Forward tine v reverse tine tiller

[Atypical_decorum]

Based on limited experience with a forward-rotating tiller [photo below] - it climbs up over the many roots in my orchard without drama. I expect reverse rotation would hang and stop forward motion. (And damage the tree worse).

Reverse might be better for digging all that shale out but I expect the wear on the tines would be far greater, or maybe even break something if it finds a slab it can't lift.

Are you considering a tiller that can be shifted offset? This would both cover the uphill tire track, and give more ballast uphill to resist rollover.

I didn't know they made shifting ones in that size range. I imagine the first few times I'll be jumping off and putting the shale into the bucket a lot.
Good point on the wear. I don't think the tractor is going to move at close to 10k lbs and 0.5mph at 540 pto.

 

[California]

... I don't think the tractor is going to move at close to 10k lbs and 0.5mph at 540 pto.

But you don't want to look back and see the tiller left behind where it got hung.

 

[Atypical_decorum]

But you don't want to look back and see the tiller left behind where it got hung.

Hahahaha!!!!

 

[oosik]

WoW!!! You must have those AG rims set out at their widest. Hope it's for a very good reason. For very hard ground - a reverse tiller will do the best for you. It's likely to be a tad slower but it will skerff up that hard soil.

AND I completely agree with workinonit. The need for a wide implement to cover your entire rear tire width is an old wives tale. Cover one rear tire track and up one side - back down the other.

Arable land must be hard to come by. You really need to till land at a 35 degree slope.

 

[Atypical_decorum]

WoW!!! You must have those AG rims set out at their widest. Hope it's for a very good reason. For very hard ground - a reverse tiller will do the best for you. It's likely to be a tad slower but it will skerff up that hard soil.

AND I completely agree with workinonit. The need for a wide implement to cover your entire rear tire width is an old wives tale. Cover one rear tire track and up one side - back down the other.

Arable land must be hard to come by. You really need to till land at a 35 degree slope.

The tillable area I'm looking to do is closer to 10 to 18 degrees. Other areas I have to drive are definitely in the 35 degree range. Hence the tires set wide. Eventually I'll be changing tire size to 50" high x 30" wide with the proper lead/lag in the from from the current 61" X 18.4". That'll get me low and wide with more ballast capacity and about 60" of rubber on the ground vs the current 32"!!

Offset reverse Tiller sounds good.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I have a forward tiller and when I want a reverse tiller, I till in reverse. This works well for me.

I build athletic fields, and it's not often that I need a reverse tiller, so just backing up with my forward tiller saves me the extra cost of a reverse tiller.

 

[Williy]

On a reverse tiller when you have to pry a few rocks out
of the tines you will be singing a different tune!
With a forward tiller hard ground just go slow and no
rocks to remove from tines

willy

 

[Atypical_decorum]

But you don't want to look back and see the tiller left behind where it got hung.

That's actually really funny. I've done things like that before and laughed when I got the visual.

 

[redman135]

Have you considered using a contractor to do 1st breakout of the ground, and use a lower cost tiller suited for secondary tillage?

If you have a lot of slope, do you need to put a garden there? You will be surprised how much soil can move downhill under cultivation and erosian(runoff) in combination.

 

[Atypical_decorum]

Have you considered using a contractor to do 1st breakout of the ground, and use a lower cost tiller suited for secondary tillage?

If you have a lot of slope, do you need to put a garden there? You will be surprised how much soil can move downhill under cultivation and erosian(runoff) in combination.

That's not a bad idea, but once that 8ft mark happens there's not really any tillers that seem to be "cheap" options.

For the Slope area, I have the options of some angle or lots of angle. The little bit of flat area I have is reserved for some buildings.

 

[redman135]

Once you reach the 8' size you are at proffesional farmer level.
As for the steep terain, have you considered dual wheels?

 

[JohnnyMX]

Have an MX5200 and a light weight reverse tine LandPride tiller. IF you have rock, either get a forward rotation OR get something that is more heavy-duty than you think you'll need. You end up windrowing rock and pulling it into huge piles between the tractor and tiller. If I had known this ahead of time I would have made a different choice. Second tillage or just breaking up already broken ground is easier, but I have so much rock I have to rake it out and pile it up off the field.

Because I didn't get a heavy duty tiller, I ended up having to get a field cultivator to pull up as much rock to the surface as possible, and landscape rake to clear it out, grapple/rock bucket to sort out my piles and carry it all off the field. I'd rather the forward tiller jump over a rock and keep going.