Tiller BX23 Tiller Problem Help!

KenQ · Jun 6, 2008

I mounted a FarmTrac RTM 60 tiller on my BX 23 yesterday. I can lift with ease but I can't lift it high enough, it's barely off the ground. Any suggestions.

art · Jun 7, 2008

I do believe that is to big for your tractor if it's 60"! The hitch is where your trouble will start as the hitch on the BX is not the right size for a machine of that size, you may find by shortening the top link some relief.
Kubota's recommendations are more then a foot less!!!

Jimmyp5 · Jun 7, 2008

If the BX 23 lift hight is anything like the BX 24 your going to have problems with the PTO also... in order to get it to lift you have to shorten the PTO, then when you go till., you will have a limited range more along the line of 4 inches instead of the 6 you would expect. The lift range on a BX is limited, I have a FL 850 tiller and have the same problem. My solution is hook up the tiller minus the PTO... then pull the real tires up on blocks, drop the tiller down, hook up the pto and then raise the tiller, I clear the ground then by about an inch. Reverse to take it off. This works for me, but I don't do any real hard tilling.

Ductape · Jun 7, 2008

^^What art said ! BXs have a ltd. cat. 1 hitch, not designed for a tiller of that size.

deere755 · Jun 7, 2008

my neighbor has a BX23 and I shortened the pto shaft and he bought a special top link just for the tiller and I shortened it also so he could lift the tiller about a foot off of the ground. He has a yanmar 48 in tiller but was unable to even hook up to it with the normal top link.

Jimmyp5 · Jun 8, 2008

deere755 said:
my neighbor has a BX23 and I shortened the pto shaft and he bought a special top link just for the tiller and I shortened it also so he could lift the tiller about a foot off of the ground. He has a yanmar 48 in tiller but was unable to even hook up to it with the normal top link.

So did the shorter top link give more travel for the tiller? e.g, more ground contact and a deeper till? Might be something I can look at to get more play in my tiller...

deere755 · Jun 8, 2008

He can till as deep as I can with mine the only problem I saw with what we did was he has no top link ajustment at all. We just tried to get the tiller level in his shop and then I measured the distance on the top link, cut it, and welded it. This was not the original top link that came with his tractor it was just an extra he bought just to use with the tiller.

KenQ · Jun 9, 2008

Thanks for the responses. I adjusted the top link and it work beautifully. The BX 23 handled the tiller easily, no problems. I was worried that it might be too big but RTM 60 weighs just 340lbs and takes only 15hp (or more) at the PTO. Garden is tilled! Thanks again, Ken

KenQ · Jun 9, 2008

Correction on the weight. The RTM 60 weigh 490lbs.

Jimmyp5 · Jun 9, 2008

KenQ said:
Thanks for the responses. I adjusted the top link and it work beautifully. The BX 23 handled the tiller easily, no problems. I was worried that it might be too big but RTM 60 weighs just 340lbs and takes only 15hp (or more) at the PTO. Garden is tilled! Thanks again, Ken

So did a shorter top link give you full range on the PTO to till? How much overlap did you have on the PTO shaft?