Any experience with large tillers, 8' and up?

[jenkinsph]

Thinking about a larger tractor and tiller for my laser leveling projects. Has anyone here used the larger tillers and has an idea of ground speeds in use? I am considering something along the lines of a Frontier 2308 or larger with 101" to 121" working width.

RT23 Series Rotary Tillers Rotary Tillers Tillage Frontier Implements JohnDeere.com

add a link to Maschio tillers Iowa Farm Equipment -- Maschio SC Series Rotary Tillers

 

[art]

There are many companies that are building bigger units. The problem to use in normal farming is the cost of the teeth as they wear. Howard has always been available and the high end ones allow changes in the gearing being easy to make for different applications or changes in ground speed to get the desired job. Then you have four tine to six for differences in work as well as most six tine do till deeper.

 

[jenkinsph]

art,
Thanks for the response. The tillers I have looked at so far can till between 11 and 12 inches deep. I can see tine wear being more of an expense than disc blades all things being equal. All of these tillers have gear boxes for rotor speed adjustment so far. I was under the impression that Howard went out of business a few years ago. If wrong I would be interested to know. My first tiller was a Howard and it was well made.

I would in most cases run about 6 to 8 inch depth but may still need to go deeper in some parts of a field.

 

[leonz]

Rugged, High-Quality Tillers for the Serious Farmer - Northwest Tillers


These units cut to 14 inches deep on the first pass
from what I remember of them and they are
single pass, ready to plant system for flat land farming
and can be ordered with mounted integral bed formers
for ridge tillage as well as rear rollers for turf farming
and many other options.

Is a smaller European brand PTO powered disc plow out of the
question for your use?

 

[jenkinsph]

leonz,
Thanks for posting the link to Northwest, definitely bigger than I need though. I am shooting for equipment I can move easily over the road to work small acreages of 25 acres or less in most cases. Trying to keep the tractor to less than 8.5' in width so I can move them without permits on a gooseneck trailer. Don't want a dually tractor, but a tractor (115 to 130 hp) with 20.8/38 singles is about the best I can do or afford for that matter. Looking for tillers that will work in that size range.

Do you have a link to these European pto disc plows? I would take a look at them too.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Howard is NOT out of business.... The company that owns them (Kongslide sp?) just doesn't push them, like the Howard of the past...

I have three Howards and they are a good product, another good HD tiller is a Kuhn...

Ground speeds depend on what you want to do, what soil you are in, it's moisture content and how much HP you have to do it.

I do custom tilling and 2-3/4 mph is a common ground speed that I use...

SR

 

[jenkinsph]

SR, thanks for the information on the Howard tillers. What set up are you using for those ground speeds?
I can run my present 6 ft 6 tines tiller about 1.9 mph on the second pass.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

SR, thanks for the information on the Howard tillers. What set up are you using for those ground speeds?
I can run my present 6 ft 6 tines tiller about 1.9 mph on the second pass.

It all depends on all of the things I already mentioned above, but I think the biggest problem folks have, is not rotary cutting all tall green matter BEFORE they till the first time, and then, not waiting for that green matter to dry out before tilling...

The only thing I till more than once in the same day, are gardens. ALL field tilling is one pass, wait 5 days or so and THEN till the second time. This is MUCH better than going slow or tilling the soil to death!

There are WAAAAY too many variables, to explain "exactly" how to properly till a field here, and to say what ground speed to use.

SR

 

[leonz]

Here is more food for thought for you.

I will find the links for the PTO disc plows in a minute or two for you.

BUT a Levee Plow would be an asset that would have a quicker return on
investment for you and are very very aggressive for tilling.



Here are a few links:

www. allenmachineandequipment.com

www.monroetuffline.com

W & A Manufacturing Co

Tough tillage tools and farm equipment since 1947

Welcome to Rome Plow

NAMMCO - Plows - Levee Builders - Cotton Strip Parts - Landgraders

www.peerlessmfg.cc

sks implement is an implement builder from Turkey i think

here is the youtube link

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PayxxuoOGVc

I think I typed that right-I hope anyway

Have look and see what you think as they can be configured to be very aggressive.

The rinieri folks make disc and levelers for smaller mules

www.rinieri.com


There are many standard large diameter disc plows that can cut very deeply below the hardpan
and perhaps a very small dozer with cleat tracks with a deep disc plow would be a better fit
allowing you to have both units and increase the ability to do more work.

Many PTO disc plows are used in muck to minimise plow effort but they would work in dry
land farming too.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There are many ways to till land, but MY customers are trying to get away from those exact tools you have posted!

They don't want those heavy tools and the heavy tractor that pulls them, causing greater compaction on their land.

What they DO want, is a tool that incorporates the "green manure" down into the soil, and the soil "fluffing" that helps the soil warm up faster in the spring...

I keep being told by my customers, that my Howard rotavator does that better than any other tool...

SR