King kutter tiller loud banging

   / King kutter tiller loud banging #1  

Wd2424

New member
Joined
Apr 11, 2025
Messages
6
Tractor
Kubota l3301
recently purchased king kutter tiller. Put oil in and grease tiller as well as pto shaft. Had to cut down pto shaft by 2.75” to fit tractor. When pto in engaged all is well but once tiller touches the ground it make a loud banging sound. Any idea what the problem could be?
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging #2  
Very possible you did not cut enough off of the pto shaft... If this is the case, you could be doing serious damage to your tractor's PTO driveline.

Remove the PTO shaft from the tractor side, remove it from the other shaft that is connect to the tiller. Drop the tiller onto the ground. Without putting the PTO together, reconnect the tractor side PTO shaft and line it up NEXT to the tiller's PTO shaft, you should have a few more inches before they bottom out (since the tiller will dig more into the soil, thus making the shaft shorter). How much overlap do you have?

Is the tiller new?
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging #3  
Assume you've looked up under the tiller to be sure there's nothing loose on the tine shaft? Everything should be tight and solid. Look at the tines as someone sets it down slowly to the ground -- (without it running) -- to be sure it's solid.

There may be some witness marks from whatever is hitting / banging if you lift it up so you can see under it.
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Very possible you did not cut enough off of the pto shaft... If this is the case, you could be doing serious damage to your tractor's PTO driveline.

Remove the PTO shaft from the tractor side, remove it from the other shaft that is connect to the tiller. Drop the tiller onto the ground. Without putting the PTO together, reconnect the tractor side PTO shaft and line it up NEXT to the tiller's PTO shaft, you should have a few more inches before they bottom out (since the tiller will dig more into the soil, thus making the shaft shorter). How much overlap do you have?

Is the tiller new?
I will try that when I get a chance this weekend. When I measured to cut shaft, I cut according to the length when tiller was fully raised because that was the shortest distance from tractor pto to implement pto. If the problem were the pto shaft being too long from not cutting enough, would it not continue to make noise and/or get worse when raised since that shortens pto length?(hope that makes since) Or is it possible that once tiller is in ground that the pto to pto distance is even shorter then?
Yes tiller is brand new
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging #5  
recently purchased king kutter tiller. Put oil in and grease tiller as well as pto shaft. Had to cut down pto shaft by 2.75” to fit tractor. When pto in engaged all is well but once tiller touches the ground it make a loud banging sound. Any idea what the problem could be?

Dumb question -- You're not very specific here. Does it make a continuous banging noise that matches the RPM of the tine shaft? Or just one single bang when it touches the ground? Where does it sound like the "bang" is coming from? Is the wide hinged leveling gate on the back of the tiller getting trapped underneath or bound up somehow?
Do you have the tiller shoes pretty much level with the ground?
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Dumb question -- You're not very specific here. Does it make a continuous banging noise that matches the RPM of the tine shaft? Or just one single bang when it touches the ground? Where does it sound like the "bang" is coming from? Is the wide hinged leveling gate on the back of the tiller getting trapped underneath or bound up somehow?
Do you have the tiller shoes pretty much level with the ground?
it’s more of a continuous noise, not just a single bang.. as soon as tiller is raised off the ground the noise stops. I didn’t listen for too long bc I knew it wasn’t normal so just shut it down. Almost certain leveling gate isn’t having issues but will make sure when I check it again. Yes shoes are level with ground
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging #7  
it’s more of a continuous noise, not just a single bang.. as soon as tiller is raised off the ground the noise stops. I didn’t listen for too long bc I knew it wasn’t normal so just shut it down. Almost certain leveling gate isn’t having issues but will make sure when I check it again. Yes shoes are level with ground

Is your tiller gear-driven or chain-driven. Could the tiller shaft bearing mount on one end be loose enough to let it move and let the tines hit the top of the enclosure when it's on the ground?

These are pretty simple machines. I'm sure you'll be able to troubleshoot it by watching and listening as you lower and raise it.
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Is your tiller gear-driven or chain-driven. Could the tiller shaft bearing mount on one end be loose enough to let it move and let the tines hit the top of the enclosure when it's on the ground?

These are pretty simple machines. I'm sure you'll be able to troubleshoot it by watching and listening as you lower and raise it.
That’s a possibility. I’ll look at it a littler closer this weekend. It is gear driven
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging #9  
Is the pto shaft hitting your draw bar or hitch ball in the draw bar when all the way lowered?
 
   / King kutter tiller loud banging
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Is the pto shaft hitting your draw bar or hitch ball in the draw bar when all the way lowered?
No pto shaft is clear from hitting it.
 

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