garden tilling

[lancem]

I am going to plant a 3/4 acre garden this year. To get the ground ready for planting, I am thinking of getting a Middle buster and a cutting harrow for my Ym2000. Do ya'll think this is the best way to go? The ground is good old Georgia red clay. Thanks

 

[winston1]

I guess budget might have something to do with your choice. I would choose a turning plow over a middle buster if going the plow route. If your budget would allow a tiller would sure be nice. I actually use a turning plow and a tiller. I think Carey only uses a tiller. I think I have heard him say he has some of that red clay. We sometimes use different terminology for implements. When you say cutting harrow I think about a tandem disc. Am I off base?

 

[careyo63]

Hands down on that one Winston. But don't get me wrong!! Middle Buster and Plow His ym2000 can surely handle it. The old Ford is still setup that way. My Grand father was pretty darn good with. Kept his family fed.

Carey

 

[955er]

Might also want to hit that 3/4 acre with some roundup first. It'll cut down on the weeds later and make it easier to plow/till.

 

[lancem]

Yes , i was thinking budget. But I could do a bottom plow and a harrow if that would be better.

 

[careyo63]

Lancem
This is what I bought from Fredricks. It's a RS1400 With new Tines. Might be well worth a Dr. over there for you on the price it was right there as for what you will probably give for a Plow and Harrow.

Carey

 

[KFree]

I did my garden a little different. Where I'm at in TN, there is a lot of clay. I thought about what I would need to do about a 1/2 acre that hadn't seen anything but a bulldozer. The ground was really compacted. After talking to a few *more experienced* farmers, I hired a guy to come out and till it up for $50.

After watching him go through that hard clay and rock gardens with that tiller on his old JD tricycle, I knew that:

1. I needed a tiller. OK, there was some lust involved.

2. I was sure glad it wasn't my tractor getting seriously abused.

3. If it had been plowed, the dirt would have been pretty lumpy even after being worked. It certainly wouldn't have looked like the dirt in Carey's picture.

4. I could get by without a tiller for the first year.

I ended up getting a RSB1401 the next year for $500 from a local dealer.

fwiw,

Keith

 

[TGeorge]

I have an RS1200 Yanmar tiller that I bought used from the dealer from whom I bought my YM1500. It has operated flawlessly for 3 years now. I used it to break up ground that had not been plowed for more than 30 years. Two passes and it was ready to plant. This soil is part Alabama red clay. The big advantage of a tiller is that you don't have to do anything extra to prepare your seedbed. I would look into finding a used tiller.

 

[YannyMan]

How wide is the RS1200?

 

[California]

1200 mm.

 

[clemsonfor]

Might also want to hit that 3/4 acre with some roundup first. It'll cut down on the weeds later and make it easier to plow/till.

Something i tried this last year for weed control was hay. You could use old hay but the guy in town did not have any so i just bought a new bale for $10-$20 cant remember how much. He delivered it as he lives about 300 yards away. I only used about 1/3 of the bale, and put a tarp over the top for this year. Anyway i tilled up a garden that had yard grass in it and was the first time busting half of it up. I used roundup on it, kind of, i think it was old or weak cause it killed very little,and i had to till it when i borrowed the tiller so i did. Most all the grass was still green. Anyway i spread the hay in the rows as deep as you would multch, i have a lush green carpet of crab grass coming up already. The hay blocked the light but still let moisture in and also kept it in much longer than without. I only pulled some resistant bermuda every few days, and im talking like 1-2 sprigs each time not 30 mins worth of pulling. Now i have pulled and piled all residue and 70% of the hay is rotted and the rest will just be tilled under with the few weeds that are out there now.

 

[6thgpSF]

I used to have a 1510 and the rs1200 came with it ,when I got a 1610d I kept the tiller and converted it for 3pt.It works great for all my gardening needs.For mulch I use bark that I run through my chipper. russ

 

[lancem]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Henhouse1]

Lancem, I don't know where Martin is, but I am in Palmetto and have a 1610d with an RS1200 Yanmar Tiller. I bought it for about $650 from Spalding Tractors in Griffin. It has new tines, fresh oil, paint and works flawlessly. They are very good people and have a nice selection of first rate Yanmar grey market tractors and implements

Stan Henley

 

[6thgpSF]

stan,did you have to convert your 1200 to make it work for 3pt.? russ

 

[clemsonfor]

Nothing against spalding or any others but $650 for a reworked 30 yr old tiller seems high to me. I mean its still 30 yrs old and from what Aaron at Hoyse said himself, there are no OE tines still availible and all that is able to be had is cheaper not as tough replacements that are not hardened, so they wear faster. I dont have one so i have not seen one in action but id have a hard time paying similar prices for a used tiller like this when i can get an american one that still has oe tines made for it. Just my opinion though.

 

[careyo63]

Thats a Good Fair price Henhouse1. IMO I gave 675.00 for my RS1400 at Fredricks while getting parts. Never had any problems with the Tiller with the wrong Dr. shaft. that was corrected thats about it. Tines were new no sign of any Wear yet. 3yrs old to me same condition as the day I bought it. Won't be long and it'll be about that time to pull it out again

Carey

 

[clemsonfor]

like i said i have no experience with them. I respect your opinion and not trying to get into an argument here, maybe if i had one id think different. But i am going on what aaron said about tines.

 

[KFree]

there are no OE tines still availible and all that is able to be had is cheaper not as tough replacements that are not hardened, so they wear faster.

I wonder if the replacement tines wear any faster/slower than the OEM tines on an American made tiller?

One thing that I do like about the tines on my Yanmar tiller (mine are original) is that they will ride up and over stuff that would probably hang up a tiller with 'L' shaped tines. I'd rather not see what happens if the tiller were to hang on rock or root.

Keith

 

[careyo63]

I heard them also clemsonfor but all it needs to do is Grandmaws Garden in which I've used it enough that it's as soft as a Rice Patty :laughing:

Carey