Tiller Help! Clay packed into tiller tines

Egon · May 24, 2020

MossRoad said:
Since you're asking for help to clear the tiller and not criticism.... have you tried a power washer?

That値l be the easiest.

No operator error involved. Just very difficult material to work up.

TnAndy · May 24, 2020

I clogged mine doing a neighbors garden spot I told him was too wet to till, and then hit a REALLY soft spot in it. A long handle crowbar using the pointed end dug mine out without too much problem. I had mine on the tractor, lift up and every so often fired it up to help sling the stuff off.

MossRoad · May 24, 2020

Sounds like the perfect excuse, ah, err, I mean justification, for the OP to purchase a larger trailer, water tank, gas-powered pressure washer, tool boxes for the trailer, more tools, a generator and some portable lighting, perhaps a pole barn and a well.

bigtiller · May 24, 2020

I have put my tiller away when it was a sticky mess but not even close to your mess.

If the mud is still dry, hook the tiller up to the tractor, put the pto in neutral, lower the 3-point hitch all the way down and go for a ride. Go fast enough to get the tiller to bounce enough to loosen the dried and caked on mess. If it is dry enough, most the clay will bust apart and fall off. If it is still a little moist, this won't work nearly as well.

Oh, and drive a straight line and raise the tiller when turning. If you make any turns with the tiller on the ground, the tines will dig in and tear up the grass.

Try it, it works for me.

California · May 24, 2020

Kinda related: 1) The rice tillers that came over on the grey-market Yanmars have slender blades with a curve at the end, not the right-angle wide blade common on a US tiller. I assume this clogs less for tilling mud. Used in our US applications, the result is the same as a US tiller. (photo).

2)My problem is tilling tall grass where I haven't mowed. I made a tool to clean grass out of the tines - a cheap HF linoleum knife stripped and driven into the end of a piece of light conduit. This alternated with a spear might get mud out.

TractorGuy · May 24, 2020

Not on a tiller but I have cleared dry red clay with a water hose. It take s a while to get it loose.

The pressure washer idea may be better but sounds messy. I would certainly give that a try.

Beeenvenue · May 24, 2020

Thanks everybody. Got it clear today. (I had already tried the “dry tilling” and no luck). It took 3 hours to do the 2-1/2 center cavities that were still packed. I used a 0 tip on my pressure washer along with a wrecking bar hammered into the notches. From that I have about 150# of rock hard clay in my wheelbarrow from those compartments alone.