Tiller What to look for in a tiller....

[jim_wilson]

I have been contemplating getting a tiller for my BX23 and was wondering what I should be looking for. I know there are chain and gear drive tillers - is one 'better' than the other? I have seen both offset and non offset styles also. I have also seen tillers with differing amounts of tines on the rotating shaft. Are any brands better than any others? I have seen Howard Rotovator, Woods, and CCM all get good comments here on tractorbynet. The soil I would be working is fairly dense loam that can contain some pretty big rocks just below the surface. There would also be the occasional tree root to contend with.

 

[Glenn9643]

I'm not familiar with your tractor, but I would want a tiller that was at least as wide as my tire tracks. If that would require too heavy a tiller, I would opt for one that could be offset to wipe out the track in the tilled area.
Gear vs chain? I prefer gear but don't really know that its best.
I bought a Howse because it was available at a good price and seemed to be well built. What's available in your area? I physically looked at Bush-Hog, Howse, and those at the JD place. To me the Howse was a no-brainer as it was gear drive, heavier, and through my MF dealer a better price. I've only used mine so I can tell you it does a good job. I may not know what I'm missing by not having one of the other brands but I suspect they're about the same for normal homeowner use. Daily commercial use might justify something else.

 

[seapea]

The 3 Kubota dealers I'm working with all push Gearmore tillers. Should I be looking at other options? Here are some quotes I've gotten so far:

G-135 53": $2110
E-48 48": $1550
AS-120 47" offset: $1550, $1795, $1820
AS-90 35" offset: $1300

This will be for a 24hp Kubota B7610, which is about 46" wide. I probably don't need anything too heavy duty (no rocks or roots, and not a whole lot of tilling to do), but I would like a long lasting tiller.

If I've figured out the Gearmore tiller lineup correctly, the AS and G series are the less sturdy models, and the L and E series are the more sturdy. This based on AS and G series having #60 chains and L and E series having #100, plus some other vague verbage on the brochures, but I'm not sure.

The G-135 quote seems out of wack with the E-48, although the E-48 quote is from a dealer that seems to be giving me reasonable discounts, and the G-135 quote if from a dealer that at best gives me list, and at times I think he's going over list. I won't be dealing with him anymore. I'd be interested in what others have paid for Gearmore tillers.

 

[willywildes]

The E series is gear driven. the L is lighter. 48" E 600#. 48' L440# also chain drive made for low H.P compacts . the E stands for economy i have the E70 use it a lot, no problems so far.

 

[Glenn9643]

I'm not an expert, but they all look high as **** to me. I'd check other dealers and brands.

 

[seapea]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The E series is gear driven. the L is lighter. 48" E 600#. 48' L440# also chain drive made for low H.P compacts . the E stands for economy i have the E70 use it a lot, no problems so far. )</font>

Can you imply anything from the weight? Are heavier models considered more durable? Also, which is generally better, gear or chain?

 

[KiotiJohn]

I have a Woods GTC52, chain driven, offset capable and I love it. I have easy soil to deal with here in NE FL, mostly sandy soil and no rocks, but plenty of roots. I've only had a problem when I hit a VERY large root once. Slip clutch saved me from damage, but the tractor stalled pretty quickly.
I've been told that gear drive tillers require less HP, but I don't know. I've been able to cut through established turf in both completely dry and partially wet conditions with no problem, full depth first pass. Yes, it uses some power, but not enough to make me take a shallower cut first and repeat, even though I always go through at least twice anyway.
My dealer retails this model for $1290.00 and I think it's worth every penny. Very well made.
Generally you can get 4 or 6 tines per flange. 6 tines will probably do a better job of "powdering up" your soil, but it will also require a little more power as you're cutting more real estate with the exta tines. I didn't opt for the 6 and went with the 4 with no regrets. Either will work fine, but I don't think 6 are necessary.
The prices you quoted seem a little much to me also.
A lot of posters have praised the King Kutter tillers which are avaiable in gear and chain drives.
The CCM tiller that member CCI sells seem to be getting good review also, and I see that CCI is offering money off for Memorial day. I'd check those out. He seems to be able to ship reasonably also.
John

 

[DUMBDOG]

If there is a TSC close by, check out the King Kutter brand, they have models in the 48 inch to the 72 inch range. If you are not going to do a lot of tilling, you do not want to tie up a arm and a leg in the tiller. they are well built, hold up well and can be had at an affordable price. I have over 130 acres on my 60 inch King Kutter tiller without a problem. Next year I will be adding a 72 KK inch tiller. I have heavy loam soil with a few roots.

 

[seapea]

No TSC near by. I looked at the CCM CR-50, which is $1150 after the Memorial day weekend discount. Problem is that shipping is $285, bringing the total to $1435, which is getting back into the price range of some of the gearmore tiller quotes. I'd rather pay a little more and stick with the dealer.

I'll ask my dealer about the Woods GTC52.

 

[jim_wilson]

Thanks for the replies - sounds like I pretty much can't go too much wrong. I am leaning towards the Woods GTC40 at the moment because there are a couple of dealers in my area and also because I got a $100 discount card in the mail from Woods a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to make sure that I was going to be getting a good piece of equipment - I would rather get something that is better and pay more money for it than cheap out and not get something that will do the job.