New Cud Cadet RT65

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Just bought a new Cub Cadet RT65 from TSC. It is virtually the same design as the MTD. Built by MTD I think. I plan to use the tiller to prepare the seedbed, not till the whole garden. I also plan to use it to till between the rows of crops that are to tall to get a tractor and culivator over. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers etc. I don't plan to use it break new ground or sod. I have a tractor and equipment for that. Like I said if can get a cultivator over it I will if not then the tiller. This thread is not for exceptance or permission but merely informative as an experienced farmer, mechanic, and machine operator would look at it. Purchase price was $799.99 tax exempt. I talked the sales guy into one that had just been put together rather than a floor/display model. The manuel for the Honda engine and the tiller was very basic and easy to read. It even had the part#s for wear parts. Belts, spark plugs, filters, etc. No parts manual but it could be downloaded. Unloaded it out off the truck, gave it the once over, filled it full of gas, pulled the choke out, opened the throttle about a third, one pull and she started. I used it about 30 minutes to lay off a row for about 50lbs of Kennebec potatoes and it worked exactly as I expected. More to follow.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Well I've got about a total of 5 hours on the tiller and it's ready for it's first oil change. I'll probably use Valvoline that's what I use in all my other gas engines. I've probably ran 5 tanks of gas through it with no issues. Starts like it should every time. No oil useage. The manual does say to replace the fiber washer around the oil drain plug after every oil change. I thought that a bit odd. I'll try to be gentle with it and reuse it. At first I thought the unit could use a bit more weight beacause it jumps around a bit on big clods. But in some rows it bury itself if you don't "push" it a little so more weight may not help. So far all my tilling with it has been in the "tires forward/tines reverse position and it has done well. I tried the "Forward/ Forward" position but it's faster than this old fat man cares to go. As my crops get a bit bigger I will try raising the "side guards" in hopes of "throwing" the dirt up around the plant without getting to close. My only issue is that in the "transport" position Tires Forward Only it "squeaks" like something is rubbing like a pulley. I haven't found the source and it hasn't deminished operation. For those interested I have been harvesting green onions, kale, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and arugala. I'll have califlower and new potatoes within a week.

 

[Avondale]

Thanks for your info, Soggy. I have been considering a Tiller but not sure where to start, what to look for in a machine for our purposes. Our garden is not that big, (30' x 16') and won't get any bigger (if I have a say in it). Mainly want one to make it easier to till in fertilizer and spring start-up work. As an experienced hand, could you Please offer your opinion on what type of tiller I should be looking at for this purpose, (i.e. HP, tiller size/diameter of tines, attachments). Also, if there are features I won't need.

Thanks for whatever advice you may have.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to me Avondale. I've been busy finishing up the school year. I'm not familiar with soil types or conditions in your area so my opinion my not apply. But I'll start talking and you pick the parts you can use. Choice #1 Front Tine Tiller. Very simple design and durable machines. They've been around for a long time and reasonably priced. However my garden is 60' X 240' and and it just wasn't a large enough machine. Plus they can be a handful to handle, not self propelled, and no tine direction option. Not good for me. Choice #2 The larger Troybilt and BSC units are probably the best out there even the old ones. I priced one new for $2500-$2800 which is way out of my budget. Locally I can get a Farmall 140 tractor with cultivators and a side dresser near that price. Choice #3 The smaller Troybilts, the Bronco or Super Bronco, I've sold several of those but customers were commonly complaining about them. The most common complaint was the machine "running away" which it will. The design is that the drive tires are "pinned" to the axle. If you pull the pin, slide the tire in and replace the pin this allows the unit to free wheel or roll. Some folks have tried to till with the tires in this position(doesn't work) They don't offer dual direction tines, but counter rotating tines only. Choice #4 MTD design. Cub Cadet has Honda engine. Actually 5 "gear" choices. Forward/No Tines, Reverse/No Tines, Tires Forward/ Tines Reversed, Tires Forward/ Tines Forward and neutral. It actuall rolls faster than you can drive it. All the gears are on one "shifter". I just liked it.

 

[Avondale]

Thank You. This is a good primer on what to look for. Current year garden was done by hand and am feeling it now so may admit I am getting on.

 

[dhawken]

Hey Soggy, how are things going with the tiller so far? I looked at that Cub over the weekend and am considering it. I like the Honda engine on it, as well as the direction options. Its either this or a used Horse if I can find one I like, but they are hit or miss as far as condition so far.

Anyways, our garden is about 30 yards by 40 yards maybe. I've been putting rows 2-3 feet apart for most stuff. My concern with this model was the width of the tiller. Are you finding it ok for garden cultivating after things are growing? I would like that option. I'm in a bit of a hard spot with needing a tiller for garden prep, seed bed prep and then maintenance over the rest of the summer. Maybe there isn't such a beast. I've been renting a 3 pt tiller for the tractor each spring as they are out of my price range, but that's getting old as time grows harder and harder to find. I would really like to do a till in the fall also, but going to get the tiller at the rental place twice a year is a bit much price and effort wise for me.

Loved your opinion on the 4 types for the previous poster - would love to hear more on your latest opinion on the CC. Hoping I can end my search, but please weigh in heavily if you think I'll be getting the wrong machine!

Thanks!

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

I'm still happy with the RT65 but I was pretty sure what I was getting beforehand. I bought a $800 tiller and I expected a $800 tiller not a $2500 one, some people are like that. Most of the "quirks" are rear tine tiller "quirks" not Cub Cadet ones. The largest one is that rear tine tillers don't like "sideling" areas. That is Kentucky terminology for sloped areas. They like to craw downhill which means stopping, backing up, and getting back on track. Up and down slopes it's okay, but parallel to a slope, nope. Now I do have a few rocks in my garden and try as I might I haven't gotten them all picked up. When the tiller hits a rock and it jams against the housing it will kill the engine immediately. Which is a good thing, no smoked belts, no scalded transmission. Shift to neutral, roll the tines back, knock the rock loose and throw it over in the grass were you can hit it later with the riding mower(just kidding)and take off tilling again. All of my garden rows are 4 foot on center. The tiller width is 18" and if you raise the side shields it will throw dirt a good 3 inches on either side which makes 24". Two 24" make 4. Another thing is if you raise crops like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and squash that like to spread out when planted side by side I just barely have room to get down the row with one pass. More to follow

 

[dhawken]

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to anything else you can share. That's good info on the 18" width - that might be ok for us. Its more about the dirt kicking and the displacement of soil outside the actual width of the tiller that has me concerned. If its pretty constrained to 18", that might work well.

I've read that the point of failure on these machines is usually not the engine, so perhaps my Honda fixation isn't as big a deal as I want it to be. When you say $800 machine vs $2500 machine, what areas would you say are different and perhaps prone to failure earlier in the $800 vs $2500?

Thanks for the Kentucky terminology intro! I have never heard that term. Course, I grew up on a farm on what would be considered very flat land to most, so that's not something we had to deal with much. Our current garden is also pretty flat so that's good.

 

[anhwong]

hello,
could any one here please tell me what is the different between the cub cadet RT 65 model # 21AB45M5056 at home depot AND THE MODEL # 21AB455C709. at TSC .
THANKS

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

I bought my RT-65 at TSC in the spring, two local stores and I needed it tax or farm exempt and I thought Lowes or Home Depot would give me grief about it. TSC shows 2 Cub Cadet models, the one I have and recomend is the one with the 190cc(187) Honda engine. The other model is a Troybuilt Bronco or Super Bronco painted yellow. Compare the weight and tire size. As far as HD and TSC models as long as you compare apples to apples they should be the same other than some emissions stuff. Got to get ready for church, more later.