Want to starting a small beginner garden.

[Ted Summey]

A rotary tiller behind the 8n is not a good idea for a couple of reasons. The first has been mentioned is the speed issue. The other problem is the PTO shaft and gearing isn't heavy enough and you can twist the PTO shaft off inside the the rear end of the tractor (I've seen it done). Some will say they run a 5 ft tiller with with an 8n and I bet they do in lighter soil than ours. I grew up in Greensboro and don't live far from there now. The red clay soil is heavy and that little tractor will struggle with a tiller. Better to preserve the nice old tractor than abuse it.

I recommend a single bottom plow, a light disc with a float and a bedder if you plan on a traditional garden. A float is a heavy drag chained behind the disc that helps break the clods as you disc. I use a heavy 5x5 creosote timber with a cutting edge off an old scrape blade bolted to it. A disc and a float can give you a nice smooth fluffy bed to begin your garden. That's all my FIL used for 50 years to get the garden in shape.

A middle buster/subsoiler will be a nice addition. PM me I might be able to help.

 

[MitchellB]

Well due to other problems, work and getting a late start both in 2013 & 2014, I never was able to get our garden started like I hoped. I bought a new (to me) 861D tractor in 2014 however it quickly turned from what I thought was a nice old tractor into a rebuild project that year. However I have since picked up a very used disc harrow a few weeks ago

and a County Line middle buster plow (on sale) from TS to help me get in a garden this year.
My seeds have come in from Gurneys and I have already got trays of beefsteak tomatoes, hot peppers and bell peppers sprouting inside.

As life often goes, other priorities get in our way. Our renters moved out and left me with a bathroom remodel I'm in the middle of when I really wanted this time to devote to our first large garden. Somehow the renters managed to put a crack in a cast iron tub and knocked down part of the tile wall, not to mention all the mess left behind in the basement and other small repairs and painting needed.

Despite my crappy knees, I have the old tub, tile & inside wall out, the wooden window replaced with vinyl and new plumbing fixtures installed so far. And if the ground ever dries up enough to plow, I am going to try to fit the time in to get a spring garden started during all these rental house repair adventures.

 

[MitchellB]

2 days ago it was finally dry enough and I took the time to plow up the little patch of garden we're going to start with my Middle Buster. While it did an OK job I suppose, I really needed either a double middle buster behind my tractor or a double bottom plow.

This morning I put the Bog Harrow on and did a few laps with it. I was surprised that it held together, but it also did an OK job smoothing out the clods and hills. Not a tiller, but for the money, I can't complain. The only thing I did to it was grease it and drill it out for new Cat 1 lift pins. After that, I put my Middle Buster back on my tractor and laid out about half of the garden in hill/rows. With any luck we'll start planting late this afternoon when it begins to get some shade back there.

I am still working on the bathroom too and managed to lay another row of small decorative tiles around the tub today above the top row one in the picture. 4 more rows to go.