Tiller Tiller advice needed

[bill177]

I have been looking at a 48-50" tiller to use on a scut. The dealers get from $1600 to $1850 for a new one. Brand names from JD to Woods, etc.

I have been letting my fingers do the walking and have found them from $850 (Northern Tool) to $1150 (delivered from Agri). A few others a hundred or so more, including CCMachinery.

My garden is 40 x 60 and will get larger with a new machine doing the work. Anything tilled up, whether flower beds or garden, will be from established lawn areas. Not going to till the woods or brush areas.

Soil is heavy clay, but my Mantis has been working it up for years. Just takes lots of time, and I have lots of time. I just want to do the time sitting rather than walking (its an age thing).

Any thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated. I don't mind spending the extra money if I am going to get something I need. Otherwise, I'd like to save a few dollars and apply them towards other implements.

 

[jim_n_nh]

This spring I bought a tiller(58") from CCM. It was a pleasant experience all the way through. Mark at CCM was extremely friendly before and after the sale. The tiller looks like it was built for WWII, it is very overbuilt. I paid $1450 for it including shipping to Manchester, NH so it would be about the same for you. The tiller is made in the country of Turkey and is extremely rugged. Please contact me if you have any ???

Jim

 

[DK35vince]

The King Kutter II is a good tiller.
A 48" King kutter tiller is running around $1200 at the local TSC.

 

[ducati996]

I purchased a 48" from the following below (dealer on this site)
the unit is fantastic and Im lucky to pick it up before the increase in steel
across the board. The shipping wasnt bad either as i recall -less than I thought but of course that was before the gas fleecing

http://www.corimpco.com/tiller.html

Its been put to the test and performs excellent. As for the chain vs gear debate, I feel the chain will last a long time. CCM is the only one I know that sells the gear type for a competitive price (but they are more money than chain)

 

[bill177]

I wound up buying the Massey Ferguson 1351 tiller (48"). I figure I paid too much for it, but it is very well built, parts are readily available for it, delivery was included, and it works GREAT!!!!

I have been mining dirt from the woods and putting it on the top of my very poor clay soil. Leveled about 6" of it on the surface with the FEL, then tilled it in.

I figure next spring I have to wear my running shoes when I put the seeds in. It looks great. Just have to do a ph test before winter in case it needs a little lime.

 

[Maxfli]

I guess I view most of these tillers as indestructible. I looked for a long time at new, between $1200 and 1800. When it came down to it I bought a used Howard Rotavator 48" on Ebay for $600.00, and Local pickup. Somewhere I read that some of the Howard tillers were repackaged and sold by Deere anyhow (don't know that its true though). Works great on my JD2210, only problem is its orange. Balance of $'s is still in the bank for other uses.

 

[2nstonge]

I bought a CCM 48" last year, it has performed as advertised. I tilled ~30 gardens last year and maybe 35-40 this year (typical home-size plots) - some thru virgin soil, some existing gardens and not a problem. Maintenance has been minimal.

The last garden I did this year the homeowner came out to tell me - just as I found out the hard way - the garden area used to be a dog kennel and "there might be some chainlink fence buried out there". Well, there sure was. Nothing broke on the tiller but cutting of about 5ft of chainlink fence wrapped around the tines was NOT a fun way to spend the next day and half.

-Norm

 

[bill177]

I am thinking about trying to turn a couple of dollars with the tractor. How much do you charge for tilling these plots and what kind of trailer are you using? Do you carry an liability insurance?

 

[Arcane]

I nearly bought a $2000 tiller for my 24 hp JD 4115, but I'm glad that I didn't. I was so sure that it would be the right tool for making garden and planting beds, but 'spensive.

My land has a lot of potato to head-sized granite rocks, and a lot of stone walls that make for tight clearances, and I wondered what a big rock or two would do to the pto/powertrain, and what might happen if the tractor got launched into a wall by a big rock in the tiller. So I rented a Honda 8 hp walk - behind tiller to see how that handled the rocks. Just fine, as it turned out, and I was able to pitch the rocks that it churned up into the bucket of my parked tractor as I walked behind in first or second gear. What I realized was that I'd have been jumping off the tractor way too often to pitch these rocks, which would probably be more work that operating the walk-behind.

My local HD was turning over their rental fleet, and I got a Honda FRC 800 for $900. Starts on the first pull, and if it breaks at least my tractor won't be out of commision. But its a horse, and I think it will do fine for whatever I need. Today I tilled a 12x48 bed, and pitched nearly 2 cubic yards of rocks into the bucket for their trip to the rock pile.

 

[2nstonge]

I am thinking about trying to turn a couple of dollars with the tractor. How much do you charge for tilling these plots and what kind of trailer are you using? Do you carry an liability insurance?

For the little old lady nearby with a tiny garden it's $50 - every other situation goes up from there. I'll wait until I have several to do and then I'll plan a couple of days where I can knock-off 5-6 in one area of town. At this point, I have the unload-till-load-move drill down pretty good.

I use a 14ft dump trailer. It's a compromise as an equipment hauler but I use it much more for non-tractor hauling work.

I do have liability insurance - and inland marine insurance for hauling. There's another here where we recently discussed alot of this ino with someone else looking to start a small biz.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/related-topics/87416-starting-small-business.html

-Norm

 

[2nstonge]

I wondered what a big rock or two would do to the pto/powertrain, and what might happen if the tractor got launched into a wall by a big rock in the tiller.

Mine has a slip clutch on the PTO shaft. Rock gets into the tiller and one of two things happens; slip clutch gives way until I've gone by the rock so there's no damage to driveline or, if the rock is big enough, the tiller bounces over it. Both scenarios are very noisy.

When tilling virgin ground I'll make one pass at 3-4 inches, this willl pull out the smaller potato-sized rocks and identify - by some gawd-awful racket - the big ones. I make a quick drive around after the first pass and fill the FEL with rocks and then do a 2nd deeper pass down to 5-6 inches. I needed I'll do another quick rock-pluck drive thru and then a finish pass with tiller to smooth it out.

-Norm

 

[jbrumberg]

Arcane via 2nstonge:

There are alot of rocks in NE! I agree with Norm. I live south of Norm in MA. I follow Norm's method of tilling. I used to run a Woods T-42 (42") tiller off my old Ford 1100 (13/11 HP). The setup was a little unbalanced (rear heavy). The old tractor would seriously hop around when I ran into large rocks, ledge, boulders, etc.; as the tiller bounced over the obstruction. I ultimately killed the tiller after 20+ years of use/abuse. I have not had a problem with tiller bounce or tractor hop since I upgraded tractors and tillers. Jay

 

[CFHartman]

My garden is the same size as yours. I have been working it for 37 years. I got a real good buy on a 50" Land Pride two years old like new. for $800. I only had to buy a PTO shaft. It takes longer to hook it up than it takes me to till the garden. 5 min. I love it.