Tiller Tiller Rotor/Tines Plugging With Soil

[Rockin' G Ranch]

I have been tilling this weekend and my tiller rotor/tines keep plugging with soil. It makes a HUGE ball of dirt between 2 rows of tines that is very hard to get off. I may can till a few passes before it happens and I always pick up the tiller when making turns. The ground does not seem to be too wet (slightly moist) and my tines are on correctly (facing the correct direction). It happens only between the center tines on the rotor. I recently replaced a few broken tines (and 1-2 that were missing). I had been tilling for a year with the broken/missing tines without this ever happening. Would it be OK to remove a few tines to prevent this from happening? Any other suggestions?

 

[Rara Avis]

I take it you are running your tiller at PTO speed when you engage the soil...

What are you tilling? SOLID VIRGIN CLAY?

If this plot has never been visited before...try tilling only a couple of inches deep on your first pass...

 

[mrutkaus]

try spraying under tiller with "fluid film" or silicone spray or vegetable oil?

mike

 

[Rockin' G Ranch]

I take it you are running your tiller at PTO speed when you engage the soil...

What are you tilling? SOLID VIRGIN CLAY?

If this plot has never been visited before...try tilling only a couple of inches deep on your first pass...

It does have a lot of clay but it is the same plots I tilled in the spring and fall last year without balling problems - the only difference was the broken and missing tines. Yes I am running the tiller at PTO speed when I engage the soil. Tilling shallower on initial passes does not work - it just balls up on the last (deepest) pass.

I thought about spraying the bottom of the tiller with oil but I'm not sure that would do much good based on the size of the ball that is formed.

Would/could I cause damage to my tiller (out of balance) if I removed a tine or two from the middle 2 rows?

 

[pitt_md]

I may just be pointing out the obvious but your ground is to wet. Spraying oil on the implement will not help. It will be gone in the first two minutes and you will be right back whaere you started.

 

[bjcsc]

I may just be pointing out the obvious but your ground is to wet. Spraying oil on the implement will not help. It will be gone in the first two minutes and you will be right back whaere you started.

I agree. It's simply too wet...

 

[Farmwithjunk]

2 words.....TOO WET.

 

[hotchkiss]

I have got a 6 foot tiller I have used for 5 years and have some clay. Your clay is too wet. Nothing will help other than waiting for it to dry a little more.

If I were you I would rather wait until the soil was right than to try to remove blades.

 

[Rockin' G Ranch]

I guess it's a concensus - the ground is too wet.That was my gut feeling also.
I did get it all tilled (took me twice as long due to having to remove the balled soil so many times), planted and fertilized this past weekend.
I guess the good news is that I planted in moist soil since we didn't get the rain Sunday the weatherman promised (80% chance).
Thanks for all of the responses.

 

[Rara Avis]

I guess it's a concensus - the ground is too wet.That was my gut feeling also.
I did get it all tilled (took me twice as long due to having to remove the balled soil so many times), planted and fertilized this past weekend.
I guess the good news is that I planted in moist soil since we didn't get the rain Sunday the weatherman promised (80% chance).
Thanks for all of the responses.

Don't worry in a couple of weeks we'll be telling you its TOO DRY...