6ft Rotory Tiller not getting job done

[saxon11]

New 48hp tractor and 6ft Tar River tiller. Others told me this tiller is a good unit, and I trust their opinion. My land hasn't been farmed in 3 years, so weeds have grown. I mowed the weeds down first. I then hookup up my tiller and gave it a try. Ground is clay, loam so not exactly peat. The tiller's Slip-Clutch PTO protection keep the tines from running most of the time, basically making very little progress. I went over the land three times, having to adjust 3pt manually up just scraping the dirt so didn't engage the Slip=Clutch PTO protection. Painfully slow process. End result is maybe 2-3 inches of depth of till.

I'm wondering if I first need to get a small cultivator this run over this ground first? I have about 6 more acres to go and seems very inefficient to continue with the tiller like this. Can anyone think i'm missing anything here? I'd love to just keep the tiller on and not swap it out and buy another implement (plus hooking up the tiller was a pain in the @ss). Thank you

 

[Bearsixty7]

Slip clutch may be too loose. Read the manual and see how to adjust it is where I would start. Or take back to the dealer since they are new and you just bought them.

 

[amhicks21]

The clutch needs to be adjusted. Ive had new implements come with incorrectly set clutches more often than not. Those clutches aren't made to be continually slipped and they'll burn up quite quick so try not to run it that way until you get the right torque specs.

 

[5030]

Probably already shot. Don't take much.

 

[Gee Ray]

Two things. One, is the idea already stated, adjust the clutch. The second is to slow the ground speed of the tractor to as slow as it will go.

Once the clutch is adjusted the ground speed may be increased after the first pass.

The virgin ground is not helping your problem. If you can obtain a moldboard plow and plow the area first.

It might be best just to hire someone to plow the field first since they should have their plow adjusted correctly.

 

[jjeff]

Is it a reverse direction or tine tiller? Or Can it be converted to reverse dorection? Tilled 5 acres similar to your predicament went much better after I decided to plow it first with a two bottom.

 

[saxon11]

Is it a reverse direction or tine tiller? Or Can it be converted to reverse dorection? Tilled 5 acres similar to your predicament went much better after I decided to plow it first with a two bottom.

forward tine tiller

 

[jjeff]

tine tiller

I apologize It's called either or. Same thing though.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I have never ran a tiller without discing first. I've seen people do it. They were good at replacing slip clutches and replacing chains.

 

[saxon11]

Slip clutch may be too loose. Read the manual and see how to adjust it is where I would start. Or take back to the dealer since they are new and you just bought them.

I did call them and mentioned to me it was adjusted already. But yes I agree that is what is what I should mess with. I got under the tiller and found the bolts by springs under to make adjustments.

 

[jjeff]

Should say in your manual if you can and how to change the direction it was a little in depth process mechanically for mine anyway. Imo it will make a difference provided your slip clutch is properly adjusted.

 

[FHHUBEr]

Depends partly on the soil you are tilling.

Sometimes you just have to run a plow or cultivator tool bar through to break it so the tiller can do something with it.

Neighbor just got a new tiller and it barely scratched the dirt. It just couldn't get a bite.
One pass with a cultivator bar on one edge and the tiller got down and could work the rest.

 

[jpolcyn]

I'd run a disc thru it several times then till it.

 

[workinonit]

You can't just get a tiller and start tilling in a place like that. That ground has to be broken up first. Especially if it's been 3 years since it last saw metal. Get you a disc harrow, turn plow or chisel plow.

 

[3gunr]

You said you got under the tiller to find the slip clutch adjustment, And that it was a pain to hook up. Neither of those sound right , Also it helps a great deal to spray with glyphosate weeks in advance of tilling killing those roots and letting them decay , I have tilled lots of virgin soil this way, Otherwise as others have said , cultivate first , around here old used cultivators are easy to find,

 

[ruffdog]

The tiller's Slip-Clutch PTO protection keep the tines from running most of the time, basically making very little progress. I went over the land three times, having to adjust 3pt manually up just scraping the dirt so didn't engage the Slip=Clutch PTO protection. Painfully slow process. End result is maybe 2-3 inches of depth of till.

The slip clutch is slipping most of the time and you went over the area 3 times and only managed to go 3" deep? Is the tractor a hydro or gear transmission? How fast are you going? Are you running the tiller at 540 PTO speed?

I would lower the 3pt to dig 6" and tighten the clutch so it doesn't slip when going very slow.

 

[PuffyC]

Something definitely seems off. I run a Frontier 5ft reverse tine tiller behind a 3032e and it goes through grass covered Oklahoma clay like it was butter. I'm told what we have is technically "silty clay" but it holds water and looks like plain old clay to me. The last half acre deer plot I put in on ground that had never been cultivated took maybe an hour so it doesn't go fast (no idea how long it's supposed to take) but I've never had the tines slow down or stop, and that's running it at max depth right off the bat. I'd guess your tractor and a 6ft tiller should be able to do that work a lot faster than mine.

 

[Fallon]

Hard ground here in Colorado & I have a 5' King Kutter farm store special. It has a hard time if I don't rip first. I either use a subsoiler or scarfiers on my box blade or land plane. It tills good after ripping. I want a heavier 6' to match my new tractor. But the 5' KK has done well so far. Tines are about toast & half the size they are up near the rotor. I've put a lot of hours on it doing horse arenas.

Tighten the clutch as others have said. If you let it slip for minutes on end it's probably toast already though. You should have it adjusted so it rarely slips under normal operation.

Annually loosen up the clutch completely. I generally jam a 2x4 into the tines & turn on the PTO. Sometimes the rust & gunk alone is enough to hold the clutch together & slice the 2x4. Once the clutch is freed up tighten things a bit & jam the tines again. Slip the clutch for a few seconds to clean the rust off but not heat everything up much. Then tighten to spec. If you don't clean & check the clutch annually or so it's likely to be rusted solid & notvwork when you actually need it.

 

[nybirdman]

On new ground;brush-hog,spray,PLOW then till.

 

[bigtiller]

New 48hp tractor and 6ft Tar River tiller. Others told me this tiller is a good unit, and I trust their opinion. My land hasn't been farmed in 3 years, so weeds have grown. I mowed the weeds down first. I then hookup up my tiller and gave it a try. Ground is clay, loam so not exactly peat. The tiller's Slip-Clutch PTO protection keep the tines from running most of the time, basically making very little progress. I went over the land three times, having to adjust 3pt manually up just scraping the dirt so didn't engage the Slip=Clutch PTO protection. Painfully slow process. End result is maybe 2-3 inches of depth of till.

I'm wondering if I first need to get a small cultivator this run over this ground first? I have about 6 more acres to go and seems very inefficient to continue with the tiller like this. Can anyone think i'm missing anything here? I'd love to just keep the tiller on and not swap it out and buy another implement (plus hooking up the tiller was a pain in the @ss). Thank you

I followed your link for the tiller. It has a gearbox for an 18 to 30 hp tractor. Your tractor has 35.9 hp at the pto. That's probably close enough, but you are still over powering it a bit.

If your clutch plates still have some wear left on them, tighten the adjustment bolts half a turn and see if that helps.

The tiller is 412 pounds, so it should be doing a better job.