BCS: rotary plow vs. rear tine tiller

[sascaggs]

Greetings all,

I've been working with an older BCS model, basically an antique from the 1980s. Mostly I use a rear tiller and a box scraper. I'm looking at getting one of the newer models and looking at attachments, and the rotary plow is pretty impressive. My question is: if you had to pick between a rotary plow or a rear tiller for bed preparation, which would you choose? I'd really like both but I can't afford to buy everything and if I just pick one option, I can put my other cash towards a flail mower or a sickle bar mower.

Thanks.

 

[2manyrocks]

I don't have a BCS, but I have a Gravely walk behind with a rotary plow that will churn clay soil like butter. It makes a fluffy seed bed, but unlike a tiller, it really isn't any good (IMO) for tilling between rows during the growing season once the plants are up.

One thing I'd want to know about the BCS is how well you can adjust your ground speed. My Gravely is a tad too fast for my liking when using the rotary plow.

 

[leonz]

If you are doing virgin ground at the lowest speed a rotary plow would
work well until you bucked a rock that would have to be dug out just
as you would a tiller.

You would want to make several passes increasing the depth each time
with the plow gauge wheel just as you would a bcs or other rototillers skid
to get to the maximum depth which is 14 inches if my memory is right.

If you have a great deal of clay you will need gypsum to break it up
by spreading the Gypsum 2 weeks before you till it up and letting it
simply dissolve in the ground and then tilling in the hydrated lime
to bring the PH up.

I would find out if the current BCS rotary plow will fit your BCS mule
and go from there since it is also gear driven rotary plow.

 

[sascaggs]

I don't have a BCS, but I have a Gravely walk behind with a rotary plow that will churn clay soil like butter. It makes a fluffy seed bed, but unlike a tiller, it really isn't any good (IMO) for tilling between rows during the growing season once the plants are up.

One thing I'd want to know about the BCS is how well you can adjust your ground speed. My Gravely is a tad too fast for my liking when using the rotary plow.

The BCS I've been using and many of the newer models have at least three speeds (in addition to reverse) that you change with an automotive style clutch. Most of the time I am working in 1st or 2nd. However, there is also switch near the gear box - not sure what this is called - that increases the speed of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, so in reality you have more like 6 speeds, with the fastest speeds really only being useful and safe for travel and transport.

Thank you for your comment about tilling between rows. This is definitely something I am thinking about because the rotary plow clearly can make great beds partly because it pushes soil to one side, but doing some in between rows seems very disruptive. Building those fluffy rows is a bit more challenging with the rear tiller alone.

 

[jyoutz]

If you are doing virgin ground at the lowest speed a rotary plow would
work well until you bucked a rock that would have to be dug out just
as you would a tiller.

You would want to make several passes increasing the depth each time
with the plow gauge wheel just as you would a bcs or other rototillers skid
to get to the maximum depth which is 14 inches if my memory is right.

If you have a great deal of clay you will need gypsum to break it up
by spreading the Gypsum 2 weeks before you till it up and letting it
simply dissolve in the ground and then tilling in the hydrated lime
to bring the PH up.

I would find out if the current BCS rotary plow will fit your BCS mule
and go from there since it is also gear driven rotary plow.

Don’t use lime for western high ph soils. Use sulfur to lower ph.

 

[aczlan]

Thank you for your comment about tilling between rows. This is definitely something I am thinking about because the rotary plow clearly can make great beds partly because it pushes soil to one side, but doing some in between rows seems very disruptive. Building those fluffy rows is a bit more challenging with the rear tiller alone.

A hiller/furrower attachment on a tiller will help you make raised beds.
If your BCS is like the one I used growing up, it probably has a place in the center of the back to attach one.

Aaron Z

 

[sascaggs]

A hiller/furrower attachment on a tiller will help you make raised beds.
If your BCS is like the one I used growing up, it probably has a place in the center of the back to attach one.

Aaron Z

Now there is a good question: rotary plow vs. tiller and hiller? I can imagine both would make nice beds, but the plow might disturb more soil layers which may be good or bad depending on your philosophy. On the other hand, a rotary plow is good for a whole lot more than just making beds. For example, I have to manage some wetlands and runoff patterns and a rotary plow would be great for directing the water where I want it to flow. Hmmm...

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm not familiar with how you attach a toolbar to a BCS. A hiller is not that had to fabricate unless BCS has some difficult mounting system.

As the growing season gets going, I could see it being difficult to use a BCS sized machine (Gravely included) to get between the rows unless they were really spaced apart. I have a smaller Troy Bilt tiller to use once the garden gets growing.

After looking at BCS pricing today, someone would really have to be committed to BCS to pay those prices for a new machine and attachments.

 

[Smokeydog]

On my 8hp diesel BCS the hiller attachment replaces the regular tine shroud. Hilled to both sides.

After tilling with the tractor tiller can easily hill up rows with hoe and mulch in the valleys for nearly weed free garden.

 

[aczlan]

I'm not familiar with how you attach a toolbar to a BCS. A hiller is not that had to fabricate unless BCS has some difficult mounting system.

A piece of pipe would work for the tiller side, at $80 it's probably not worth fabricating though:

2021 BCS America Hiller / Furrower

New Models Bradstreet Lawn & Garden Brewer, ME (207) 989-8676

www.bradstreetlawn.com

As the growing season gets going, I could see it being difficult to use a BCS sized machine (Gravely included) to get between the rows unless they were really spaced apart. I have a smaller Troy Bilt tiller to use once the garden gets growing.

If you have the wider BCS tiller, you could take the outer row of tines off and narrow it to till between the beds if you found it too tight.
The one we had growing up worked well except in the tomatoes, they would lose a little of the vines every time I tilled the rows between the beds.

After looking at BCS pricing today, someone would really have to be committed to BCS to pay those prices for a new machine and attachments.

They aren't cheap, but they seem to last forever.

Aaron Z