Tiller Should the tiller swing?

[Post Carbon]

Hi all,

I've got a B7800 Kubota and a LandPride RTR tiller. Fairly new to tractoring. The tiller was adjusted at the dealer, and has been stored over the winter, off the tractor. I was going to measure the distances of check-chains and sidelink before we attached anything else, but my husband got to it before I did (hooking up a potato plow) and now things are all different.

I've hooked up the tiller again, and can't remember if the tiller swung back and forth like it does. Read the operator's manual, and while there's a lot about the driveline, and a caution to not go beyond 25 degrees up and down, it doesn't address anything about side-to-side.

So how much if any is my tiller supposed to swing back and forth, and if it's supposed to be very solid back there, precisely which parts do I adjust? My land is a bit of a slope--maybe 4 degrees, and I'm tilling with the contour, so I'm not sure how much to worry about this.

I tried searching the forums for this situation but couldn't locate my exact situation. Thanks for any advice.

PCP

 

[Kioti Tom]

The tiller should be fairly steady and not swinging from side to side. Hook up the tiller and center it or to one side if
that is needed and then tighten the check chains in that position. No need to measure. If you have the pin type sway bars, pin it in the oval hole to give it just a little movement. Be sure to raise it at the end of the row. When lined up for the next pass, then drop it and continue tilling.

Good luck
Tom

 

[AKfish]

What he said... Wouldn't worry much about a 4 degree slope. If you're tilling 6"-8" it'll come out in the dirt.. Starting and stopping with the tiller can be hard on the tractor's pto clutch if you're not aware of what to do (or not do).

I generally raise the tiller only a few inches out of the ground (avoids the 25 degree warning for the driveline) and with the tractor moving, slowly lower the tiller. I try to never "drop" the tiller and I attempt to remember to be moving before either engaging the tiller into the ground (or engaging the pto shifter).

AKfish

 

[gwdixon]

I'll bring up something that hasn't already been discussed. That is soil composition. If in rocky soil or packed clay soil it may be best to leave the tiller a bit loose to travel back and forth perhaps 2" to 3". Maybe just enough to slide the lower balls over the lift pins (unless you have clevises).

The reason is that the tiller will be jumping about in those type of soils. If things are tight then the jumping transfers to components on the tractor and could cause failure. Tractors are very expensive to fix as you will discover.

The slope you have is not significant enough to cause a problem.

Adjusting the arms is done with "check chains" as already described. However, "check chains" is a generic term that could include chains, turnbuckles, or solid telescoping bars. At any rate, they are used to adjust the width of the opening between the attachment balls.

My vision of the Pacific Northwest is of loamy and loose soil that is very often damp. Under those conditions everything would work. But if you live in the interior the soil conditions may be more of a challenge.

 

[CliffordK]

My vision of the Pacific Northwest is of loamy and loose soil that is very often damp.

:laughing:

About this time of year... we have just plain MUD!!!

That is depending on where one is. The Willamette Valley, and up into the Seattle area is wet and muddy.
East of the mountains, however, one hits the desert. They do get some snow, but it is a lot dryer.

And, of course, in July/August, it does dry up considerably here.

Anyway, I was going to say that I don't think I've really messed with my chains, but a little play can't be so bad.

Depending on whether the links are on the inside, or outside of the hitch, one does at least want to be able to get the hitch on and off of the implement.

 

[Post Carbon]

OK, I've tightened things way up. It had WAY too much swing, from what y'all are saying here. My husband must have really loosened those checkchain turnbuckles a lot. I didn't have to do that at all to get the tiller off last fall. So it's much steadier now, but I did leave a bit of play in the side-to-side motion--maybe 2-3 inches.

I'm about the latitude of Bellingham, WA. Usually at this time of year I'm itching to get out there but can't because it's too wet, as we have lots of clay. This year, though, we've had less rain overall, and right now, no rain for about 4 days, so the soil is damp but not soggy--mostly. I've got four clear days ahead, according to the weather reports, so maybe I can get the potatoes in and get all the beds plowed and tilled.

Thanks so much for the help.

PCP