Slip clutch or shear pin??

santacruzer · Mar 21, 2009

What is generally prefered on a roto tiller...a slip clutch or shear pin?

Thanks for the help! Paul

polo1665 · Mar 21, 2009

This may open a can of worms. My tiller has a slip clutch. If a slip clutch is adjusted properly I believe that they are just fine. My experience tells me that many are not adjusted properly. They can sure cost alot of money to repair if they are not adjusted properly and inspected periodically. The slip clutch on my Simplicity tiller was damaged and not adjusted properly when I bought it. I did not remove the cover to inspect it (duh). It broke and cost me about $100 to repair. I'm glad I was able to repair it as the cost to replace was over $250. You could sure buy alot of shear pins for $100.

Mark

Steveguy · Mar 21, 2009

My Landpride tiller came with a slip clutch. They were available either way. In the manual I think they strongly recommend loosening the clutch adjustment way up so it will slip and run it a little slipping to shine it up and remove any rust, etc. Then retighten it to normal setting. If you don,t do this, the clutch may not slip when needed, so it would be worse than a shearbolt. If you excercise it like recommended it does work great. The shearbolt setup has the advantage of simplicity, the clutch offers convenience, especially in rocky soil or other tough conditions.

spruce Deere · Mar 21, 2009

When adjusted properly slip-clutch is the way to go. Be it tilling, rotary cutter 'Brushhogging' or whatever. If the implement finds somthing it cant chew threw the clutch slips, you notice no tilling or mowing, lift implement, pull ahead to clear obstical, lower implement and carry on. Shear bolts-pin you have to stop, get off tractor, line up shear bolt holes on yolk and shaft, install bolt-pin... Clutch set-ups cost more, with once a season maintinace of loosining, slipping and adjusting properly I have exellent luck with them. And not had to leave the tractor while tilling, cutting, getting more done, and more seat time

David-Davies · Mar 24, 2009

santacruzer The bigest broblem with a shear bolts is when they brake, they will more than likely be replaced with a regular bolt or even [as I have seen] a grade 14 bolt. Only use a shear bolt from the dealer, buy a few extra. If you use a reglur bolt you no longer have a shear pin. As I was fixing my neighbour's rototiller he said [I haven't had any problems with that shear bolt since I replaced it with that really good one]

Egon · Mar 24, 2009

I'd prefer a properly adjusted slip clutch. If working in rocky soil one can go through a lot of shear pins.

pitt_md · Mar 24, 2009

santacruzer said:
What is generally prefered on a roto tiller...a slip clutch or shear pin?

Thanks for the help! Paul

The slip clutch is the better option for me. There are many people that like shear pins better because they require no maintenance before use. Finding rocks just under the surface when tilling is all to common of a problem where I live and I would spend much more time putting in new pins than I would adjusting the clutch once before use.