Rototilling

[SouthernX]

I have a NH 2420 (60HP) tractor. If I pulled a 6' rototiller behind it at a 5" depth, how many acres in an 8 hour period could I expect to get tilled?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Here is a formula I found from Iowa Farm extension service. The field efficiency if a factor of how long the distance is before you have to stop and turn around and lower implement and start tilling again. Obviously if you only go 100 feet and turn your efficiency is going to be low whereas if you go 1/4 mile you may get 98% efficiency. I believe the recommended speed for tilling is about 2 mph with 3mph being about the max you can expect if in softer soil. The harder the soils like hard clay for instance, the slower you have to go.

field capacity = width X speed X field
efficiency DIVIDED BY 8.251
For example, assume a 24-foot
tandem disk can be pulled at 6 miles
per hour with a field efficiency of 80
percent. Its estimated field capacity is:
24 feet  6 mph  80%  8.25 =
14 acres per hour

 

[Gary Fowler]

There is lots of other interesting reading on HP requirements, field days needed to do certain amount of work etc. check out this site or just Googlesearch for "horsepower requirements for farm implements" and you will get several hits.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM952.pdf

 

[Egon]

How fast will you go?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Inches of working width X MPH , then divide by 100 = per hour

ie, 72" tiller with some overlap, let's say you'll be working 65" for arguements sake. Let's use a nice round number of 1 MPH.

65" X 1 = 65. Divide by 100 = .65 acres per hour. 8 hours, you can expect 5.2 acres.

 

[allenr]

Inches of working width X MPH , then divide by 100 = per hour

ie, 72" tiller with some overlap, let's say you'll be working 65" for arguements sake. Let's use a nice round number of 1 MPH.

65" X 1 = 65. Divide by 100 = .65 acres per hour. 8 hours, you can expect 5.2 acres.

So 2 MPH (3.2 KMH) would be about 10 acres in 8 hours and that sounds about right to me

 

[Baby Grand]

So 2 MPH (3.2 KMH) would be about 10 acres in 8 hours and that sounds about right to me

Ouch! 8 hours on a tiller? That sounds like a long day to me.

 

[LoneCowboy]

With a 5' tiller (cuz that's what I have)
it's 1/2 acre per hour
or 1 acre every 2 hours

so, the above with 5 acres in 8 hours with a 6' rings true for me.

 

[flusher]

How fast will you go?

Exactly.

When I rototill my veg garden with the 14 hp Bolens G14 garden tractor and a 32" wide rototiller, I don't move more than 1 mph and make several passes to get the tillage I want.

When I installed my landscaping around the new house 3 years ago I used a 48" wide Yanmar RS1200 rototiller and the Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine). I moved probably 0.5 mph then because the ground was pretty dry and hard and the rototiller skipped along the surface if I tried to increase the speed. Hydrostatic transmissions are what you need for rototilling in these conditions.

The OP needs to specify the soil condition and the amount of tillage (coarse, medium, fine) he needs before his question can be answered more precisely.

 

[pitt_md]

The problem that you will find is that the calculations are for pristine field conditions.

When I tilled my 7 acre field last year it took a several days of getting on and off the tractor and picking rocks and putting them into the FEL bucket.

 

[SouthernX]

Thanks for all the replies and the useful information.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think I will stick to my 8 foot disc and make 2 passes at 5 mph=2.5 acres per hour double cut. It may not be as thoroughly pulverized as a tiller but it will be just as efficient for growing a plant and my diesel bill will be about 1/4 of the cost of tilling. Plus rocks dont break the dics blades like they do the tines on a tiller and I have some nice rocks that grow and multipy on my place.

 

[SouthernX]

I think I will stick to my 8 foot disc and make 2 passes at 5 mph=2.5 acres per hour double cut. It may not be as thoroughly pulverized as a tiller but it will be just as efficient for growing a plant and my diesel bill will be about 1/4 of the cost of tilling. Plus rocks dont break the dics blades like they do the tines on a tiller and I have some nice rocks that grow and multipy on my place.

Can you tell me a little more about discing vs. rototilling? Are you talking about smooth disks or disks with "teeth"?

 

[john_bud]

Either one. (smooth or tooth) The ones with teeth are able to cut harder soils.

Thing with a disc is that you do need to come back with a spring tooth harrow or similar to bust up the clods. You may also have to mow it down tighter and it is harder to turn over growth. So, you may have to use a bottom plow first, then the disc then the harrow to get the same field conditions as the tiller.

Biggest plus with a disc is the rocks don't beat the snot out of them so bad. Then again, smaller rocks (6-8" and smaller) will get shot out and lay on the surface after tilling so if you want to get rid of them the tiller helps.

It's sort of a 6 vs half dozen thing. Each has it's own strengths and advantages.

jb

 

[SouthernX]

Either one. (smooth or tooth) The ones with teeth are able to cut harder soils.

Thing with a disc is that you do need to come back with a spring tooth harrow or similar to bust up the clods. You may also have to mow it down tighter and it is harder to turn over growth. So, you may have to use a bottom plow first, then the disc then the harrow to get the same field conditions as the tiller.

Biggest plus with a disc is the rocks don't beat the snot out of them so bad. Then again, smaller rocks (6-8" and smaller) will get shot out and lay on the surface after tilling so if you want to get rid of them the tiller helps.

It's sort of a 6 vs half dozen thing. Each has it's own strengths and advantages.

jb

Thanks.