spruce Deere
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2009
- Messages
- 1,168
- Location
- Northmost Idaho
- Tractor
- John Deere 790 with loader LS xr3140h also with loader plus a cab
Been a great while since I posted.
As alot of you tbn'ers know, growing a business involving plants, soil, compact tractors and all the implements to make possible it takes untold amounts of time, careful planning, waiting, borrowing, bartering plus some begging at times. We managed to upgrade to a brand new KK 60" tiller earlier this week to take the place of the bullet proof 48" maletti tiller.
We chose the KK over other brands due to build, price and reputation. All big names like landpride, woods, deere and such wanted considerably more for tillers in the 60" category and most of the 'big' names were not even gear driven to boot....
Anyhow, after getting the tiller home I removed the crating, topped off the gear boxes with lucas oil the thick stuff, greased the u-joints and side bearing then ended up loping about 2 inches off the p.t.o shaft so it would have proper clearance on the 790. After that checked for loose bolts and found none. But, after a "test tilling" in I did The rear to bolts on the side gear box where loose enough to let the gear box shift very slightly... easy fix
In the rain saturated heavy clay soil we have here right now, the KK did very good. One slow pass and the heavy, sticky clay soil looked fluffed, almost ready for planting a garden. One more pass over and it was perfect.
One thing I did notice that the KK did not have in comparison to the maletti tiller was what I call "trash guards" that extend over the output bearing housing from the tine flange. Just two pieces of about 3/4 inch wide buy 1/2 thick strap is all they are... They very effectively keep twine, vines and other things from wrapping around the shaft then into the seal that ruins the seal causing gear box oil to leak.... I will be welding "trash guards" to the tine flange on new KK:thumbsup:
I know none of this is true without pic's, I will try to post a few later
As alot of you tbn'ers know, growing a business involving plants, soil, compact tractors and all the implements to make possible it takes untold amounts of time, careful planning, waiting, borrowing, bartering plus some begging at times. We managed to upgrade to a brand new KK 60" tiller earlier this week to take the place of the bullet proof 48" maletti tiller.
We chose the KK over other brands due to build, price and reputation. All big names like landpride, woods, deere and such wanted considerably more for tillers in the 60" category and most of the 'big' names were not even gear driven to boot....
Anyhow, after getting the tiller home I removed the crating, topped off the gear boxes with lucas oil the thick stuff, greased the u-joints and side bearing then ended up loping about 2 inches off the p.t.o shaft so it would have proper clearance on the 790. After that checked for loose bolts and found none. But, after a "test tilling" in I did The rear to bolts on the side gear box where loose enough to let the gear box shift very slightly... easy fix
In the rain saturated heavy clay soil we have here right now, the KK did very good. One slow pass and the heavy, sticky clay soil looked fluffed, almost ready for planting a garden. One more pass over and it was perfect.
One thing I did notice that the KK did not have in comparison to the maletti tiller was what I call "trash guards" that extend over the output bearing housing from the tine flange. Just two pieces of about 3/4 inch wide buy 1/2 thick strap is all they are... They very effectively keep twine, vines and other things from wrapping around the shaft then into the seal that ruins the seal causing gear box oil to leak.... I will be welding "trash guards" to the tine flange on new KK:thumbsup:
I know none of this is true without pic's, I will try to post a few later
