The tale of the roto-tiler

[woodlandfarms]

Thought you guys would get a laugh at my expense....

Flash back to 38 years ago and my folks bought a Mongomery Wards roto-tiller. Brand new. My parents where those mother earth reader types, and decided to lower the grocery bill (which given my fathers paycheck he probably couldn't afford anyway) and start a 1/2 acre garden. Another element to all of this is while my father was raised in a farm setting, some things just sort of missed him. Also, my family was against anything gas powered if a human could do it. We cut firewood by hand, with the old 2 man buck saws. Neighbors always commented, but man was I in great shape in high school.

OK, back to the story. We got the machine home, started it up and my father started to till. It worked, not well, but better than using a shovel, and soon I found myself every year behind this machine, getting the snot knocked out of me.

Well, flash forward to last year and my father sells his farm and sends me some gear. One thing in the truck is the old tiller. I get a carb kit, do a quick rebuild and it runs as good as new. So off to the garden we go. And it shakes and shakes and shakes and just doesn't like the clay soil we have.

So towards the end of the 1st pass I decide to just give the machine the once over. Maybe I can sharpen the tines to help...

It takes a moment to let the vision of the tines sink in. Something is not right. The more I stare the more I realize the **** I have been through with this machine has been for naught. It is clear that the dealer back in 78 installed the two outboard tines holders on backwards. If only all 4 had been backwards then I think we would have caught on. I called my dad to make sure he had never removed them, he had not. Well. the old bolts were more than rusted on. I cut them off, swapped left for right and started it again.. WOW, what a difference. They **** I went through with that machine for so many years. And now it works like it should...

Anyway... Stories....

 

[jimgerken]

If you look carefully you can probably still read the sticker that says something like
"Set up and serviced by (local dealers name here)" . I always laugh when I see those stickers. Getting the stickers on is their first priority.

 

[chim]

Don't feel so bad. Here's one I fessed up to 10 years ago. Scroll down to post #7:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/buying-pricing-comparisons/14886-ford-2120-4x4.html

 

[yelbike]

Thought you guys would get a laugh at my expense....

Flash back to 38 years ago and my folks bought a Mongomery Wards roto-tiller. Brand new. My parents where those mother earth reader types, and decided to lower the grocery bill (which given my fathers paycheck he probably couldn't afford anyway) and start a 1/2 acre garden. Another element to all of this is while my father was raised in a farm setting, some things just sort of missed him. Also, my family was against anything gas powered if a human could do it. We cut firewood by hand, with the old 2 man buck saws. Neighbors always commented, but man was I in great shape in high school.

OK, back to the story. We got the machine home, started it up and my father started to till. It worked, not well, but better than using a shovel, and soon I found myself every year behind this machine, getting the snot knocked out of me.

Well, flash forward to last year and my father sells his farm and sends me some gear. One thing in the truck is the old tiller. I get a carb kit, do a quick rebuild and it runs as good as new. So off to the garden we go. And it shakes and shakes and shakes and just doesn't like the clay soil we have.

So towards the end of the 1st pass I decide to just give the machine the once over. Maybe I can sharpen the tines to help...

It takes a moment to let the vision of the tines sink in. Something is not right. The more I stare the more I realize the **** I have been through with this machine has been for naught. It is clear that the dealer back in 78 installed the two outboard tines holders on backwards. If only all 4 had been backwards then I think we would have caught on. I called my dad to make sure he had never removed them, he had not. Well. the old bolts were more than rusted on. I cut them off, swapped left for right and started it again.. WOW, what a difference. They **** I went through with that machine for so many years. And now it works like it should...

Anyway... Stories....

Hurry up and put it back and see if you can get back to your ol' high school shape!!!:laughing::laughing::cool2:

 

[IndyIan]

I'm going to go look at my tiller tonight!:laughing:

 

[missingstexas]

You know what's funny in your story to me is about 5 years ago I needed to borrow a tiller for a small job of moving a few yards of dirt for a project. My brother has a relatively nice craftsman rear tine unit that is only a yr or two old at the time. Well his is booked for the entire month that I was trying to borrow it and my boss over hears me complaining that how convenient it is his stuff is always busy when I need a favor. Boss offers up his. It's a 1970's model monkey ward. This thing is made of lead filled iron heaviest beast I've ever seen. It sweats pure weight. I get it out of the truck and start it up and try to start using it. It does two things; dig deep (like water well deep) or drag my scrawny arse across the yard with both feet dragging behind. I gave up after about 3 hours of effort and just used a shovel and garden how. He still laughs at me when we talk about the ordeal. I will be scarred for life.

 

[Baby Grand]

<snip>

Also, my family was against anything gas powered if a human could do it. We cut firewood by hand, with the old 2 man buck saws. Neighbors always commented, but man was I in great shape in high school.


<snip>

Your folks must be related to my folks. Pops had one of those helical bladed push lawn mowers ... with a grass catcher dragging behind it. Man I cursed that *%*%^*^&$* thing. Soon as I moved out he bought a Toro gas job.

 

[JDgreen227]

Maybe 15 years ago I took the tines off my front tine tiller so I could clean the wire and vines wrapped around them, and when I put them back on it wouldn't dig worth a (bleep) but it was easy to fix once I realized what was going on....but had it been that way since new I might have duplicated your experience. Thanks for sharing it, made me laugh and laugh.

 

[woodlandfarms]

One note I did not add, the tines on the outside are nice and sharp, with paint still on them... The backsides have dents and wear from all the years of being run wrong....

 

[JDgreen227]

I remember seeing ad copy for front tine roto tillers that claimed "self-sharpening tines" but most likely that was for tines installed the proper way. There are those who claim a rear tine tiller is superior over a front tine but in my experience the front tine tiller excels in digging rocks out of a seedbed. My '89 Rally (American Yard machines) has pulled out thousands of rocks as deep as 10-12 inches and as large as grapefruits from my garden plot. There is NO WAY a rear tine tiller can produce that kind of digging power unless it is a 3 point type.