3pt tiller, walk behind tiller, or disc harrow?

[Eyecatcher]

I have all 3 - 3 pt tiller, walk behind troy bilt and disc/cultivator. Plus several planters, cultivators etc. You still need manual tools. The biggest mistake a new gardener usually makes is too much too soon. Plant only things you like to eat, and just a row of each the first year. Consult with your local extension svc. They are a world of free info. Pull up the Bayou Gardener Forum - best gardening advice I've ever seen.

 

[tcreeley]

Consider fertilizer- can also make a huge difference.

 

[Egon]

Do you have Deer?

 

[nybirdman]

I like my PTO tiller,I also have a three point cultivator/hiller.I space my rows so I can till between as the garden is growing.A tiller is much easier to control that disc would be and IMHO do a better job in one pass than multiple with a disc.
You have a tractor so take advantage of it.A new tiller is a big investment but should last for many years.
I till 10 acres a year(garden/food plots) and have had mine for 12 years with no problems.

 

[motownbrowne]

I've also got them all. If I had to choose one for my operation (1.5 acres veggies) it would be the three point tiller. If I had to choose one for the picture you posted, it would be the walk behind. Ideally you'd have both, but either way, you could save a bundle by buying one or both used. I'd expect to pay $1000-1500 for a 48-60" tiller and hopefully under $500 for a Troy-Bilt Horse or something equivalent.

Good luck.

 

[yankeerider]

I use a 3 point tiller for spring planting preparation and to turn in the remains in the fall. I try to plant winter rye in the fall to hold the soil through the winter if there's little snow, but also to add a bit of "green manure" for the next season. I can't control weeds during the growing season with that tiller, so last year I bought a little Honda tiller for growing season weed control. The two machines make a great combination, and the little Honda wa under $400 brand new.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[tcreeley]

I had a nice Mantis I liked to clean up the rows. If I started it, my wife would use it. Ethanol gas killed it - 2 stroke - before I knew about ethanol. Never replaced it. Biodegradeable plastic mulch (made from corn starch) works for me and I don't need a mantis anymore.

 

[bigtiller]

I'm new to agriculture and small scale farming. I have a big family and we're trying to become more self-sufficient in food production. I'm trying to decide what would be the best attachment from a cost perspective and efficiency to prepare our family garden, pictured below. The garden will be new this year on never-been-tilled soil. I've broken it up with a subsoiler so the topsoil and grass can rot a little over the winter. I know the soil needs work and enrichment, so I plan on tilling compost and manure into it several times the first year.



I'd like to get a 3pt tiller, because I like to use to my tractor and it's fun. But they're not cheap, and for the handful of times I'll use it per year, I'm worried it may be overkill. Also, my garden is not huge.

A walk-behind tiller is almost 2/3 the cost of a 3pt. While a 3pt tiller makes my garden look small, a walk behind makes it look huge!

Another thought I had was just to find an old disc harrow and use that, although I don't think I'll get a nice seed bed with it.

I would very much appreciate advice or suggestions.

I would call yours a larger than average sized garden. It looks to be about 30x50? You should be able to hire someone in your area to till it for $50 or less. Then buy a used, 20" or so, rear tine walk behind tiller and maybe a really small tiller for up-close work. I'd like for everyone to have a tractor mounted tiller that wants one, but sometimes they are just not practical.

 

[Carl_NH]

Looking in NY (Ithaca/Catskills) for tiller's on CL it appears there are a number of rear tine tillers for $350-600 range which is what I would do for this year. Then keep an eye out for a used 3PT tiller.

I use my old front tine craftsman 2-3 times a year now, mostly for tilling in compost in the beds and preparing lumpy lawn areas for seeding, then it sits.

 

[the8080]

Your garden right now is a little small to need a 3 pt tiller If you enjoy the garden, it will soon grow a lot larger. As said before, the 3 pt makes the spring and fall chores really easy but the weeds still need to be taken care of. What ever you decide, get some power tools to help. If the gardening is just a chore, you won't continue it.

Be aware that 3 point tillers spin much faster and pulverize the soil much more than any walk behind tiller. In some cases you can till until the soil is like talcum powder which removes any air holding capacity.

You don't have to run the tractor at PTO speed for the tiller to work. Slow the PTO down and move to a higher gear if you are overworking the soil.