Tiller Tillers, oh NO, not again....

[MadDog]

I'm about to buy a tiller for my B7800, so I ran a search on "tillers" and various search amplifications of same. I have now read about 8 to 10 threads, several of them interminable, including the simmering "tillers wars" ("yours rusts" ... "no but yours throws gears") between Mark and Ken.

Honest, I have no design to reopen old wounds, but previous threads on tiller selection are inconclusive at best, not only because they leave the "gear vs. chaindrive maintenance" and "First Choice vs. CMI" battles in a fog of unresolved charges and counter-charges, but, even more importantly, because they aren't very enlightening on the quality/durability vs. price trade-offs between "bargain" (First Choice, CMI and KK, II) tillers and higher-end machines like Landpride, Caroni, Howard and Kuhn.

The quality/durability issue doesn't appear resolvable on the basis of mere weight because there doesn't appear to be any correlation between price and weight among light/medium duty tillers (KK, II appears heaviest, but they are tough to compare because no one specifies whether they are talking about shipping weight or net machine weight), although there certainly is when you move to heavy duty tillers for the larger (40hp and up) CUTs and Utilities.

Can anyone help with either anecdotal experience or analysis?? Is there any sensible reason why a non-commercial user like myself, who is going to user a tiller for self and friends for maybe 3-5 acres of tilling a season, AT MOST (but hopes to do so for the next 20 years or so /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ), should pay closer to $2,000 than $1,000 for a tiller?

Some more info would be great, but please, guys, lets leave the hand grenades at home and try to stay out of the foxholes. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jimg]

I just bought a tiller after several months of poking around. What I concluded was that there are two 'duty' levels: chain and gear. The later is heavy duty and meant for commercial applications. They also require more HP to run. Seeing as I don't need commercial equipment, I don't have enough PTO output to drive one and they're very expensive the choice was easy. I went w/ chain drive. A huge percentage of tillers (gear and chain) seem to be built completely or partially in Italy. They also share the same basic design w/i their class. So, to me, it came down to a choice of price, size and parts availability. I went w/ a Caroni 56" from ASC. I understand that being chain drive there will be some added maintenance down the road. Optional frills are fairly limited: Some (not the Caroni) come w/ a built in stand. I figured if I really need one I can 1) make one that looks/functions like a factory version, 2) use a cheap trailer jack or 3) use a cinder block. Most come w/ a clutch in the drive line (the Caroni did). The clutch adds about $100 to the price. I felt this was a good value as my region is rather rocky. I could envision doing *a lot* of shear bolt change outs which would slow progress up substantially.

 

[PineRidge]

I purchased my tiller in 2001 from TSC. It's a gear drive TG-60 KingKutter II and came with a slip clutch already installed. TSC even threw in a free parking stand (cinder block) with the tiller. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif At the time of purchase I was pulling it behind a 25 HP tractor without problems.

The cost at the time was $979.00 and I have used it without any breakages as of this post. Parts are also easy to obtain from most any TSC.

I bought a KingKutter because a friend of mine purchased one years before me and went through 2 sets of tines without any major problems. He used his tiller in a commercial application.

 

[jimg]

Hi Mike
Must be nice having a TSC or similar close by. In NE theres nothing exc smaller high priced dealers.

Did they really give you a cinder block?? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

What tractor were you using this tiller w/ and what was its PTO output?

 

[BeeFarmer]

Buy one that you can get parts for an repaired if needed. I searched and searched for over a year. I almost bought a first choice but came across a Landpride 1058 which is built really strong. But remember when you need service or parts who will be there for you.

 

[DUMBDOG]

I am jealous, never received the stand with my KingKutter. Have used it for about 10 acres in the last two years without a problem.

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue">Hi Mike
Must be nice having a TSC or similar close by. In NE theres nothing exc smaller high priced dealers.

Did they really give you a cinder block??

What tractor were you using this tiller w/ and what was its PTO output?
</font>

Jimg we actually frequent our TSC on a regular basis. My wife buys 50 pound bags of bird seed and cracked corn for the critters, while I sneak off to shop the rest of the store. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I kidded the salesperson about the tiller not having a parking stand and his line was that he would throw in a cinder block. He didn't have one though. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

My last tractor was a 25 HP Bison. I think they rated the PTO HP at 23 if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[jimg]

When I visit my Dad & in-laws (east TN) I stop by the local TSC. Both my dad and father in-law really like the place so it isnt hard to find some one for company. We can look for hours. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Also, my father in-law and I hit the local tractor dealers. Big fun! Hes a good guy and pleasant company.

As for the KK tiller does TSC support you w/ parts or do you buy them directly from KK? One of the reasons I liked the Caroni (other than price) was the fact that ASC is a distributor so they carry a full line of parts. I wonder how many of the parts between brands are completely or somewhat interchangable? From reports here most common brands are pretty bullet proof so you wont need parts for sometime under normal use.

 

[PineRidge]

Jimg when I need parts for a KK product I buy them from TSC. If it is a part that they don't stock then the part is shipped to my home UPS from KK. Not a bad system.