DRT 900

[ohiobeagler]

Looking at buying a tiller. Reviews from Lowes and other outlets suggest that the DRT 900 model has some transmission issues. People talk about grinding noises, popping out of gear, etc.. Anyone has some input on these machines?

 

[GrandLakeGAR]

I recently bought one to replace a front tine Earthquake that was wearing me out. Not a lot of use yet but so far it is working great. The gear/chain transmission makes a little noise but that may only be noticeable because the Honda engine is so quiet. They have made and sold a lot of these along with a Poulan clone so I don't expect any design flaws. There is also a $50 rebate good to 4-14 on the ones with Honda power.

 

[ohiobeagler]

I recently bought one to replace a front tine Earthquake that was wearing me out. Not a lot of use yet but so far it is working great. The gear/chain transmission makes a little noise but that may only be noticeable because the Honda engine is so quiet. They have made and sold a lot of these along with a Poulan clone so I don't expect any design flaws. There is also a $50 rebate good to 4-14 on the ones with Honda power.

I looked at two different machines and both of them were very difficult to put into gear. I had to really tug and pull on the gear shifter. Is yours easy to shift? Does it make a difference if the machine is on or not?

 

[GrandLakeGAR]

Per the manual the drive lever on the handle must be released to shift, engine running or not. There are 5 different positions and if one resists a little rocking of the wheels will allow engagement. I looked at a couple on display and I think people had been yanking on the shifter while holding the drive lever down, no telling what that did to the transmission so I got a new in the box unit that hadn't been pawed on. Mine is a little stiff but it shifts like the manual says and stays in the position selected. I looked at Cub Cadet, Troybuilt and the Home Depot no name tiller and thought the DRT900H had the most features and best engine. Tillers Direct has lots of mostly positve reviews. If you get one check the oil, despite the warning tag mine was already full.

 

[Qapla]

It doesn't matter the brand, this style of transmission has the "shift problem" as described. After all, they are simple devices, not synchromeshed works of engineering wonders like those found in luxury sports cars.

I recently discussed this with a service man I know and he agreed, they can be finicky, but if you shift them correctly, they will run for a long, long time. Once you get used to it, it is not so hard to hit the gear you want.