3-Point Hitch 3 PT Tiller

   / 3 PT Tiller #1  

Stormtruck2

Bronze Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Messages
61
Location
Mechanicsville, Iowa
Tractor
02 JD 4600 FEL, 72 MM Mower, Cab
As I have never used or bought a 3 pt tiller, I need advice on what to look for. Will go on an JD 4600. Do I want chain or gear drive? Think I want 60-70 inch width. Like I said, I don't know much about these things. I would prefer used as I think new is awful pricey. But if the value is there I could be persuaded. Am also looking for a box blade and/or a hydo angle rear blade. Info please. Help a rookie out. LOL
 
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   / 3 PT Tiller #2  
How wide is your 4600 or to put it another way, how wide is the tires' footprint? You want the tiller at least as wide as that. I have my 50" tiller offset for now until I get the $ for a wider one and believe me, it is a pain not being able to till the full width of the tires.:(
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #3  
Mine is chain drive 50 something inches brand is Land pride maybe. On a used one check the wear on the tines as some will be worn more than the others.
Craig Clayton
 
   / 3 PT Tiller
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I have turf tires on it now, I believe that it is about 72" wide. I will measure the tire tracks in the snow tomorrow for an accurate measurement. Looking for a tiller, box blade, soil preaper and seeder. Thats all I want Santa (for now).:licking::laughing:
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #5  
Me too! I have been looking for a tiller- or should say wanting one for a while. Had to get thru Christmas spending so maybe I can get one in the next month or so? I have had ZERO luck finding used ones. Most I have found are used used and they want almost new price for:confused:.. I beleive that Sweet Tractors has a good deal on new ones.. He has some cool pics on his new face book site or just google it. Everything attachments have some different brands than he does.. I want a 60in one... I have looked at the King Kutter and Phoenix ones and they seem to be nice. Have not seen a tarter or hawline but here they are good also... Chain vs gear? not sure if it makes that much difference but they seem to be about the same price. I think the 6 tines per flange is a good thing. It looks like you can get a 60 inch for about 1500 to 1800 new...For me that is the best thing unless I find a real nice used one...

AndyG
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #6  
You will want at least a 6ft tiller on the 4600. I have a Deere 665 (65") and it is to narrow. The next one will be around 7ft. Deere and Land Pride both make great tillers. I have heard good things about the King Kutter PRO tillers also.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #7  
To make good use of a small tiller you need a tractor with real low gearing. Without the low gears you spend time riding the brakes holding the tiller back. Have used a larger Howard tiller behind a Oliver 1650 with good results. Spoke with a tree farmer who used a large Howard to till out Christmas tree stumps. Bought a John Deere 660 tiller used and spent a good deal of money making it right. Could not find used parts any place- until I finished. Then I located a yard in Camden Ohio that had a bunch of tillers that they were parting out. Tillers lead a rough life though so maybe the way I went was best.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #8  
I haven't had much success with used tillers either. My new tiller is a Deere 673 which is the correct tiller for a 4600. With your tractor you can expect to pull the 673 about 1.5 to 1.8 mph at full depth.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Looking at the tillers on the JD website, I thought the 673 might be the best fit. $3,700 though is why I was hoping to find a used one. I might money ahead just to buy a new one. Then I can be the only one to break it!:laughing: How deep will she till? I have very hard compacted clay soil. I'm sure it will take 3-4 passes to get an acceptable bed.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #10  
I would think two passes at 1.5 mph should take you to full depth of about 7 to 8 inches
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #11  
I just sold my JD660 tiller this past August. Great tiller! Used it to establish several horse pastures and three remodel jobs at my house over the past 8 years. Never a problem with it.

Agree with KB9UDE with the recommendations for Land Pride and KK, too.

Your 4600 should handle a 6' tiller very well.

Gear vs Chain.. really depends upon how much work you need to do and the types of conditions you expect to work the tiller in. If you're planning a commercial venture and plan to install lawns and other landscaping - I'd say that a gear tiller would be a better investment.

Homeowner with routine garden work and cleaning up around trees and shrubs - chain is very adequate.

More important than gear or chain drive - IMO - is a slip clutch versus a shear pin. Better quality tillers have a slip clutch.

A few things to consider if you come across a used tiller... the blades will wear just like an old pocket knife that's been sharpened and re-sharpened. The blade end will be narrow and pointed and the rest of the blade will be tapered down to the base which will be as wide as the tine was when new. That's a situation for broken tines! I think my old 660 had 32 or 36 tines and they were around $7.00 apiece - 2 years ago.

Check for chain slop or gear slop - raise the tiller and rock the tine shaft back and forth (full revolutions, if possible) and listen for the chain clanking against the housing. Look at the adjustment bolt on the chain case - if it's turned all the way in close to the housing - the chain is probably well used and tired.

The seals and the bearings on the tine shaft ('cause they're always in the mud and dirt) can seep and leak and fail. Rock the shaft up and down and check for play in the bearings.

Check the gear box and look for water in the gear lube, smell for burning, etc.

Check the u-joints on the pto shaft.

Best of luck.

AKfish
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #12  
I am very happy with a JD665. If you can't cover the wheel tracks, most tillers can be offset enough to one side to cover at least one track.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #13  
I have a 450 tiller that I use behind my 455 Garden tractor. I don't have a tiller for my 3720, but haven't really wanted one. I have a Harley rake and find that it does an awesome job of landscaping/seedbed prep without the uneven settling that happens when you till/fluff deep.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #14  
Check out the SR series at ccmachinery.com. VERY heavy duty and good people to work with.
 
   / 3 PT Tiller #15  
I have a Bush Hog tiller, 4 tines instead of 6. My BIL has a King Cutter with 6 tines. I see absolutely no difference in the quality of the tilled ground.

Hope this helps.
 

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