Electric Rototiller Details -- Review, Comments, etc.

[Phil Timmons]

Looking for concept reviews on basic "Big Picture" details for Electric driven shop-built rototiller-ing.

Typical Range will likely be from 2 foot width minimum (about 5 to 10 HP (?) ) up to around 10 foot width maximum (25 to 50 HP (?)).

Or maybe modules that hook together to create various widths.

Motors probably 480V Three Phase, with VFD (Variable Speed Drive) controls.

Here are some of the details for comments or reviews (or anything else you see fit):

(Letters below are intended to match call-outs on the sketches).

A. Drive Shaft -- starting with 2" (2-3/8 external) Pipe. Strong enough? Too big? Solid is better?
B. Tine Mounting Plates -- 12" Diameter? 1/4" Plate? Too big, too much, what else?
C. Tine Length -- Create 24" sweep diameter? Too much, not enough?
D. Seed Bed Depth -- From "C" and "B" if 24" and 12" -- this gives a seed bed depth of 6" Good? need deeper?
E. Tine Shape -- Flat Bend? Angle Bend? Scoop or Rounded?
F. Bend Length on Tine? 2" (?)
G. Angle for Angle Bend Tine (?) 30 Degrees?

RPM(s) -- typical Tractor 540 RPM PTOs are generally taken down to 200 RPM for the Tine Drive Shaft. This creates a set edge (of Tine) travel speed. Any thoughts on the optimal Tine edge speed through the soil?

THANKS!

 

[Phil Timmons]

I am seeing a pretty good mix of Tiller Blades, with dimensions, etc. here >>> Tiller Blade Chart

Anyone have any idea what standard center measurements between the mounting plates are?

Thanks!

 

[ptsg]

I may be able to measure mine but I'm only going to take it out tomorrow as I need to till a small food plot.

Mine is a Portuguese made by JOPER. It has a cutting width of 1.5 meters and 8 flanges on the rotor with 4 tines per flange. Each flange is at least 12 mm thick, but I need to confirm this. This is a medium duty tiller. It uses L shaped tines.

Not sure if it help any but here are some pictures from when I had it all apart to fix seals, bearings and repairing the seal diameter on the rotor.

 

[Phil Timmons]

I may be able to measure mine but I'm only going to take it out tomorrow as I need to till a small food plot.

Mine is a Portuguese made by JOPER. It has a cutting width of 1.5 meters and 8 flanges on the rotor with 4 tines per flange. Each flange is at least 12 mm thick, but I need to confirm this. This is a medium duty tiller. It uses L shaped tines.

Not sure if it help any but here are some pictures from when I had it all apart to fix seals, bearings and repairing the seal diameter on the rotor.

View attachment 699029 View attachment 699030

SUPER! Thanks.

Looks like I have my tine mounting (bolt pattern) WAY OFF the industry standard.

Any idea about what your RPM is? or the HP rated to turn it?

 

[ptsg]

The tiller is for 540 PTO speed and the rotor spins at 232 RPM. The HP rating for this one is 20 to 40 HP if I recall correctly.

Yes the tines are mounted on an angle on the flange. This helps loosen up the soil and also smooths the engagement of the tine on a packed soil, so it's beating the implement and tractor too hard.

 

[Phil Timmons]

The tiller is for 540 PTO speed and the rotor spins at 232 RPM. The HP rating for this one is 20 to 40 HP if I recall correctly.

Yes the tines are mounted on an angle on the flange. This helps loosen up the soil and also smooths the engagement of the tine on a packed soil, so it's beating the implement and tractor too hard.

Is the drive shaft where the plates mount "pipe" (hollow) or a solid shaft?

 

[ptsg]

It's a thick wall tube. The walls are probably 10 mm. Then a stub shaft is welded on the ends. One end gets splines so the sprocket can drive the rotor and the other end gets just the bearing journal and the seal.

 

[Phil Timmons]

It's a thick wall tube. The walls are probably 10 mm. Then a stub shaft is welded on the ends. One end gets splines so the sprocket can drive the rotor and the other end gets just the bearing journal and the seal.
View attachment 699036 View attachment 699037

Thanks! So Schedule 80, 2 inch pipe . . .

2 inch nominal -- 2.375 inch O.D. -- 5.54 mm Wall thickness

Might be a little thinner wall section -- but if I am not spanning each section as wide, that may be good.

 

[ptsg]

For a light duty tiller, that will probably be ok. Also, narrower cutting widths will put less stress on the tube than the wider ones.

 

[Phil Timmons]

For a light duty tiller, that will probably be ok. Also, narrower cutting widths will put less stress on the tube than the wider ones.

I am thinking 2 foot wide "modules."

Each with their own Electric Drive Motor. They would probably be 5 HP, each.

And then they stack or bolt side-to-side together for however wide you wanted each "pass" to be.