Tiller: Slip clutch? "L" vs "C" blades? Offset?

[Frank]

Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

I'm looking to purchase a tiller for my BX2200 for light to medium homeowner use: garden, flower beds, etc. Probably in the range of 37-42". There were a couple of recent tiller posts that had good information but I have two additional questions. First, does anyone have an opinion about the need for a slip clutch compared to a shear bolt set-up? My Ohio soil seems to have a lot of clay in it, with some small rocks. Most of the dealers I've talked with (selling Bush Hog, Woods, Land Pride, Kubota tillers) say that I can add a slip clutch for an additional $100). Second, how much difference is there between the L-shaped and C-shaped blades? The tiller I'm leaning toward is the Bush Hog RTS 40 (38"). It seems to be good value for the money (1500 + 100 for the slip clutch) - heavier construction, heavier chain, more flanges and blades than others of similar size. However, it uses L-shaped blades. Other brands boast that C-shaped requires less Hp to do the work. Opinions?

Bird - if you read this, I know from a recent post that you have a Bush Hog RTS 40 and have been happy with it. A question re: offset capability. Bush Hog claims 6" offset. Does that mean 3" left and right from center, or does it mean a total of 6" either direction? With the 38" cut that Bush Hog claims for the RTS 40, 19" is exactly one half. Shifting a full 6" would put 13" on one side, and 25" on the other. That would be enough to cover one tire track of the 45" wide BX. A 3" shift would be 16" and 22", just barely reaching the width of the BX.
thanks in advance for any advice,
Frank

 

[art]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

Frank you got my mind working with your question as I didn't know the difference between the C or L shaped blades. The C blades are related to or refered to as speed blades. The L shaped blades are the most common for all tilling work except for dedicated cultivation. I would definitly go the slip clutch as most all tillers have it as std. equipment and the hitch offset is neccesary for you to leave your garden without tire tracks.

 

[Wheeldog]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

Frank,

If you want to dig even deeper (no pun intended) before buying your tiller, some of the manufacturers have put their equipment manuals on-line. For example, BushHog and LandPride both have done this, and they may have the manuals for the models you are interested in. Just a thought.

- Rob

 

[LarryG]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

Frank, I have a 42" Ferguson tiller with the slip clutch on my BX2200. I don't have any problems leaving tire tracks even though the tiller is three inches narrower than the tractor. By the time the soil is tilled up it looks as though the tiller is wider than the tractor. My tiller has L-shaped tines and works great at chewing up soil. I prefer the slip-clutch over a shear pin. LarryG

 

[Bird]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

Frank, I've never used, or even seen anyone use, the C-shaped blades, so I guess I can't say which is better, although I would suspect that they would clog quicker in wet clay and/or vegetation; only a guess of course. I'm happy with the L-shaped blades.

A lot of people seem to like the slip clutches better, and $100 extra for a slip clutch over the shear pins seems to be the normal and customary cost. I suppose they're better if you have a lot of rock; I don't. So I don't have a slip clutch on any of my equipment; just shear pins. And even though I've tilled up old tree roots, accidentally tilled up an old brick walk (that was under about an inch of dirt and the new owner didn't know it was there), and loosened up some very hard dry clay (made the tiller bounce up and down pretty violently), I've never sheared a pin or had any problems in over 5 years with my RTS40.

The RTS40 (40" wide) says tills 38", but when I bought it ($1,300 five and half years ago), I had a B7100 and the outside edges of the tread measured just about 40". I had the tiller centered and it covered both tracks. The manual says, The tillers may be offset to the right up to 6 inches on Model RTS40. If you look at the way it's designed, you'll see that it cannot be offset to the left. Now that I have the B2710 and figure to the outside edges of the tire tread is about 54" and I have the tiller offset all the way to the right, it covers the right track. You might be able to offset it a tiny bit more if you moved the pins in closer together; the manual shows the 6" offset with the pins spaced at 26-7/8".

Of course, if I didn't already have this tiller and it works so well, I'd be looking to buy one just wide enough to cover both tracks while it's centered. In other words, I wish I had a 54" to 62" tiller, but no way is it worth taking the depreciation on the one I've got to buy another one.

Bird

 

[Frank]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? "L" vs "C" blades? Offset?

Thanks to Bird, LarryG, Rob and Art for excellent feedback. Sounds like the "C" vs "L" blades is a non-issue. I'll look into Rob's suggestion about online manuals. And I'm going to rethink whether I really need the slip clutch, but might go for it anyway given the relatively small additional cost.

One additional thought did occur while reading Bird's post. Anyone out there ever hear of a slip clutch slipping TOO easily? Is there any adjustment to the threshold force needed to slip?

thanks again,
Frank

 

[Bird]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

<font color=blue>Anyone out there ever hear of a slip clutch slipping TOO easily? Is there any adjustment to the threshold force needed to slip?</font color=blue>

Yes to both questions, Frank. I tilled a couple of gardens a couple of years ago with my Kubota for two guys who got together and went to the rental place and rented a little John Deere tractor w/tiller. It wouldn't till their gardens and they took it back in disgust and hired me. And when they explained what it was doing, I knew it was the slip clutch slipping too easily. And these guys are real farmers with big tractors of their own, but they don't have any equipment with slip clutches. If you buy one with a slip clutch, the manual will explain how to check it, and adjust it (loosen 6 or 8 bolts, tighten them to specified lengths against the springs, etc.), and that needs to be done periodically or it'll either slip too easily, or rust and seize and not slip at all when it needs to. And that's the reason I don't want one since I don't really need it. In some conditions and some places, I can readily imagine that I would change my mind.

Bird

 

[Frank]

Re: Tiller: Slip clutch? \"L\" vs \"C\" blades? Offset?

Bird,
Excellent feedback - thanks again.
Frank