Tiller How often do you clean roots from tiller tines?

[IslandTractor]

I just started using a new 6ft KKII tiller on a patch of land formerly overgrown with brush. The brush was cleared mostly by ripping out bushes with a grapple which left a fair number of surface roots. I can till through the area without stalling the tiller and can get down to about 7-8 inches after two passes. However, I notice that the roots are being pulled out of the ground and wrap around the tiller. The soil still seems to be tilled. After testing the tiller in the newly cleared area, I went into a field where there are no roots to test the clogged tiller and it seemed to do a fine job even though it was stilled very clogged at the end of double tilling a 25x300 foot section of field.

My question is whether I should be removing the root mess from the tiller or not. It seemed to be tilling fine even when pretty clogged up. However, I am a novice at this tilling business so I'd like to hear how more experienced users handle this type of situation. I did stop at one point to clear the tiller and found it took quite a while so I'm wondering if it is necessary. See photos.

Photo 1 is newly cleared land last Fall before tilling. Photo 2 same area this Spring after tilling one row. Photo 3 is state of tiller after tilling in the newly cleared area. Photo 4 is tilled area in separate field done with "clogged" tiller.

 

[Baby Grand]

Island-

I haven't got wrapped around the axle with the roots, myself, and I've been tilling some heavily rooted soil in the past month.

An observation: that soil looks like it has a high moisture/clay content - are you on a glacial morain?

A thought: what ground speed and PTO speed are you tilling with? Slow forward ( < or = 1 mph) with 500-540 PTO seems to keep my tines clear in heavy clay if it's not too wet. When it gets too wet it behaves like cookie dough and loads up the rotor until I lift it up and spin it clear.

Also: that beast should really be chopping those roots rather than baling them. Are you getting any clutch slippage?

-Jim

 

[J_J]

IslandTractor,

In the third picture, you can barely see the tines.

The more roots you wind will decrease you tilling depth, and could cause more wear on the bearings and side plates on the tiller shaft, and add more load on the tractor. Just notice your rpm and speed, and if you are not satisfied with the operation, then remove the roots. I made a root cutter that has an L shape. The small part was pointed and sharpened. I carry it with me on the tiller and flail mower.

 

[foggy1111]

I read on TBN where some use a bat powered "sawzall" to attack the roots tangled in the tiller. I havnt yet tried my tiller...but I figured I would try the sawzall to get rid of the roots.

I have been brushing out some land too in preparation for tilling and am anxious to give my new tiller a go. My brush is not as thick as you have in your pics....so I have been cutting it with my rotary cutter which is leaving the roots behind. I plan to try my subsoiler and a disc prior to tilling....to hopefully break up the root mass and cut up some of the remaining trash.

Are you doing anything to break up the land prior to tilling? I have a fear of that root mass causing me problems too and they dont look easy to clear.

 

[Ford850]

I think your soil is too wet, and the tines are pulling the roots out of the mushy soil rather than slicing them off. You definitely want to clear them off or they will stress the seals or bearings as suggested above.

 

[Wheatland KB]

You should try to keep it as clean as possible due to the wear issues pointed out above. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Reg]

I have carried pruning shears to clear mine from time to time (and from tine to tine).
The battery powered sawzall idea seemed so good that I picked up a package of "wood and nails" blades the other night, also a package of "green wood" blades.

I clean mine out WAY before it gets as bad as that 3rd picture, but I'm not fastidious about it.

Now WIRE is another matter, especially if it is close to bearings.
Under a big mess it might be difficult to know if there is wire in there;
or mono filament, which I understand can REALLY take out bearing seals.

 

[nunyabinis]

I'd run a subsoiler over the area to break the roots into smaller chunks so that the tiller simply unearths them without winding them around the shaft.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks for the tips guys.

To address your questions: Yes, the soil was either quite wet or in other places at least moist. I just got the tiller on to the island that day and could not wait to try it out. I was in some areas (not pictured) where it was a real mud bath. However, I checked the tiller after being in the muddy area and there were only a few roots that I removed before proceeding to work in areas where the soil clumped rather than turned to mud. Most of the roots came up in an area that was not muddy but certainly was not dry.

The land here on the island is actually typically more sandy than clay but the specific areas I was tilling are on an old farm which had been cultivated for several hundred years before being abandoned about 25 years ago. There were actually fewer rocks than I expected compared to the rest of the island (and nice stone walls along the fields).

The tiller does have a slip clutch which engaged a few times when I hit either a stump or drove across what I think was an old very compacted pathway. However I did not smell any burning clutch material and the tiller seemed quite happy turning over at what I calculate to be about 450-500 RPM (tractor run at 2000 rpm vs 2500 for full PTO speed). I was in low range and timed myself at five minutes to cover 300 feet which I think is between 1-2 MPH.

I will obviously remove the mass of roots currently on the tiller and will see about building a tool to help remove them more efficiently in the field. I have a battery powered sawzall so may give that a try but I'd also love to see a photo of JJ's manual derooting tool too.

As a follow on question, how dry should soil be prior to tilling? My issue here is that we would like to get corn started in the next week. The University Ag station recommends planting corn up here in the first two weeks of May. As luck would have it it's kinda rainy this week so even this weekend the soil will not be much different. I'm not concerned about the muddy or newly cleared areas but rather the open area in the field that I'd hoped to expand and retill as a corn plot.

 

[nunyabinis]

I like to till when the ground is on the dry side but still has enough moisture to keep the enterprise from becoming a Dust Bowl.


I'd say your ground is way too wet. Sometimes you gotta take what Mother Nature gives you though.






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