also need a tiller (wife wants a big garden) and the Land Pride is high on my list.

What size and any others should I consider? The Land Pride RTR 05 is being quoted in the $1900.00 range new. I believe that is a 48" or a 42" model. Can't recall now. Sounds like I can easily go with a 48" model and this tractor will handle it fine.

I'm also looking at the LAnd Pride BB05 box scrapper.

I maintain 15 acres of horses, apples, peaches, grapes, and beehives.

Anyway, just looking for current 2011 thoughts.

Thanks.

48'' is perfect fo a BX.

 

[bilrus61]

Since your a land pride guy I would suggest you look at the RTA1042. I just have lot of doubts about the reverse tilling. I know it leaves a better looking bed after one tilling but not sure it gets the kill that a foward tine rotation does. They do dig deeper on first pass but that means if they hit a rock/root they can hang up, the foward tiller climbs over it. Also the foward tiller is pushing the tractor not trying to pull it backwards. I think that gives you some extra HP while tilling over the CRT types. Also think of power composting.

If you check out the youtube vids by BCS they are very forceful in saying the standard tine rotation is best for power composting of crops and "green manures" you can grow to enrich you garden. The CRT tines are basically digging UP the plant tossing it back behind the tines and covering it with a layer of fine dirt. While it looks great more weeds will come back up later. The standard tines are coming DOWN on the plant slicing it in to small bits that are spread throughout the topsoil and some ARE on top but they are just bits that are chopped up. I know the land pride videos and pictures look good but the real test is what does it look like 2 weeks from that picture?

Many here will say get the slip clutch. I use a JD 660 with a slip clutch that has worked every time. However my mom's Rotomec/Befco has a shear bolt and she's never had to replace it but she only tills in her flower beds. If your not going to keep a close eye on the slip clutch get a shear bolt. Trouble free and no having to break it loose after a winter.

Ok here is something else I disagree with seemingly every other poster that posts here about tillers on TBN. I think tillers EAT horsepower. If your really going deep in clay or even heavy loam it will lug your RPM. You can scratch a couple inches deep with a big wide tiller on a low horsepower tractor but if your wanting to till deep and get that garden rich I would not get too wide of tiller. My 660 JD is 64 inches endplate to endplate and it would lug the engine on my L4200 37 PTO horsepower Kubota in clay soil when I was really letting it sink deep. I've got a Kubota L5040 44 PTO Hp and with the same tiler and same soil I can really tell a difference. No lugging at all. 7 more PTO HP and a turbocharged engine seems to make a lot of difference here in my soil. For your BX I would get a 42 inch wide tiller. Don't worry about taking out both tires. If you just take out ONE tire you can basically till a garden and just leave one tire track down the middle at the end of the job. Not a big deal. Tillers will till wider than they are. A 42 inch tiller will pretty much till 46 inches in practice. How wide is your BX?

I just check the specs of the Landpride tillers. The RTR 5 series is 42" or 50" and has a roter diameter of only 13 inches. The RTA 10 has a roter diameter of 15 inches so it should till one inch deeper,a good thing. The RTA 10 comes in 42-50-58 inch widths. Your BX is 18 horsepower at the PTO? The RTA 10 is also quite a bit heavier and should be more rugged. The 42" will serve you and your BX well.

 

[Danner]

I have the BB0548 box blade on a BX2660. I have been very happy with it for working black clay soil/turf and for maintaining gravel driveways that are made of packed road base mix. It cuts, moves, and levels very effectively.

 

[ametcalf]

I know there are arguments both ways on forward or reverse rotation. I have had a 72" agrico tiller on my 5040 Allis for about 25 years. It is a tired old tiller and I have replaced tines, drive chains, bearings and other parts several times over the years because it gets a lot of hard use. When I am tilling a small plot and don't want to spend a lot of time I put the tractor in reverse and push the tiller so it in essence is a reverse tine tiller when I am going backwards. Then I make a forward pass to wipe out the tractor tire tracks. We have pretty heavy soil here in Central KY and I like the job my old tiller does when backing up. Because of that I am going to be in the market for a Land Pride RTR tiller for my BX23. Probably the 10 series because of the hard use I give tillers. I am not having much luck on Craig's list so I may have to spring for a new one when the old tiller finally gives up. Bilrus61 states that tillers till wider than they actually are. My experience is pretty much the same as when I am mowing, by overlapping a little so I don't leave a skip my actual tilling width is a little less than the width of the tiller on our soil.

 

[planelivin]

Great comments and suggestions. Thanks for giving me some good thoughts here.