Front tine rototiller attached to small garden tractor

[docrocky]

I have a huge garden, about 2 acres. I do vegetables for food banks, church kitchens and stuff my own belly. I ate 16 ears of sweet corn one evening and made so much intestinal gas I almost called ConsGas to see if they needed a co-producer.

In the past few years I am having more and more difficulty rototilling the long rows between plants to surface cultivate the weeds before they get started especially after a good soaking rain. I have 3 front tine rototillers and one rear tiner and I can set the depths to just skim the surface to lop the emerging weeds. The lower back is just about worn out and I am beginning to pay for it. I do have 2 Toro riding mowers and one MF205 with a 3 point hitch and lift. I also have an assortment of the 2 cycle Ryobi and 2 Mantis tillers. I also have 2 walkbehind tractors with pull behind drag cultivators but I can't set up a ding seat.

Question: Has anyone ever easily converted a front tine tiller to be attached to a small riding mower. I understand that the forward speed would have to be very slow. How would one go about making it an attachment?

I realize that a number of small compact tractors such as the Simplicity, AC and JD can be purchases with a mounted tiller, but I don't want to invest in anymore equipment If the already have the makings for a simple task orientated piece of equipment.

Please be kind and gentle, I am approaching 76 and the bod ain't what it used to be. Also, I donate all the produce.
Thank You

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I think it could be done to attach a self powered tiller to the back of a garden tractor, but I think there are better ways. A duck-foot type cultivater with the tines properly spaced would do almost as good of a job lopping the weeds just below ground level, and it would be an easier build and faster to use.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I have been thinking of a way to decrease the amount of time I spend rototilling between rows myself. My rows are 200' it takes too long with the rear tine. I use the cultivators on the tractor until things get to big then must go to the troy built horse.

What I plan to do is get a small riding mower something like a Snapper rear engine rider ( take the mower deck off), they are very narrow so they should fit between 30" rows. I plan to mount a small set of cultivators or drag harrow behind it and drive between the rows. If you get the weeds before they get to big it should be easy and quick to get them under control.

Check the width of your mowers and see if one will fit between the rows.

 

[zing]

Used tillers seem to be like hen's teeth around here, and peole seem to ask a fortune for a rust bucket with a bad motor. If your equipment is on reasonable shape, then I would think if you sold off some of what yo uhave like some of the 3 front tine rototillers, the one rear tiner, a couple of the 2 cycle Ryobi and 2 Mantis tillers, the walkbehind tractors, etc, you should easily be able to come up with the $1500 or so that it would cost you to buy a new tiller for the back of your ridinfg motors. Are you still using all of that stuff, or can you part with some of it? Having a nice new tiller on the back ouf your riding tractor would certainly take the load off of your back.

If you are determined to rig something up with what you have on hand, here is a thread from someone who did. He had some issues with the strength initially, but he improved it.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/243188-putting-walk-behind-tiller-behind.html

 

[docrocky]

I think it could be done to attach a self powered tiller to the back of a garden tractor, but I think there are better ways. A duck-foot type cultivater with the tines properly spaced would do almost as good of a job lopping the weeds just below ground level, and it would be an easier build and faster to use.

IPLAYFARMER: thank you for the advice. would you describe "duck-foot type cultivator" or do you have any pictures you can attach.
I do have a a walk behind tractor with a row cultivator and I imagine I could attach it to the garden tractor and drag it behind. Search out one of my first posts where I was trying to ID the equipment: rockydoc.
Thanks Again

 

[Iplayfarmer]

IPLAYFARMER: thank you for the advice. would you describe "duck-foot type cultivator" or do you have any pictures you can attach.
I do have a a walk behind tractor with a row cultivator and I imagine I could attach it to the garden tractor and drag it behind. Search out one of my first posts where I was trying to ID the equipment: rockydoc.
Thanks Again

Like this...

 

[smiley]

This is one I cobbed together about a month ago.
I intended to mount this tiller on a large yardman garden tractor, but that will require a lot more fabrication and I wanted to use it now. I just cut up an old VW bug tow bar and with about 2 hrs of thinking, scrounging and quick welding, it does the job.
When running the tiller in high range, it pushes the tractor in neutral. Works great but when time allows I will put it on the Yardman to eliminate the tire tracks.

 

[KubotaSam]

They make tow behind rototillers for garden tractors. The have their own engine and pull like a small trailer. I see them quite often on craigs list for $300-$500.

 

[Bilko]

They make tow behind rototillers for garden tractors. The have their own engine and pull like a small trailer. I see them quite often on craigs list for $300-$500.

My brother in law purchased one of those tow behind tillers. They are ok for ground already worked up. But to use it to work virgin ground I wouldn't give a dollar for it. I have never seen him so mad trying to use it. Maybe just my opinion but wanted to give a heads up before some one pays big bucks for one.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

My experience is that any tiller does better if the ground is worked first with a plow or subsoiler.