New to owning a tractor and looking for a tiller!

[Roberts2600]

I am new to owning a tractor and I have a shuttle shift 1626. I am looking to start a garden this year and I would like some wisdom from the community on PTO Tillers. I would like to purchase a 5ft tiller that will hold up well to dirt, clay, and rocks. I don't want to spend too much since this is my first time, but I also don't want to buy junk either. I found some local places (box stores) and some distributors that sell them. Below are some that I found locally but I am open to searching for other options/bands if they are a better-built tiller. Furthermore, what do you look for when buying a rotary tiller? Lastly, do you need any other parts to connect the tiller?

Titan Ironcraft 4ft Tiller With Slip Clutch - $1695
5 Foot Rotary Tiller with PTO Shaft, RT5 - $1899 (Rurla King - Box Store)
CountyLine PTO Tiller 5 ft. - $2299 (Tractor Supply - Box Store)
Other options????

 

[azbinder]

I would highly recommend a "reverse till" unit IE: Landpride "RTR" series. You will ind there will be a lot less "bounce" especially in hard and rocky ground. Also, you will get a better bed if you run a a little slower ground speed and let the tiller do it's job. Some people want to get it "done" and run too fast.

 

[jjeff]

I have experience with the county line made by tartar 5' gear drive tiller had for five years usually til 1-4 acres a year for Xmas tree rows and sweet corn worked good for me Im a 1st gen hobby "farmer" so there was a learning curve, I didn't break it or the tractors thankfully. They come with a slip clutch make sure it's adjusted properly, Mine also came with instructions on how to make it a reverse direction. Kind of in depth depending on your mechanical skills. I pulled it with a old Kubota l2850 initially now I use a old l4150 both are gear driven tractors. Any questions feel free to ask. Good luck

 

[nybirdman]

I have had a Bush Hog branded tiller for 19 years and three tractors and it has held up well in our rocky soil.Broke the drive chain a couple years ago(repair link ,simple fix).Lots of acres done.
I service the slip clutch every year.
I think it's 63".

 

[Bearsixty7]

I have a Terra Force ER 062 Tiller, gear drive, forward rotation and it was highly rated when I was researching for one a couple years ago. I haven't used it a lot but so far it has worked great. I'd recommend looking into them but they don't make an ER under 62" and that may be too much for your tractor. They do have other models that are smaller and chain drive.

Terra Force INC. - Rotary Tillers - ER Series

www.terraforceinc.com

 

[bigtiller]

I am new to owning a tractor and I have a shuttle shift 1626. I am looking to start a garden this year and I would like some wisdom from the community on PTO Tillers. I would like to purchase a 5ft tiller that will hold up well to dirt, clay, and rocks. I don't want to spend too much since this is my first time, but I also don't want to buy junk either. I found some local places (box stores) and some distributors that sell them. Below are some that I found locally but I am open to searching for other options/bands if they are a better-built tiller. Furthermore, what do you look for when buying a rotary tiller? Lastly, do you need any other parts to connect the tiller?

Titan Ironcraft 4ft Tiller With Slip Clutch - $1695
5 Foot Rotary Tiller with PTO Shaft, RT5 - $1899 (Rurla King - Box Store)
CountyLine PTO Tiller 5 ft. - $2299 (Tractor Supply - Box Store)
Other options????

Your 1626 has 19 pto horse power. The Titan Iron craft 4ft Tiller would be the best fit. A bigger tiller or a reverse tine rotation is to much for your 1626 to power unless your ground is very soft and sandy.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The IronCraft units look pretty well built. We are buying one ourselves. I’ve yet to read a tiller thread and hear anyone rail against one brand or another. They all seem to be fairly well built. That said, I did notice the tillers at RK had simple pins that protruded for the three point attachment, instead of the common “U” shaped reinforced attachment points which accept pins. For your purposes, 4’ would probably suffice. I went up to 40pto HP to accommodate a 6’ tiller. The ground here is a little heavy, and I don’t want to stress the tractor unnecessarily

 

[SuperHerb]

You mentioned rocky ground, so depending on the size and amount of the rocks, a forward rotation tiller may be of benefit. Reverse rotation makes for a nicer tilled soil, but I've found the forward rotation can ride up and over problematic rocks easier. YMMV

I have a King Kutter 72" (I think KK makes some County Line tillers) and it works like a dream, but I've only used it one season so far so time will tell on long term reliability. I do have to say that my soil is clay with lots of rocks varying from football sized to baseball (baseball/softball sized is very common) with the occasional large "oh crap" buried rock so it has got a workout and has worked without issue. I tilled a 15' x 30 ' garden and around 1/2 acre of food plots for deer with the plan to add more this year.

At any rate, a tractor driven tiller will amaze you with the results versus what you can do with a hand guided self propelled tiller of any size in clay soil, so either way (forward or reverse rotation) I think you'll be more than happy.

 

[Roberts2600]

Your 1626 has 19 pto horse power. The Titan Iron craft 4ft Tiller would be the best fit. A bigger tiller or a reverse tine rotation is to much for your 1626 to power unless your ground is very soft and sandy.

I really appreciate everyone's input but most importantly yours because I thought I had more HP to play with. I honestly didn't realize my PTO was reduced to 19 from the 25.9 listed on the engine. I did find on TractorData.com my tractor lists the gear PTO as 21.5 but that still doesn't meet the recommendation of the 25 - 40 HP the 5 ft tillers ask for in most cases. So I have to ask the dumb question is there a way to get to the minimum of 25 HP on the PTO? I'm thinking the answer is no or no not without damaging the tractor itself but I feel I need to ask so I know for sure. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[bigtiller]

I really appreciate everyone's input but most importantly yours because I thought I had more HP to play with. I honestly didn't realize my PTO was reduced to 19 from the 25.9 listed on the engine. I did find on TractorData.com my tractor lists the gear PTO as 21.5 but that still doesn't meet the recommendation of the 25 - 40 HP the 5 ft tillers ask for in most cases. So I have to ask the dumb question is there a way to get to the minimum of 25 HP on the PTO? I'm thinking the answer is no or no not without damaging the tractor itself but I feel I need to ask so I know for sure. Thanks in advance for your input!

Oh, you must have a geared transmission rather than a hydrostatic one.

I don't know if there is a way for a diesel mechanic to increase the hp.

 

[Roberts2600]

As bigtiller mentioned my PTO is rated at 19 HP for the 1626, but reviewing several YouTube videos I see many folks equipping a 5ft (25-40 HP recommended) tiller onto a smaller tracker rated at 20 to 25 HP with a PTO HP in the range of 17 to 19 HP at the PTO. So is this common for folk to do this? Is it safe to do so under certain conditions? These oversized tillers and undersized tractors seem to work like a dream during the videos.

 

[ning]

Minimum HP is a recommendation. If you're not tilling all day, you can afford to creep and till slowly, though that's probably harder to do with a geared tractor (what's your minimum speed?).

I've got a 80" tiller with 54 tines (9 x 6) on my "29hp PTO" tractor, but with hydrostatic I can go really slow if I'm in super hard ground.

Also if you're only doing the occasional tilling, you can afford to make multiple passes, each time going deeper.

FWIW, I bought my monster at auction for $800, and it's really solidly built.

There's at least one pretty recent thread about this, go check that out.

 

[jjeff]

As bigtiller mentioned my PTO is rated at 19 HP for the 1626, but reviewing several YouTube videos I see many folks equipping a 5ft (25-40 HP recommended) tiller onto a smaller tracker rated at 20 to 25 HP with a PTO HP in the range of 17 to 19 HP at the PTO. So is this common for folk to do this? Is it safe to do so under certain conditions? These oversized tillers and undersized tractors seem to work like a dream during the videos.

There's folks with a lot more experience than me but in my experience tilling with a 5' tiller on a old 28.5 pto hp tractor seemed like it was just barely capable not to mention very slow but could do it. Granted I was doing over an acre. In retrospect my 41.5 pto hp tractor could probably easily handle a 6' tiller and I usually tow a homemade drag behind tiller with my bigger tractor. Good luck.

 

[hornett22]

I am new to owning a tractor and I have a shuttle shift 1626. I am looking to start a garden this year and I would like some wisdom from the community on PTO Tillers. I would like to purchase a 5ft tiller that will hold up well to dirt, clay, and rocks. I don't want to spend too much since this is my first time, but I also don't want to buy junk either. I found some local places (box stores) and some distributors that sell them. Below are some that I found locally but I am open to searching for other options/bands if they are a better-built tiller. Furthermore, what do you look for when buying a rotary tiller? Lastly, do you need any other parts to connect the tiller?

Titan Ironcraft 4ft Tiller With Slip Clutch - $1695
5 Foot Rotary Tiller with PTO Shaft, RT5 - $1899 (Rurla King - Box Store)
CountyLine PTO Tiller 5 ft. - $2299 (Tractor Supply - Box Store)
Other options????

I have the same tractor. I bought the Tarter built 5' from TSC. It's been great. 6 tines instead of 4 and it's reversable. I haven't tried it reversed yet.

My only question is the quality of the slip clutch. I'm not impressed but I've tilled acres with it. Make sure you slip it.

I absolutely do NOT recommend a 4' tiller on this tractor. You want as wide as the tires. It WILL run this tiller.

I'm in East Tennessee. Our ground is not soft.

 

[joe48]

Ok here's my story from personal experience. I have a Kioti CK20 (20hp/17hp on PTO) with hydro. I have 1700 hrs on the tractor and probably 200-300hrs on my tiller in all kinds of soils. I'm on my second set of tines on a 5ft KING KUTTER that i bought at TSC back when they carried KK. The recommended HP on tillers and other PTO equipment is 5hp per foot. The key here is the hydrostat can creep so slow to do a really good job in most conditions but in real tough conditions you may need to make multiple passes. Most of my work has been on construction sights around houses where i've tilled up waste concrete, lumber, concrete blocks, bricks, gravel etc. this brings up the very important point of any tiller MUST HAVE A SLIP CLUTCH and I highly recommend only use a gear drive tiller like the KK.
So if you're just tilling gardens and lawns you'll be fine with a 4 or 5ft, just go slow!

 

[Williy]

I have a Wood's tiller 72 in really well made will last
me for the rest of my life and then some.
If you have rocks get a forward tines rotation so the
rocks don't get jammed up in the tines

willy

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

I am new to owning a tractor and I have a shuttle shift 1626. I am looking to start a garden this year and I would like some wisdom from the community on PTO Tillers. I would like to purchase a 5ft tiller that will hold up well to dirt, clay, and rocks. I don't want to spend too much since this is my first time, but I also don't want to buy junk either. I found some local places (box stores) and some distributors that sell them. Below are some that I found locally but I am open to searching for other options/bands if they are a better-built tiller. Furthermore, what do you look for when buying a rotary tiller? Lastly, do you need any other parts to connect the tiller?

Titan Ironcraft 4ft Tiller With Slip Clutch - $1695
5 Foot Rotary Tiller with PTO Shaft, RT5 - $1899 (Rurla King - Box Store)
CountyLine PTO Tiller 5 ft. - $2299 (Tractor Supply - Box Store)
Other options????

I've had the County Line Tractor supply tiller for 5 years behind an older 27 hp 23 PTO hp Ford and have never had a problem with it. I've never had it even load up the engine very much. I don't have much rock in my ground but I've hit a few. The advice about the slip clutch you have been getting is spot on. The clutch plates will seize and not slip unless you make sure that they are free.
I think the reverse tine tillers require a touch more horsepower since the wheels and the tines are working against each other. Here is a video of a comparison.

I am planning on pulling all the PTO shafts off of my implements next winter. I was going to do that this winter, but winter arrives uninvited 6 weeks early and caught me off guard.

 

[Torvy]

There is a big difference between CAN do and SHOULD do. You see people on the highway with clearly overloaded trucks or trailers. You also see people with trailers meant to go up to 55 mph doing 80. It's all good until its not. The problem with exceeding the recommended HP is that it might work, but is slowly damaging your tractor.

In your case, I would start out trying to rent a tiller. (or borrow?) You MAY be able to find a used one, but it seems most used stuff is still trying to sell at nearly new prices.

Wider tillers get done a bit faster, but if you are doing it right, the tire coverage is a nice to have, not a got to have. If you can find one that offsets, you can have the best of both worlds. Most PTO driven tillers are too wide to use for weed management unless you space your rows 5-6 feet apart. Unfortunately, many garden plants like to be closer. That relegates the tiller to soil prep duty and makes it much less useful.

That being said, I'd rather use that twice a year than manhandle a walk behind 48 inch tiller over 1/2 acre or more. At my age, I don't even want to do that for a small flower bed!

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

I run a 48" on a 50hp tractor. Engine never slows a tick.

Geared tractor as welll. It is still to fast in the lowest gear and I normally make 2 passes minimum depending on soil conditions

Ran the same tiller on a 20hp unit. If the conditions arnt perfect than your going miserable slow to keep from loading the tractor down to much.

 

[hornett22]

Sunbelt Rentals lists 3 point tillers in their inventory here. You may try renting one first to see how it does.