Driving by my neighbors house on the way home Saturday morning, I saw my neighbor attempting to till his rather large garden plot with a hand tiller, non-self-propelled, up a slight hill. He looked like he was struggling. I stopped and asked if he wanted me to hook up to my 6ft tiller and bring it over, to which he asked "Can I do the work though? Can I drive your tractor?"
I went home, unhooked the box blade, hooked up to the tiller, greased it, check the oil, slipped the clutch a bit, and drove it over. Gave him a quick run down of the controls (he has a tractor, very small, and no tiller. I trust his abilities) and walked over to another neighbors to watch and BS with him. Took my neighbor about 20 minutes to till that area, maybe 1/2 acre he uses as a sunflower field.
When he was done, he drove it over to where I was. He thanked me and confessed that he was struggling not just with the walk behind, but keeping the walk behind tiller straight. With my tractor, he was able to make prefect straight borders, which I assume is the reason he wanted to run the tractor himself. He then filled the diesel tank from a can (it was already mostly full and didnt take much.)
But then I got to thinking, its way to early where we are for tilling or planting. The ground still freezes at night. The next day, Sunday, yesterday, it snowed! But the area he tilled didnt appear to be overly muddy when he was out in it. It was soft and very tillable. He had a sunflower field in that spot last year. I dont grow sunflowers, so maybe there is something that that? IDK, but it sparked the itch to get out and get some field work done. Havent yet, still too muddy... but anytime now. Common Spring!!