Horse power vs tiller width

[Sawyer Rob]

We run an 8' tiller with a 33 HP engine tractor. But we always disc first. Which I would with any tractor.

I don't know what kind/brand of eight-foot tiller you have, but I'd make a bet to you for a "serous amount" of money that you can't run my 80" tiller for one hour with your 33hp tractor, without your tractor over heating badly! I'm not talking in cement either, farm soil right here on my place.

In fact, it won't run my six-foot tiller for same! NO way, NO how!

Take me up on my bet, come try, but bring plenty of money to leave behind, I can always use some money. lol

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I've been looking to get a tiller to use with my Kubota M6800. PTO HP rated at 62.

Two "rules" of thumb in this thread:

"Rule of thumb is 1 foot of width per 5 pto ponies." 62 HP/5 = 12 feet of tiller

"Over here we work on 1 inch per hp." 62HP = 62" or 5 feet of tiller

I don't have a lot of experience with tillers but that seems like a lot of variation in tiller size between the two rules.

62hp tractor will "properly" run a HD 6' tiller pretty much anyplace, continuous duty.

In gardens or lighter soils, even a 7 footer...

SR

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I don't know what kind/brand of eight-foot tiller you have, but I'd make a bet to you for a "serous amount" of money that you can't run my 80" tiller for one hour with your 33hp tractor, without your tractor over heating badly! I'm not talking in cement either, farm soil right here on my place.

In fact, it won't run my six-foot tiller for same! NO way, NO how!

Take me up on my bet, come try, but bring plenty of money to leave behind, I can always use some money. lol

SR

Naw, this tractor has a compound double low. It's a LONG brand tiller with gearbox in the center. Tractor has 4 & 3 on trans. Put both in first, it will do it.

 

[jenkinsph]

I've been looking to get a tiller to use with my Kubota M6800. PTO HP rated at 62.

Two "rules" of thumb in this thread:

"Rule of thumb is 1 foot of width per 5 pto ponies." 62 HP/5 = 12 feet of tiller

"Over here we work on 1 inch per hp." 62HP = 62" or 5 feet of tiller

I don't have a lot of experience with tillers but that seems like a lot of variation in tiller size between the two rules.

Tiller width is one thing, rotor diameter is another. A large rotor type in 10 feet width may require 150 hp to run it. that is 15 hp per foot.

But for your 6800 I agree that a 72" wide tiller with 7 to 8 inch working depth would be about perfect size. That would have about an 18" -to-20" rotor diameter. Six cutters per rotor for about 54 cutters total.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Naw, this tractor has a compound double low. It's a LONG brand tiller with gearbox in the center. Tractor has 4 & 3 on trans. Put both in first, it will do it.

Not with a HD tiller it won't, I don't care how slow you go as long as you put it in the ground. lol

SR

 

[beenthere]

Puzzled a bit by the comments. Seems it "all depends" on the ground, the ground speed, the depth, the soil, tiller diameter, etc., etc. .

My 32 hp CUT HST Deere works just fine tilling with my 60" 3ph tiller. Never entered my mind that maybe there were not enough horses to do the fine job that it does. Tractor doesn't overheat, so maybe I'm missing something here. ??

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Puzzled a bit by the comments. Seems it "all depends" on the ground, the ground speed, the depth, the soil, tiller diameter, etc., etc. .

My 32 hp CUT HST Deere works just fine tilling with my 60" 3ph tiller. Never entered my mind that maybe there were not enough horses to do the fine job that it does. Tractor doesn't overheat, so maybe I'm missing something here. ??

Biggest thing you are missing, has already been mentioned, that is, "exactly" what the specs of "the" tiller are.

Like I've said over and over on this forum, not all tillers are created equal!

SR

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Not with a HD tiller it won't, I don't care how slow you go as long as you put it in the ground. lol

SR

Been doing it too long.

 

[fatjay]

I run a 4' tiller with my new holland s14 in hard clay. Sometimes I have to make multiple passes to get to the max depth, but it does the job.

 

[Raul-02]

I won't waste my time on you any farther.

it is spelled "further" and so much for your judgment.

 

[kf4uda]

I run a 4' tiller with my new holland s14 in hard clay. Sometimes I have to make multiple passes to get to the max depth, but it does the job.

I like the looks of your garden tractor. I have never seen one of those. I looked it up on tractor data. Looks like they made them from 1970-73. They also made an S12 and S16. Looks like you are keeping it busy.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I run a 5' tiller on a 28hp tractor. Tills CT rocky soil no problem. Can you rent a tiller and try it out on your tractor on your soil? That is the best way to answer your question. Anyone near you have a tiller you can borrow?

 

[Raul-02]

Anyone near you have a tiller you can borrow?

Famous last words. I'd only loan my tiller out if the full purchase price were handed to me as a deposit.

 

[LD1]

2320 deer compact @19 PTO hp works just fine.

I'd like to find an 8' tiller for my 40 PTO hp MX. And only reason I'm not looking for a 10' is cause I don't want to have to get an oversized permit to trailer it

 

[Spooler]

Tiller width is one thing, rotor diameter is another. A large rotor type in 10 feet width may require 150 hp to run it. that is 15 hp per foot.

But for your 6800 I agree that a 72" wide tiller with 7 to 8 inch working depth would be about perfect size. That would have about an 18" -to-20" rotor diameter. Six cutters per rotor for about 54 cutters total.

Thank you for the reply. Most of the 6’ tillers I’ve seen are rated for 40 to 50HP at the PTO. Any concern with the higher HP on my PTO?

 

[CobyRupert]

Thank you for the reply. Most of the 6’ tillers I’ve seen are rated for 40 to 50HP at the PTO. Any concern with the higher HP on my PTO?

Where’s the weakest link? And how expensive is it?

The weakest link should be a PTO slip clutch or a shear bolt that will snap instead of more expensive parts snapping. However, there is difference in the horsepower a shear bolt or slip clutch will let through in a normal “steady state” condition, working as it should, versus the dynamic horsepower spike of a rock jamming the tiller to the point it snaps the shear bolt or slips the clutch.
IMHO, having a 100 hp tractor on a 40-50 hp isn’t a problem as the shear bolt and clutch will protect the tiller if something jams it.
….but it probably will let you work the tiller harder at (say) 60 Hp. Could you continuously apply excessive horsepower for hours and overheat the gearbox? Maybe. But if the gearbox stays cool, it’s probably ok. Heat and impacts are when stuff fails. Those rating numbers are fuzzy.
Conversely, IMHO, a small hp tractor running equipment rated for larger horsepower should have a shear bolt or slip clutch at a setting that protects the tractor’s PTO from sudden impacts.

 

[fatjay]

I like the looks of your garden tractor. I have never seen one of those. I looked it up on tractor data. Looks like they made them from 1970-73. They also made an S12 and S16. Looks like you are keeping it busy.

the S14 is a great tractor, i have 2 of them. One with a cab and snowblower, the other with the tiller and plow. The tiller one my father bought in the 70's. Great machines, very reliable, and easy to work on. I see them pop up for sale between 300-1000 on occasion with various accessories.

 

[Ausmac]

62hp tractor will "properly" run a HD 6' tiller pretty much anyplace, continuous duty.

In gardens or lighter soils, even a 7 footer...

SR

This is about it. Max. Trying to use a 12 foot tiller on something this small is just playing with it.
We’ve always worked on an inch per hp minimum when you’re working heavy ground.
Some of the bigger hoes and tillers use a 250hp tractor to run a 160 inch hoe. At 2 miles an hour.
At the end of the day if you have plenty of hp you’re going to do the job properly on the first pass and probably save yourself heaps in the long run.

 

[Spindifferent]

You will likely run out of traction before you run out of PTO horse power, depending on tractor speed, soil type and depth of tillage. Weight is your friend with tilling.

 

[beenthere]

I have a JD3025D and I want to get a tiller. Does anyone run a 5ft tiller with a 25 hp tractor? I would like your input if you do. I have sandy soil so I think it will be fine, but I would sure hate to spend that much money and be disappointed with the results. Thank you in advance for your help.

Back to the OP, and think the JD3025D will do just fine running a 5' tiller, especially if it is HST where infinite forward speed is available.