Tiller Tiller Questions

PBinWA · Mar 7, 2005

I just rented a Kubota 52" tiller and double tilled just over 1 acre of old pasture field land in about 4 hours. If you want good results in one pass you would need to break it up ahead of time.

If you want really nice fluffy soil and a smooth surface a third pass was the trick. I busted up some areas ahead of time with a middle buster in order to try and find the big rocks but most of it was untouched.

Indydirtfarmer · Mar 7, 2005

"Nice, FLUFFY soil" will compact into concrete after a good rain. Soil does not and SHOULD not be turned into several inches of powder. (This coming from a 6th generation farmer with a AG degree from Purdue Univ.) It looks impressive, but soil should not be over-worked. It is proned to erosion (wind/water) and subject to compaction when over done.

Part of the cause of "The Dust Bowl" of the depression era was the over-working of Great plains soils, as the Ag world was just starting to mechinize.

PBinWA · Mar 7, 2005

I don't claim to know what I'm doing but I do want a nice flat lawn in this area that no one will sprain an ankle in. I tilled the crap out of it and will be leveling it off, pulling rocks, and pushing stuff around for a while yet. I figured tilling the crap out of it was as good a way as any to get rid of the old crap grass and weeds without resorting to Round-up.

This isn't farm land. Just an acre in front of a house that I want to grow some Perrenial Rye Grass on.

I hope to get some rain to flatten it all out a bit. I've got a Landscape rake with gauge wheels to rough up the top inches when it gets time to seed it. A tiller was only $75 to rent for the day and it definitly got the job done. I also tilled two neighbors gardens with it while I had it.

Things are so hot and dry up here in the NW that I am worried about the dustbowl effect. It's not a normal winter for us. I got some sunburn on my face yesterday!

That fluffy soil sure looks pretty though! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

notamustang · Mar 7, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( without resorting to Round-up. )</font>
You want to resort to Round-up or Remuda. If you till the old grass and weeds in those roots and seed just get pushed deeper and are evasive when you try to pull them out of your nice new lawn. Belive it or not you want to water and fertalize to get everything to grow and then spray with a non selective herbicide. This info was from a sod farmer that lived across the street from my parents. One of the largest sod farms in So Cal.
Just my 2 cents
Steven

PBinWA · Mar 7, 2005

Oh well, too late now.

; )

Alan L. · Mar 7, 2005

I am in North Texas, not sure where Hoye Tractors is.... The Yanmar tillers look a little different and don't seem to be as aggressive. Also, aren't they 2-point and require some modifiations?

If I could get a decent used tiller for $500 I would, but they are nowhere to be found. At least other than the Yanmar tillers.

I have not read a good comparison between the Yanmars and some of the other tillers, as to how good a job they will do.

I guess I should run the disk over the 3 acres once, then till. I plan to use roundup first. Right now there is green clover - the johnson grass hasn't come up yet, so I guess I won't be able to kill it. Maybe spray roundup this weekend and then again in a couple weeks? I plan to plant the bermuda in late April.