Need 6' Tiller Recomendations/advice

[jduke]

I have a DX55, its classified as a CUT, but the rear wheels are just a hair over 6'. I need a 6' tiller. I also need one that will accommodate a 55HP tractor.

I see all sorts of considerations from reverse vs. forward rotating tines and number of tines per flange, and number of flanges, gear vs. chain drive. Can someone help me out as to which I need? I am certain I want/need gear drive. Im PRETTY sure I need counter rotating tines, but that puts me in the Bush Hog category, and they only have 4 tines per flange, which seems weak. My soil is hard, solid red clay in one area and solid black clay gumbo in another. When its wet, its gooey, when its try, its like tilling concrete. I need this for food plots as well as gardening. You can ball up damp clay, throw it at a tree and it will stick there for a week.

I see Bush Hog makes a few (4 tines per flange):
RTH72-03


Land Pride has only ONE in my HP range (not counter rotating):
RTA3576

King Kutter (6 tines per flange, no idea if forward/counter rotating, no idea about HP range...lack of info from company is concerning):
TG-G-72

Ag-Meir-Mohawk (6 tines, Gear drive, not sure if counter Rotating)
RT72

Woods (can get 6 tines per flange, no idea if counter rotating):
SGT80

Most of these have HP cutoffs at 55HP, which puts me at the very top. Id rather not be there I don't think, right?

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a DX55, its classified as a CUT, but the rear wheels are just a hair over 6'. I need a 6' tiller. I also need one that will accommodate a 55HP tractor.

I see all sorts of considerations from reverse vs. forward rotating tines and number of tines per flange, and number of flanges, gear vs. chain drive. Can someone help me out as to which I need? I am certain I want/need gear drive. Im PRETTY sure I need counter rotating tines, but that puts me in the Bush Hog category, and they only have 4 tines per flange, which seems weak. My soil is hard, solid red clay in one area and solid black clay gumbo in another. When its wet, its gooey, when its try, its like tilling concrete. I need this for food plots as well as gardening. You can ball up damp clay, throw it at a tree and it will stick there for a week.

I see Bush Hog makes a few (4 tines per flange):
RTH72-03


Land Pride has only ONE in my HP range (not counter rotating):
RTA3576

King Kutter (6 tines per flange, no idea if forward/counter rotating, no idea about HP range...lack of info from company is concerning):
TG-G-72

Ag-Meir-Mohawk (6 tines, Gear drive, not sure if counter Rotating)
RT72

Woods (can get 6 tines per flange, no idea if counter rotating):
SGT80

Most of these have HP cutoffs at 55HP, which puts me at the very top. Id rather not be there I don't think, right?

King Kutter makes both forward and reverse rotation tillers. Those with RTG designation are reverse rotation. I don't know about the other brands you listed. RTG tillers are a few hundred more than the forward rotating ones for some reason.
From what I have learned, forward rotating blade are better for rocks and other hard surfaces but they don't cut as deep on a single pass. They are easier to pull than reverse likely due to the less digging depth.
I just bought a 6 foot forward rotation KK due to the many rocks that grow on my place and continually push up every winter. I can always make more passes to get the depth and chop the vegetation finer.
One manufacturers website did say that 6 tines per flange tillers are easier to pull than 4 tine which seems a little strange but that is the claim. I do think they will till better and operate with much less vibration.
All Land Pride tillers are chain drive so if you want gear drive, mark those off your list. Also another good American made tiller is TARTER. They are more costly than KK but are recommended by SweetTractors as good heavy duty tillers. They have a good video of them torture testing some of their products that may make you an owner of one.

 

[Gary Fowler]

King Kutter 6 foot tillers have a 100 HP rating on their gear box.
I know what you mean about the black clay, we call it buck shot in Louisiana and it gets that hard when dry. There is a very short time between too wet and too dry and you have to get it just right when using any tillage equipment. Too wet and you will have cannon balls rolling around all year long, too dry and you need a 10,000 pound disc just to scratch it.

 

[sweettractors]

The Tarter 6 ft is geardrive and can be used in forward or reverse rotation. It does have 6 tines per rotor mounted in a scroll pattern and is slip clutch protected. $1795 + low cost lower 48 shipping. Ken Sweet

 

[sweettractors]

Here is a pic of the Tarter tiller and instructions for the reverse rotation conversion, if needed. Ken Sweet

 

[Daver1963]

TG-G-72 30-55HP
King Kutter TG-G-72 Professional 6Ft. Tractor Rotary Tiller - McGee Farm Equipment, Inc.

TG-G-84 50-65HP
King Kutter TG-G-84 Professional 7 Ft. Tractor Rotary Tiller - McGee Farm Equipment, Inc.

 

[jduke]

Here is a pic of the Tarter tiller and instructions for the reverse rotation conversion, if needed. Ken Sweet

Those are considerably cheaper (cost wise) than Bush Hog or many in my list......

What about gear box rating.....should I be worried if one is rated from 30-55 if my tractor has a 50HP PTO? Or should I try to find one rated for something a bit higher?

 

[sweettractors]

Those are considerably cheaper (cost wise) than Bush Hog or many in my list......

What about gear box rating.....should I be worried if one is rated from 30-55 if my tractor has a 50HP PTO? Or should I try to find one rated for something a bit higher?

These should be fine on that tractor. If you keep you slip clutch adjusted properly, you can run on a much higher hp tractor. Ken Sweet

 

[jduke]

Trying to find one a little more local so I can pick it up, but trying to find a 6' tiller with reverse rotation for a 50HP PTO is proving to be like finding a snowball in ****. Ive called a few places with tillers that have everything I want on them EXCEPT that. Not sure how important it is. My old troybilt powders a fine seedbed and its forward rotating.

 

[Gary Fowler]

TG-G-72 30-55HP
King Kutter TG-G-72 Professional 6Ft. Tractor Rotary Tiller - McGee Farm Equipment, Inc.

TG-G-84 50-65HP
King Kutter TG-G-84 Professional 7 Ft. Tractor Rotary Tiller - McGee Farm Equipment, Inc.

Initial price is not bad but for me it was almost $400 in shipping cost which put it out of competition with local prices.