Rototillers for beginners

[keony]

Thanks! Had a similar case that was hard to remove and install. I tried to fix it once and the dealer tried twice and it still always leaked. Had permatex oozing out of every gap and bolt hole. This might have been a solution for that one. Good option to keep in mind. I don't think I've seen it before.

Thx.

Yes, I removed the case for the repair. I have a fair amount of experience working with fiberglass, made my own surfboard in high school.

 

[keony]

Got it. Thanks. Can you leave that on when you use the tiller or do you have to unbolt it?

Yes, I take it off for tilling, finger tight only.

 

[ctgoldwing]

I went with the Phoenix T10, reverse rotation, 66". It's an Italian product from EA. When I put a new 1/2 acre lawn in I used my box blade 1st to rip the ground (hadn't been touched in 30 years) and pull out the rocks. It did a great job. Filled the loader bucket 4 or 5 times.
One pass with the tiller tiller in each direction and the the topsoil truly was like powder.

 

[mo1]

I have run a 6' reverse rotation King Kutter behind a 5075E Deere. That is not exactly the kind of tractor most of you run but it's what I have and actually works very well. My thoughts:

- The tiller is about 6" narrower than the rear tires, which is no big deal, I simply overlap a bit. However I wouldn't go too much narrower than that.

- I would guess about 5 PTO HP per foot is needed to run a tiller. I have run this same tiller behind a little Massey Ferguson in the past and with 23 PTO HP it was really more than it wanted. The Deere with 64 PTO HP didn't know the tiller was even back there.

- Tilling with a rototiller stinks for breaking sod. I strongly recommend moldboard plowing first. A tiller does a fine job of secondary tillage after plowing, although it's probably slower than discing and dragging.

- Tilling with a rototiller stinks in soil with a large rocks. Other forms of tillage are better to cope with rocks until they are removed.

- Tillers are worse than anything else for making compaction layers. You will need to chisel plow every so often to break up the tiller pan.

- A tractor mounted tiller is so much faster than a self-propelled tiller it's not funny.

 

[Torvy]

Thanks. That was helpful. In my case, it would be impractical to get a traditional plow with shares as we will not likely turn more than an acre or so, maximum. Maybe that is something worth renting?

 

[DieselBound]

Renting equipment or hiring out a job are always possible solutions.

 

[mo1]

Thanks. That was helpful. In my case, it would be impractical to get a traditional plow with shares as we will not likely turn more than an acre or so, maximum. Maybe that is something worth renting?

I don't think it would be completely impractical to buy a traditional moldboard plow. You didn't say exactly what tractor you have or will get other than it is 30-50 HP, and what size of plow you could run will vary a lot depending on the weight of the tractor and the tires you will have on it. I suspect you will probably want a 1 bottom plow for a 30 HP tractor and a 1 or 2 bottom for a 50 HP tractor, but we'd need more specifics to say for sure. Used plows are fairly plentiful and inexpensive. You can get a used 3 point 1 or 2 bottom plow in working order for anywhere between about $100 and $400 depending on what exact plow it is and its condition. Just make sure if it's a mounted plow, it is actually a standard 3 point plow and not one of the nonstandard "not quite a 3 point" such as an IH Fast Hitch, A-C Snap Coupler, or a Case Eagle Hitch plow.

 

[Torvy]

Thanks, my only plowing experience is with bigger 6-7 bottom. I thought they stopped making small plows when they stopped using draft horses.

 

[mo1]

Thanks, my only plowing experience is with bigger 6-7 bottom. I thought they stopped making small plows when they stopped using draft horses.

Nope, small plows were still made after horses left the scene and still continue to be made. Remember that the 3 point hitch was specifically designed for pulling plows. Also remember that the Ford N series tractors were designed to not only replace horses but specifically designed to pull a 2 bottom plow with that then-brand-new 3 point hitch. There are many makers for new 1 and 2 bottom 3 point plows for people to run with compact tractors to plow up gardens and food plots. Slightly larger plows are not nearly as plentiful as they used to be but Deere, Kuhn, Kverneland, and likely others still make them. Few buy new ones as the used ones are inexpensive and a new 3+ bottom plow is many thousands of dollars. Case in point, Deere wants about $10k for a new 3 bottom 975 mounted plow.

 

[ruffdog]

Another thread:

hardpan advice - suggestions