Tiller Tiller with straight tines?

[BigDave]

I've started researching tillers. I spend more time websurfing for information that I do for visiting tractor dealers /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I used old posts to find the names of various tiller manufacturers, and I found something very interesting: Maschio tillers with straight blades, sort of like the Befco Green-Rite overseeder/aerator. These blades have some curvature, but it gives me a great idea. How hard would it be to find/manufacturer straight-blades and convert a relatively low-dollar tiller into a high-dollar aerator for not a lot of money?

Maschio

 

[Darren]

Kuhn has those as an option on the larger tillers. Those are forged straight points/blades for heavier soils. Unfortunately they are not spoons which is what you need for aeration.

It comes down to being able to remove a core of soil without compacting it. It doesn't make sense to drive a hole in the soil with the idea of aerating it when you are compacting the soil below that point. The spoon cutting out a plug gives you an optimum result.

 

[BigDave]

From what I've read, blade aeration looks like a good solution. Several pro lawn tools use blade aeration especially in conjunction with overseeding. Since the blades are powered, they don't just compact they lift some of the dirt out while making a slit to receive the seed and expose the roots of the existing grass to stimilate deeper root growth. The impact of blade aeration is gentle enough that it can be done during the summer. A combination of core aeration in the spring and/or fall with blade aeration during the summer is possible. I've seen hand push blade aerators/overseeders for $3500 & the 3pt Befco costs more than $6000. I'm thinking of buying a tiller ($1000-1500), a seeder, and buying or manuafacturering a second set of straight blades/rotor. That leaves enough for a core aerator and a couple thousand to spare.

Buying would be easier than manufacturering, but maybe I will have a project for next winter. I was just wondering if a tiller maker already came up with this idea.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It is not enough just to replace curved blades with straight ones. If you look better in Maschio catalogue, you will see that tillers with straight blades have twice more flanges (blade rows), than tillers with cuved tines.

If I remember good, Befco Green-Rite overseeder/aerator can have both type of blade rotors. When you want to change type of blades, you have to replace complete rotor. That is, also, easier way then take off more than 100 bolts /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

Hope this helps,
Z

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Another one with straight tines

 

[Egon]

If you manufacture straight tines for a tiller remember the tine steel isn't flat stock off the shelf.

I have thought straight tines would be good for beaking heavy sod and also for getting into small tree/bushes root clumps cutting them up so one can later use regular tines on them.

Egon

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yes, you are right, it's not common flat steel.
Cheapest source for qulity material for this purpose are old cars. Take suspension flat springs from them, soften it by heat, make wanted form, shapen it and harden it in fire from coal again. We use this metod for repairing plough blades. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Sorry, my English is not the best. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Z

 

[Darren]

Your English is fine. Welcome to the website!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks Darren. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[BigDave]

Z,

I agree stock bar steel won't do the trick, and I would have to make three times as many passes to do the same job as the Befco. Two passes, due to the tiller's wider spacing, plus an additional pass to seed. The Green-Rite is $6000, and with options it grows to $7000.

Wouldn't be great to build something like this for less than $2500 and some sweat? It would also be great to have an additional rotor with the straight blades already attached. I could buy a rotor with curved blades like on a standard tiller and cut them just before the bend. The aerator would only need 3" of penetration, so the shorter blades may actually work.

The Maschio with their straight tines wouldn't be a good choice for aeration since they are curved like a lawnmower blade and work to till the soil. Seeing the Maschio unit is what gave me the original idea of converting a tiller. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif