Yanmar Tilling Secrets?

[mowingcorey]

I have used my 4 ft Yanmar tiller behind my 1401D just a few times now and really like it. Does anyone have any tips/tricks/secrets to using this type of tiller? What PTO speed for what type of ground (hard/loose)? How fast to drive? Is it okay to turn the tractor and leave the tiller down and working? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Tractors4u]

Till in the lowest gear you have. If your ground speed is too high you will not break the ground very well. I always till in the lowest PTO speed, 540 RPM on my first pass. If I want the ground tilled and finer I will go over the entire area a second time in a higher PTO gear. As for turning, others may disagree, but I will only turn with the tiller down if I am making a wide turn. If you are going to make a sharp turn or use your brake pedals for a sharp turn, raise the tiller up.

 

[Egon]

In some soil conditions turning while tilling will break the outside tines. Uhh- don't ask how I know this.

Egon

 

[scrinch]

Just to be clear on this...Yanmar's 2-point tillers are safe to operate not only at 540 rpm but also at the higher PTO speeds?

 

[Tractors4u]

I have never read a Yanmar grey market tractor manual to know what it says about higher PTO speeds. I am speaking from experience only. I never till unbroken soil in a PTO speed higher than 540. When I do make a second pass in a higher speed, I raise the till up a bit so that I am not tilling at full depth.

 

[scrinch]

I've made 3 passes already working down to as deep as the tiller will get over the past couple of weeks. Now following some rains I am going to make the final pass before planting this weekend. If you say you've done this before, I'll cautiously try my PTO2 gear to get rid of the big clumps (I'll check the tractor manual first...but I expect that I would need a tiller manual to get the real scoop).

 

[paulBurns]

Re tilling.
I lift before making a turn.
After the initial till you can work much faster at higher rpm and higher ground speeds. I had to replant my garden today and used 1080 pto (2) and in low 2 gear, not in the crawl range. The soil was loose and had been tilled about a month ago.
I have also found it good to have the correct tension adjustment on the side play of the lift arms.
Be sure to lift the tiller up before backing.
Do not load the motor too heavy when cutting deep. Shallow up and make another pass or slow down.
If on a hillside and with the fall to the rigth or left, adjust the vertical on the lift arm and make passes in the same direction, easier than tying to readjust if you turn and go back in the oppposite direction.
I hope this helps---just my thoughts .

 

[scrinch]

I'm curious...why do you lift before making a turn? I admit that I have been making broad turns, but so far I haven't had any problems tilling through turns in either PTO1 or PTO2 speed. I've been tilling in big, broad ovals so that I don't have to back up too much or make sharp turns.

I'm using a 2pt tiller, so there are no lift-arm adjustments that I can make...just depth adjustment. I guess I'm lucky that where I'm tilling is all flat.