Buying Advice Tiller options GC2400

[HayDR]

I have a 48" First Choice RT-48 (looks remarkably alot like the Bush Hog in the pic above...)on my 2300 which are perfectly suited for each other...I have tilled hard NC clay with no difficulty and the slip clutch works great when I hit buried tree stumps, roots, etc...It has nice offset and easily adjusted skid shoes...I agonized over my purchase but am very happy with what I got...bought it at the MF dealer where I got my GC...couldn't be happier. I think a 60" is a bit much for the GC series. The RT-48 lifts REALLY high for good ground clearance as well.

Weesy

It is the same tiller made by Sicma in Italy.

 

[HayDR]

Tonutti has been in business for many years. They recently started, in the last 3 years, distributing tillers here in the USA. They are rebranded & MFG for Tonutti by another company. Realize there are 40 companies making tillers and components in Italy. It is easy for a company like Tonutti to rebrand or even buy all the parts assemble and paint a tiller for export. Tonutti will not sell junk but these may be a little lighter in the transmission to compete against heavier made tillers because there are too many hands in the manufacturing of these tillers. I've seen these tillers and they are fine for homeowners.

I've sold hundreds of tillers in the 400-650 lbs range to MF2300, Kubota 2300, etc size tractors and never had one customer say their tractor could not handle it. The KK- TC-48-XB compact tiller is basically a Sicma tiller. KK makes the hitch the rest is a SICMA.

 

[HayDR]

There is a slight misconception of the 3pt on the Massey GC series.

The 3pt. has the full width of any cat1 3 pt..............just can't lift as high in the air, that was one of the other things I looked at in my comparison shopping.

The RTC48 tiller that I purchased is perfectly sized for the GC series. As you can see, there is plenty of lift. And it has a slip-clutch, and weighs 335 lbs.

As far as 'chain versus gear' dive, that has been hotly debated here on TBN for a long time. No conclusion was ever reached.

A commercial operator will always choose a gear-drive tiller over a chain drive tiller if they are close in price. Yes a KK II, Pro & Taylorway use the same gear-driven Chinese transmission made by Omni gear. This is a robust transmission but not designed for 200 hour a year commercial use. The Hawkline and Tarter Gate tillers use Chinese transmissions as well.

 

[Agrantina]

KAL130- I just bought a new tonutti tiller- have not used it yet but in my mind it looks to be better built than others. Mine was new but 3-4+ years old, and was a tonutti tiller and not a rebranded one.. I had looked at KK tillers because that was what I had used for yrs. Friend has a 48 KK and it worked fine behind a Ford 1710.. The tonutti I bought just looks to be heavy duty than the econmy ones...-clevis cat 1 and 2 top link and bottom links, heavy tines and just a better fit and finish that the others I looked at... For me it was price that made my mind up but I really like the look of the tonutti Italian made tiller.. PM me if you have any other question I have th TMA 150..

AndyG

 

[Kal130]

KAL130- I just bought a new tonutti tiller- have not used it yet but in my mind it looks to be better built than others. Mine was new but 3-4+ years old, and was a tonutti tiller and not a rebranded one.. I had looked at KK tillers because that was what I had used for yrs. Friend has a 48 KK and it worked fine behind a Ford 1710.. The tonutti I bought just looks to be heavy duty than the econmy ones...-clevis cat 1 and 2 top link and bottom links, heavy tines and just a better fit and finish that the others I looked at... For me it was price that made my mind up but I really like the look of the tonutti Italian made tiller.. PM me if you have any other question I have th TMA 150..

AndyG

I do like the clevis hookup on the Tonutti. I don't like the chain drive though. Also I think they may only have 4 tines per flange. A KK XB would be about $200 less than the Tonutti with my dicount for buying a tractor from the guy I think I like the Howse as well, just don't have any sellers in my state. Wouldn't want to buy without seeing. Shipping would kill me too. I like how the Howse sets back further. Seems like that would be a nice feature. This morning I was thinking I would go with the KK, now I'm back to being confused. Wish I could line them all up to look at. Not sure if they will be at the farm machinery show next month or not.

Wonder if anyone other than that does the clevis hookup?

 

[Agrantina]

I think the Phoenix has clevis hitch.. The tonutti I have has 6 tines per flange.. I also think the tines are heavier and larger than some others?? Pics below.. Chain vs Gear?? still dont know which I like better- gear souds better.. but just dont know how better it is? Again price made my mind up...

AndyG

 

[Kal130]

I think the Phoenix has clevis hitch.. The tonutti I have has 6 tines per flange.. I also think the tines are heavier and larger than some others?? Pics below.. Chain vs Gear?? still dont know which I like better- gear souds better.. but just dont know how better it is? Again price made my mind up...

AndyG

So you got the Tonutti cheaper than the KK XB? My prices
KK XB - $1,199
Tonutti - $1,400

 

[Don87]

So you got the Tonutti cheaper than the KK XB? My prices
KK XB - $1,199
Tonutti - $1,400

I gave $1,400 for the RTC48, if that helps at all.

 

[Don87]

A commercial operator will always choose a gear-drive tiller over a chain drive tiller if they are close in price. Yes a KK II, Pro & Taylorway use the same gear-driven Chinese transmission made by Omni gear. This is a robust transmission but not designed for 200 hour a year commercial use. The Hawkline and Tarter Gate tillers use Chinese transmissions as well.

Maybe I missed the "commercial use" in someones post on this thread.

But with that being said, with all the tiller posts I've seen here on TBN, I have yet to see where there has been a firm conclusion as to which is actually better. I've seen the same number of posts regarding broken gears, as I've seen broken chains.( on higher quality tillers that is).

 

[sweettractors]

I sell geardrive and chain drive tillers and 4 brands. I am pretty sure a chain or a link is less expensive to replace than a gear. Of course, that depends on what else the failed part destroys on the tiller when it goes out. Ken Sweet