Tiller Tiller recommendations?

[Texasmark]

I bought one a few years ago. Shopped around and most are about the same workings in the same duty range, like 54 tynes for the 6' and all seem to have the same gearboxes. Only difference I found to speak of was the pin vs QH type of couplings. Cost on the 6' is less than $2k on most.

 

[300UGUY]

I run a 6 ft KK tiller on a Kubota L3400. With a hydrostatic trans, I can run it without any problems. I bought my KK from tsc about 10 years ago, it was sitting on their lot for a year, I made a offer, and they took it. They threw in the gear oil, and a couple of hats! $1150 out the door. It is a forward rotation machine.

 

[MickPB]

I have the same tractor l3301 HST and have found a pre-purchased but never used Howse 70" tiller that I am looking at. I really like the 900lb weight and the ability to reverse it but..... Can I go slow enough to turn that beast or should I be looking at the 60" King Kutter that was used by someone that needed a review mirror (bent up door on the back)?

 

[powerscol]

I have the same tractor l3301 HST and have found a pre-purchased but never used Howse 70" tiller that I am looking at. I really like the 900lb weight and the ability to reverse it but..... Can I go slow enough to turn that beast or should I be looking at the 60" King Kutter that was used by someone that needed a review mirror (bent up door on the back)?

I am running the Ansung tiller in my signature with a similar tractor

 

[pmsmechanic]

Not everybody is gong to agree with me but here are my recommendations:

Buy the largest tine circle you can find. Mine is 18" and I can go into a garden and most of the time have very little trouble with vines winding. Wet cucumber vines are not a problem at all. Corn stalks chop up easily. If you can rototill deep enough to throw a bit of dirt forward there is very little winding issues.

Most cheaper rototillers only have 4 tines/spider. I have 6. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I think more tines have less winding problems and less vibration. It's more expensive to replace tines though. For what it's worth I've worn out 3 sets of tines completely. I can probably get one more spring out of mine but if there's extra money next spring I'll install the 4th set.

Buy a heavy one as the tend to bounce around a lot less in hard conditions.

 

[Texasmark]

Not everybody is gong to agree with me but here are my recommendations:

Buy the largest tine circle you can find. Mine is 18" and I can go into a garden and most of the time have very little trouble with vines winding. Wet cucumber vines are not a problem at all. Corn stalks chop up easily. If you can rototill deep enough to throw a bit of dirt forward there is very little winding issues.

Most cheaper rototillers only have 4 tines/spider. I have 6. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I think more tines have less winding problems and less vibration. It's more expensive to replace tines though. For what it's worth I've worn out 3 sets of tines completely. I can probably get one more spring out of mine but if there's extra money next spring I'll install the 4th set.

Buy a heavy one as the tend to bounce around a lot less in hard conditions.

My 72" from TSC has 9 rotors with 6 blades per for 54 count, as are most of the 72" I have seen. Plenty of steel making for more than enough weight.

 

[bunchgrass]

I know KK is less expensive than other brands but I've had 2 other KK implements (back blade and box blade) and have been less than impressed. Back blade had all sorts of issues with metal fatigue not to mention design issues. Box blade had metal bend where pins attach tines to the unit. I'm a little leery of KK for that purpose alone. Want to try the Ansung model but nothing anywhere near me.

 

[SharpFran]

Not everybody is gong to agree with me but here are my recommendations:

Buy the largest tine circle you can find. Mine is 18" and I can go into a garden and most of the time have very little trouble with vines winding. Wet cucumber vines are not a problem at all. Corn stalks chop up easily. If you can rototill deep enough to throw a bit of dirt forward there is very little winding issues.

Most cheaper rototillers only have 4 tines/spider. I have 6. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I think more tines have less winding problems and less vibration. It's more expensive to replace tines though. For what it's worth I've worn out 3 sets of tines completely. I can probably get one more spring out of mine but if there's extra money next spring I'll install the 4th set.

Buy a heavy one as the tend to bounce around a lot less in hard conditions.

Thx a lot! Does it mean that there is no reason to view for purchase 4tine tillers at all?

 

[fried1765]

I know KK is less expensive than other brands but I've had 2 other KK implements (back blade and box blade) and have been less than impressed. Back blade had all sorts of issues with metal fatigue not to mention design issues. Box blade had metal bend where pins attach tines to the unit. I'm a little leery of KK for that purpose alone. Want to try the Ansung model but nothing anywhere near me.

There are lots of satisfied KK tiller customers out there.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Thx a lot! Does it mean that there is no reason to view for purchase 4tine tillers at all?

I would say that's up to you. I only made the comment because it's a feature that's easy to overlook while comparing prices.

I paid roughly $4000 for my tiller about 20 years ago. I've done a lot of different gardens with it. Would a used $1000 tiller have done the same? I don't know. What I do know is that the neighbors who bought a $100 tiller at an auction sale get me to rototill their gardens. Part of their problem is that the tractor they use is too heavy and packs the soil rock hard.

I guess it all boils down to what compromises you are willing to live with.