Tiller Narrowed my tiller choices to 3...your thoughts?

KennedyDiesel · Mar 11, 2005

Not sure about drive efficiencies etc, but I handle a 50" Deere 450 tiller behind my 455 which is 22 engine HP. Now I am told this is also possibly over-rated compared to a CUT.

I have the tines about worn out, in my 7+ years of operating it, and I LOVE it. The only repair was the "hook" for the gate chain and the gate chain. Tilling in rocky or rooty soil has the tiller jumping all over the place and the chain stretched and the fork slot bent until it wouldn't hold the chain. I'd suggest being able to cover wheel tracks so that it cuts in nice. They don't run deep over packed, or moist soil, or when a lot of lofty organic matter is in place. I first cut my skid shoes narrow for gardens, but later took them off. It runs deeper this way. You may want to run a bead of hard face on the side boards if worried about wearing away.

When tilling, I find that I can go as fast as I want in most cases. If I go fast enough to load the engine hard, it's too fast for the tiller to do a nice job. We are in heavy nasty, bally clay here. When tilling sod, I sometimes get pushed around by the tiller trying to hold it back as it has a lot of thrust. The only time it REALLY works the engine is if I'm in super wet soil and start to get stuck. I drop the tiller for the thrust and floor the hydro. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

If you can rent or borrow one to try that would be my suggestion.

I'm pretty sure my 455 would handle a 55" unit so long as the little cat 0 3 point could lift it. For reference, the 47" 2 stage blower DOES ride the engine down hard...

Single pass can be done if soil is dry enough, but to get good results you'll need to go slow. Where you lift you will leave a hole. On the non overhang side you will not be deep so you may want to reverse the direction on the final pass. The non overhang side will leave a wheel track.

The tines will move soil somewhat towards the non overhang side. For this reason when I make my final pass across the end of a garden, I run the overhang to the outside. Without cleaning up in the non overhang side you will leave wheel tracks.

HayDR · Mar 11, 2005

2nstonge,
The gear drive tiller is a plus since you do not have to worry about having to continually adjust the chain correctly or the chain breaking.
Another thing to consider make sure you are comparing a tillers working width. Some Marketing labels over-state the actual tilling width. Tilling width is not the size of box but outside to outside of the tines.

EastTexFrank · Mar 11, 2005

I have a Kuhn EL 32-130 (50") that I run on a B2400 that has 18/19 PTO hp. You're right, it's built like a tank and it'll last forever. I've pretzelled rebar and dug up and spat out chunks of concrete and buried logs with it ... never a problem. It's one heck of a machine but do I actually need something that heavy duty .... probably not. I first tried to dig up my garden with a walk behind and that Troybilt nearly beat me to death. It was so bad that I thought I needed a heavy duty PTO tiller. The Kuhn tore up that ground in 2 passes at different depths and now I can till the whole thing in less than 30 minutes, no sweat. So, with the tilling at the beginning of the year, digging in the compost and weeding during the year, I probably put less than 5 hours on it for the whole season. The bottom line is that it probably wasn't really a cost effective purchase for use around the house and at the farm but I do love that thing and I'm keeping it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I think what I'm trying to say is that if your commercial jobs are going to be large gardens or pastures that have been previously untilled or broken up with lots of rocks, I might lean towards a heavier duty model. If all your going to be doing is tilling up someone's existing garden, then the TSC/KK model should do just fine, so go for it and get the additional attachments as a bonus.

I've never had to repair mine but it doesn't look as if there is too much that could go wrong with it or would be too difficult to fix.

Good luck with whatever you decide. You'll enjoy using it. There's something very satisfying about looking at newly tilled ground that didn't cost a whole lot of sweat or physical abuse. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

hhw · Mar 11, 2005

Have used JD tillers for some years now. 450& 550. Really have pounded them pretty hard. No repairs necessaryI and as ashamed as i am to admit it, preventive maintenance has been less then it should. I can't comment on the others.

RickO · Mar 11, 2005

I like the CCM tillers but was trying to keep my costs down so I went with a KK 60". If you could get all your implements from Mark at CCI and get a better deal on shipping I would look into that option. I do feel that KK is a very good bang for your buck. The KK gear drive tiller is rated for 45HP and weighs about the same as the equivalent sized 60HP gear drive CCM tiller. I don't think the KK is any slouch of a tiller.

I know that TSC's manager has within his/her power to knock off 10% if your buying multiple implements. This was what influenced my purchase of a KK Tiller and dirt scoop. Still would have rather had the CCM though! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

KennedyDiesel · Mar 11, 2005

( Have used JD tillers for some years now. 450& 550. Really have pounded them pretty hard. No repairs necessaryI and as ashamed as i am to admit it, preventive maintenance has been less then it should. I can't comment on the others. )

I have never touched the chain case on mine except to lock down the adjusting bolt when it came loose...

nomad · Mar 11, 2005

I've been away for a year. I see CCM tillers have been popular there. Mark, you owe me a thank, ha?

Holzster · Mar 11, 2005

Norm

On Tuesday I just bought a 60 " KK 2 tiller the KK 2 is a gear driven and a LOT more stout!! it was a hundered more then the KK 60 " and worth every penney!! I have 5 hours on it already!!

EastTexFrank · Mar 12, 2005

( I've been away for a year )

Glad to see you got time off for good behavior. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Welcome back.

2nstonge · Mar 13, 2005

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the responses. I'm going to go back and 'kick the tines' this week as well talk more with 1-2 of the dealers from TBN who pinged me about buying a package deal from them. I need to figure out if the deal - including the additional shipping costs - is enough to entice me to not buy locally.

My decision so far is to go for a tiller in the 48" range (due to my PTO HP limit) with a side shift to cover my tracks. Gear drive is a 'nice to have' but not a must - I haven't heard of one real chain issue. Weight of the tiller seems to be a big deal, the CCM comes in at 495lbs, the Kuhn at 550. These are at least 100lbs heavier than the others.

My anticipated work will be a mix of tilling existing gardens and cutting in the occasional new one. Over the past couple of days I've talked to 2 of the bigger landscapers in the area. The average home owner who calls them for a once-a-year till and no other services is a just a nuisance, I could see an additional 15-20 jobs as overflow from these guys. I can't think of one instance that I've ever been disappointed by buying the best gear I can afford for the long haul so I don't mind taking my time now to make the right decision.

Thanks again, -Norm