Tiller Max working depth of tillers - Keen Kutter vs County Line

[larrymyers]

Help on PTO driven rotary tillers
I need to purchase a 6 ft. PTO driven rotary tiller.
Because both are available near-by, am deciding between King Kutter and County Line brands. Both are close in appearance and price difference is not a killer.
However, the King Kutter brand has reverse routine tines and an advertised working depth of 8 inches while the County Line brand comes as forward rotation but can be reversed but working depth is advertised as only 4 inches, which the company verifies in their Q/A section.
Questions
Can someone explain the difference between the working depths?
Would the working depth of the County Line increase if rotation was reversed.
Thanks a million in advance.

 

[mddorange]

Dupe of another thread.

 

[Fallon]

King Kutter & Tarter gate are the OEMs for most County Line implements. Not sure if the variations are due to location or time.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I don't think working depth would be different between any tiller, the tines are all the same size so why would the working depth be different.
Reverse rotation might dig a bit deeper than forward rotation. I don't think any of them are going to go 6-8" deep on the first pass no matter how slow you go. You do have to be careful with a tiller and not over till so making more than 2 passes might fluff up the dirt too much so just be aware of that issue.

 

[Handloader109]

I wouldn't own a reverse tine rotating tiller if I had any rocks in my garden. And i do. Would hate to be thrown them up at me or my tractor. Std rotation is perfectly fine. I can go about 4 inches or so deep with my woods. Don't see how you are going to go much deeper. Maybe second or third pass

 

[TheMan419]

I have the tarter/country line. 4-6 inches depth is what I get. We have clay soil in these parts. Even w my 25 hp tractor the 5 ft tiller runs fine.

 

[Fallon]

Reverse rotation buries plants a bit better. But it is a self-jamming design & takes more HP as its fighting the tractor. Forward rotation will jump over rocks, roots & stuff. Generally tillers wont go beyond 4" on one pass, if that. 6" in 2 passes is about the best you can do in most soil types.

 

[Texasmark]

I bought a 6' TSC tiller a couple of years ago and it was made by Bolens...no markings on it, but had Bolens manual with the unit. Does not reverse and I don't want it to as it could and would throw rocks at me. There is a movable skid that aids in setting the depth. Really soil content, ground speed, and rear gate setting have a lot to do with the depth too. Most tillers around here seem to be very similar, seems all use the same gearbox, just how they brace things main difference.

 

[Gary Fowler]

The main difference between tillers is gear drive vs chain drive and forward / reverse rotation. The rest is just aesthetics and really makes no difference in tilling quality. The thickness of the top shielding plate may vary also and this may make it last longer but it still wont till any different.

 

[fried1765]

Help on PTO driven rotary tillers
I need to purchase a 6 ft. PTO driven rotary tiller.
Because both are available near-by, am deciding between King Kutter and County Line brands. Both are close in appearance and price difference is not a killer.
However, the King Kutter brand has reverse routine tines and an advertised working depth of 8 inches while the County Line brand comes as forward rotation but can be reversed but working depth is advertised as only 4 inches, which the company verifies in their Q/A section.
Questions
Can someone explain the difference between the working depths?
Would the working depth of the County Line increase if rotation was reversed.
Thanks a million in advance.

I have a KK tiller, but I also did look at the TSC County Line (Tarter Gate).
If you inspect closely, I believe you will find that the KK tiller is a better quality build.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I have a KK tiller. It goes about 6"deep. Very good product. I would buy another.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Generally tillers wont go beyond 4" on one pass, if that. 6" in 2 passes is about the best you can do in most soil types.

That may be true for the two tillers being discussed in here, but it isn't true once you get into the better made HD tillers...

SR

 

[majorwager]

As stated, a tiller will NOT penetrate 8 inches on first pass, except in very sandy conditions. Have never run a reverse tine but it has been reported they are more efficient at burying stones/rocks

Forward tines, as exist on my befco, tend to bring stones to the surface. Mine is chain driven, not sure if gear drives produce a different result. I use STRAIGHT blades on mine, the goal is aeration, NOT cultivation.

Weight is a very important factor in a tiller. They are self destructive and tend to vibrate and shake themselves apart. A slip clutch is preferred over a shear pin for relief.

EDIT:

Guess Clarification required: All of my equipment is stored in a dry secure metal building, the slip clutch on my tiller is free and operational . Have never considered exterior equipment storage as an option.

 

[Fallon]

As stated, a tiller will NOT penetrate 8 inches on first pass, except in very sandy conditions. Have never run a reverse tine but it has been reported they are more efficient at burying stones/rocks

Forward tines, as exist on my befco, tend to bring stones to the surface. Mine is chain driven, not sure if gear drives produce a different result. I use STRAIGHT blades on mine, the goal is aeration, NOT cultivation.

Weight is a very important factor in a tiller. They are self destructive and tend to vibrate and shake themselves apart. A slip clutch is preferred over a shear pin for relief.

Ya, the bounce pretty good when they hit things.

Most if not all I've seen have a slip clutch. Those clutches will rust solid in less than 1 year. Every year you need to pull them apart & do the maintnance on them. Last year I loosened up all the clutch bolts & it wasnt free. Stuck a 2x4 in the tines & fired up the PTO at idle. There was a loud bang & the tiller cut over half way through the 2x4 powered by nothing but the rust on the clutch. Clutch finally slipped. Tightened it up a bit to briefly polish up the plates, then all the way to spec. If that rust is added to normal clutch pressure it's likely the PTO shaft or something internal to the tractor goes bang rather the 2x4 or clutch.

 

[fried1765]

Ya, the bounce pretty good when they hit things.

Most if not all I've seen have a slip clutch. Those clutches will rust solid in less than 1 year. Every year you need to pull them apart & do the maintnance on them. Last year I loosened up all the clutch bolts & it wasnt free. Stuck a 2x4 in the tines & fired up the PTO at idle. There was a loud bang & the tiller cut over half way through the 2x4 powered by nothing but the rust on the clutch. Clutch finally slipped. Tightened it up a bit to briefly polish up the plates, then all the way to spec. If that rust is added to normal clutch pressure it's likely the PTO shaft or something internal to the tractor goes bang rather the 2x4 or clutch.

"Those clutches will rust solid in less than one year"
May be true for some.....but I keep my tiller inside, and have never had any sort of rusting problem.

 

[Fallon]

"Those clutches will rust solid in less than one year"
May be true for some.....but I keep my tiller inside, and have never had any sort of rusting problem.

True. I'm on Colorado , which isn't known for lots of humidity or rust. But mine still gets stuck together after being outside for under a year.

 

[CalG]

No Till is the present theme.

I've been doing it for 3 years in the gardens, Family has been doing it for a few more years on 1000 acres in the Dakotas.

Cover crops are an issue, but No Till Is the way to go. It doesn't give you a return that you have "done something", but, the earth worms and soil structure love it when you DON'T Till.

Put the $$$ that the tiller costs into smothering mulch.

See what that yields.

mechanization is the answer... What was the question?