Tiller tilling depth

[Dream Farmer]

Just wondering if the skids are necessary on the tiller?? has any body removed them in an attempt to till deeper? Would this help or wreck something?
Shawn

 

[powerpace]

Leave them on. It will prevent wear and tear on the sheet metal and on the equipment. If you are tilling in loose soil the unit will sink down a little anyway.

 

[Dream Farmer]

I'm not worried about the wear on the "sheet" metal since that is 1/4 inch steel. what I don't like is where the feet ride there it compacts the soil. I am getting down about 7" but was wondering about maybe getting a couple more out of it for some of the spots like where we plant the taters.
Shawn

 

[MarkV]

I have wondered about removing the skids myself. I do remember someone on the forum doing that and saying it helped them. No idea what the long term affects would be to the tiller.

MarkV

 

[jshwhite]

I've removed the skids from my King Kutter. It definitely helps get deeper. It wears it maybe a little, but for occasional tilling I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[Singlemalt]

The top 6" of soil is your most fertile. Going deeper does little if any good.

Potatoes do better in hills. It is better to plant them at about 4" and then pull soil up against the stalk as they grow so the spuds aren't exposed.

 

[bigtiller]

Try it, you may like it. But a steady diet of no-feet tilling will wear the side panels out.

I wore 2 thirds of the feet off of my JD 450 tiller years ago, but I do a lot of tilling.

 

[Dream Farmer]

I think this weekend we will find out. I am going to remove the skids and do a test run.. My "garden" is an old wheat field with lot's of nutrients buried below which I want to access with the tiller and the future purchase of a ripping blade.
Shawn

 

[koamfps]

I'm curious as to why you want to till deep unless your trying to sub soil. I suppose the jury is out. Some say go deep so say don't. but with the exception of sub soiling theres not much a need. IMO
at any rate good luck with your project

 

[case245]

for the depth 8'' to 10'' inches is fine i used to plant taters corn beans peppers beats watermelons they did fine at the depth stick your taters in after they come up bout 6'' start to hill them up when they are done putting leaves on yours hills will be bout 8' to 10'' high and bout 10'' wide i raise garden for 25 yrs

 

[Mark Page]

I've taken to running a middle buster through the garden before tilling. I can get down 8 inches without a problem. It seems to make the tiller's job easier.

 

[bilrus61]

Just tilled my garden with a Kuhn el 62 and checked the depth and it was 9.5 inches of tilled soil. With the leaves and clippings tilled in I like to think that I now have 9 inches of blended topsoil instead of just 2 or 3. I don't till deep all the time but when I'm tilling in organic matter I like to till it deep and slow. When I'm weeding I just till about 3 inches deep. Go ahead and take off the skids. It will take a VERY long time to wear through the side chain case.