Tiller choice between tiller or sub-soiler and discs

[AlabamaFarmer]

Right now my plans are to garden, but which of these is most flexible if something else comes up? I've got a 1533. What other options can you think of?

 

[sweettractors]

I would say the roto tiller would be the most flexable out of the group you mention. The disc usually needs a moldboard plow to run in front of it, to do a good job--Ken Sweet

Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *Over 40 Used Cultipackers in Stock Today*

 

[Bird]

The tiller is the most expensive, but it's the one thing I wouldn't want to be without when working a garden.

 

[Egon]

Tiller /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[Slamfire]

If you have heavy clay like we do, I wouldn't use a tiller. Choppin' clay up real fine just means the next rain will turn it to concrete when it drys. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I prefer to plow, then drag an old spike harrow over and over. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( the next rain will turn it to concrete when it drys )</font>

I don't disagree with that statement if you let it get that dry. Personally, I much preferred the tiller, but then I usually ran over the garden again with the tiller after every rain, year round, before it got too dry.

 

[mygoatboy]

Hello,
I have no experience with a tractor tiller but there is one problem you get with tilling; it breaks up the soil layers, the natural air cavities formed by worms and such, and because of that the soil tends to compact alot easier. I learned this from a book called The Vegetable Gardener's Bible. It would be my guess that plowing and discing may not do that. Correct me if I am wrong...

 

[PBinWA]

The tiller is by far the most convenient. It takes less time to tear things up. I'm much happier with the tiller than the plows. However, if you are doing serious gardening or farming then "no-till" is probably the way to go.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Correct me if I am wrong... )</font>

I sure don't know whether you're right or wrong. All I know is what worked for me, my nearest neighbor, my dad, and my granddad. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Of course we did also till in a fair amount of cow manure, rabbit manure, leaves, chipped wood, mushroom soil, etc. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif And after reading on TBN about a hard layer forming just below what a tiller will do, the last couple of years I ran a plow through the garden once a year to get deeper and then followed that with the tiller.

 

[LBrown59]

<font color="blue"> Right now my plans are to garden, but which of these is most flexible if something else comes up?
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<font color="black"> tiller
sub-soiler
discs

The tiller is the only one of these three that will break up the soil in a dirt pile before you spread it out on the ground.