Tiller Tiller vs Disc...Need Help to decide

[JDeerekid]

I am in the process of plowing alot of ground for some crops for my neighbor and myself. The problem is I don't have a disc anymore. The one I used was my grandfathers and he got rid of it before I could get my hand on it. Anyway I am either going to buy a new 7 foot kk box frame disc or a 6ft kk tiller. I difference in money is about $300. Whats the pros and cons of this.
Pro Disc:
Easier on tractor
wider so cover more ground
cost less

Pro tiller:
get into smaller area for food plots
till gardens and food plots for neighbors $$
make one slow pass and be done

Con Disc:
Larger in small areas
most likely have to cover ground more than once

Con Tiller:
Cost more
more strain on tractor

So what do people think. Have to do this soon as almost everything is plowed and got to start planting in a couple weeks.

Thanks

 

[bjcsc]

What is your slowest ground speed in mph? (at PTO speed)

 

[wolc123]

I would go with the disk. It is more efficient for plots 1 acre or larger. Also easier and cheaper to maintain, costs less and better with rocks. Can usaully be quickly repaired with a welder if necessary vs running around for parts.

 

[art]

I consider the tiller to be the best option unless tilled area might be exceeding 5 acres or more. Tilling is good for the engine, to allow it to run under a good constant load for extended periods. This will help to keep the engine seated.

The tiller will work in all types of soil and with a hydro you can match the ground speed to the job you want.

To light of a disc in heavy soils and you might not win with a disc!

 

[JDeerekid]

What is your slowest ground speed in mph? (at PTO speed)

I have a creaper gears so it is really slow if I need to go that slow. According to the the manual it goes .12 MPH.

 

[Barneyhunts]

I have a Woods GT40 tiller which I use on my BX2200(22 Hp SCUT) to till our garden. I've been picking stone out of this spot for 3 years and I pick it after every pass B4 I increase the depth of the tiller. If the ground is rocky this tiller will vibrate and jump around so much that it will "rattle your teeth" and it's just plain scary. It can't be good for any machine to treat it like that! If the stones are gone the tiller does a great job of preparing for seeding.
I have a 5 1/2' King Kutter box frame disc that I use behind my B7800 (30 Hp CUT) for working food plots, and I can't imagine using the tiller in these areas because of the rocks.
Having said this, I once watched a video of an 85 Hp tractor with a machine which looked like a tiller on the back and which was working up a food plot in my area. When I asked about stones the owner /operator told me that the machine either busted them up or buried them and deposited screened dirt on the surface. He owned a landscaping business and was branching out into food plots. I've never actually seen this machine in operation.

If I have to work an area with stones I use the disc.

 

[Alan L.]

I have a 60" KK tiller and a 5.5' tandem disc. The tiller is of course very slow, but the disc require 2 or more passes. I think the disc is still much faster if you can get enough purchase.

I have a plot about 5 acres and I am debating whether to till or disc. Probably will disc it as I have before.

The disc is pretty hard on the tractor too. My tractor whines pretty good pulling the disc and does not while running the tiller, but the tiller can really be rough if the ground is hard.

I had the disc first and have not used since I bought the tiller a couple of years ago, but then I have not need to break the ground on 5 acres lately.

 

[john_bud]

If you don't have rocks, the tiller is very nice.

Neither is a one pass and done solution! I will go 3-5 passes on virgin sod with the KK tiller. Typically, it's till the plot, turn 90 degrees and till again. Wait a week or two for the grass to compost and for the weed seeds to sprout, then till again. Produces a very nice seed bed!

Maintenance costs are pretty close to equal. After 7 seasons my tiller has only cost me a gasket on the gear cover and 3 bolts to replace ones that rattled out. Oh, and I broke one lower 3pt pin. Yes, it tills in rock!! I do need to replace 4-5 tines and do some weld repair so that will go up. But I have seen the repair bill on bearings for a disc too so ....

jb

 

[EastTexFrank]

To me, the question is one of penetration (please no dirty jokes). I use a disc at the farm to smoothe out ground that the wild hogs have rutted up and have to go over it 2 or 3 times. For my vegetable garden at the house I use the tiller. Sure it was slow the first time I did it and it took 2 passes but subsequently, it is one pass, 6" deep, and it goes pretty fast.

So, for me, if I was preparing ground for crops I would use the tiller, if I was preparing ground for food plots etc, I would use the disc.

I should say that I use the disc on a 75 or 57 hp tractor and I use the tiller behind a 24 hp tractor. Sure the tiller can bounce and bang a bit on tree roots and rocks but if you're going slow it can chew them up and spit them out without a problem.

 

[Rara Avis]

Just how big are the discs are you talking about??
For Example...
MF/Sunflower 1211 Disc Harrow has a 22 inch diameter disc
CUTTING
WIDTH
11'-10"

MODEL
NUMBER
1211-12

TRANSPORT
WIDTH
12'-8"

*EST.
WT.
4,199 lbs.

Seeding & Tillage; MF Disc Harrows

 

[bjcsc]

I have a creaper gears so it is really slow if I need to go that slow. According to the the manual it goes .12 MPH.

Perfect. As other replies, I think your decision should be based on the size of the area you intend to work. <5 acres I'd say go with the tiller. With your creeper you'll be able to find the perfect ground speed...

 

[bjr]

I do small 1/2 Ac. gardens and I use the disc first then the tiller. I wish I had a cultipacker too. Around here, custom tilling, you'd better be able to cover your tire tracks. Primary and secondary tilllage is something that make a good seed bed. I have two bottom moldboard plows I've had to use to tear up old pastures then disc and then use the tiller. You can have places that would require the use of all three. bjr

 

[RobJ]

I like a disc and I think it has some wider uses. Tiller fine for the small garden, I would hate to till a 4.5-acre garden or plot at .12 mph. In virgin soil the disc will take a few passes to get the soil loosened up. After that for a garden or year round food plot I hit it with the disc every quarter or more. In my soil one pass will flip it and I'm done. If a disc has 14" discs you can go 7" deep give or take, I think that's about as deep as you will get with a tiller.

If you want to plant a cover crop in the winter, strighten out the disc and drag it over the field (at a high rate of speed to!), then spread out some seed and it'll fall in and take hold faster and better. And you didn't do much damage to the hay grass if that's what you have.

Of course if you have the means...get both.

That's my story!!

 

[pitt_md]

Hi, new guy here. I have a 30 acrea hobby farm with a couple of horses. I am going to be turning a 6.5 acre field into part hay field and part pasture. I went through this same debate not to long ago. Because I will also be building a new house and a new barn and putting in lawn I went with a 6' tiller. The field I will start on has been chisle plowed last fall and i have been picking rocks since. I know this is a lot of ground to till but I am thinking it will be a one time thing and I can use the tiller for the lawn and many gardends my wife wants. If the ground ever thaws I will let you know how it goes.

 

[JDeerekid]

Well I have thought it over and I bought the 6ft kk II tiller. And I am not sorry I did. I can do an acre in about 20 minutes and a slow but steady pace one pass. Thats all I did as it has started raining and I will not be able to get out in the field again till at least next friday. My neighbor also has a 5ft kk II tiller and between the two of us we should knock out alot of land in a day. Main reason I went for the tiller is I have always wanted one and I have alot of neighbors that have small gardens and they wanted to plow then disk them, which would take me 3-4 times longer to mess around with than with the tiller. Like many have said once you have the place tilled once it is easy to do year after year. Still alot of rocks to pick but no bigger than softball sizes. I am still going to buy a set of discs if I can find a used set cheap enough. but around here everyone seems to want to keep them and put their own gardens in this year. Thanks or your help and I will post picks once it drys up and I start tilling again.

 

[bz1]

Interesting discussion. I debated this same thing a number of years ago and went with a tiller. It was really my only choice at the time since I only had a 20HP tractor. But, as time went by I used that tiller for many more things than I would ever have used a disc. The tiller is great for smoothing my yard and planting grass. I had a large pile of black dirt in my yard left over from a pond building project. I dumped this dirt all over my yard one skid steer bucket at a time. When is was done I had over an acre of ground with 2 foot piles covering the whole thing. I didn't even try to smooth it with the skid steer. I just ran the tiller over it about 4 times at various angles and the whole thing was ready for seed. I've used it to do similar things since. Wouldn't trade it for a disc. I also use it to plant 1 to 2 acre food plots every year. My soil is pure sand with zero rocks so that definitely helps. I can only imagine that with lots of rocks the tiller would have a tough time.

 

[dixie306]

Well I have thought it over and I bought the 6ft kk II tiller. And I am not sorry I did. I can do an acre in about 20 minutes and a slow but steady pace one pass. Thats all I did as it has started raining and I will not be able to get out in the field again till at least next friday. My neighbor also has a 5ft kk II tiller and between the two of us we should knock out alot of land in a day. Main reason I went for the tiller is I have always wanted one and I have alot of neighbors that have small gardens and they wanted to plow then disk them, which would take me 3-4 times longer to mess around with than with the tiller. Like many have said once you have the place tilled once it is easy to do year after year. Still alot of rocks to pick but no bigger than softball sizes. I am still going to buy a set of discs if I can find a used set cheap enough. but around here everyone seems to want to keep them and put their own gardens in this year. Thanks or your help and I will post picks once it drys up and I start tilling again.

I'll make one suggestion, before you use your tiller, I'd plow with a set of all purpose plows first and remove any large rocks, roots or whatever the plows uncovered. I just moved up to a six ft KK and really happy with it

 

[JDeerekid]

Her some pics of the new tiller in action. The field was a little wet but worked well. As I said before it has not taken me long to do it and I will probably going to make one more pass after I pick some rocks just before I start planting. Also have some pics of a field I plowed just before it started raining again.

 

[SCDolphin]

Thats some rich looking soil. Now you need a drag harrow to smooth it out! What was the price on the tiller. I just got one of 1600 for a 6' KK

 

[JDeerekid]

Thats some rich looking soil. Now you need a drag harrow to smooth it out! What was the price on the tiller. I just got one of 1600 for a 6' KK

The soil was still pretty wet when I tilled it and it was a little clumpy. I think when things dry up and I pick the big rocks out I will hit it again with the tiller and turn it into dust. I got mine for a little cheaper 1599 . But so far I love it. Just has to dry up. the next week is suppose to be rain free and in the upper 60s to 70s.