Tiller Used Tiller Source

[jdude]

I was wondering if anyone had a source for used tillers. I have been wanting to purchase a tiller but, like most people, don't want to dish out the big bucks.

At any rate, if anyone can help, I would really appreciate it. I have a 21 HP subcompact New Holland and live in Jackson County, WV. Jackson County borders the Oho River. I would certainly be willing to travel a little to save some money.

Thanks in advance.

 

[IslandTractor]

I'm in the same boat. I've been looking in Craigslist and occasionally see a 3PT tiller but so far they have either been old beat up examples or smaller than what I am looking for. Using a bot like Craigshelper can allow you to quickly scan through all Craigslist sites within your driving range.

 

[bky]

I bought one on ebay and drove 4 hours one way to pick it up. it was a mashio 48 inch but I still need to find out how much gear oil it takes in the pto shaft gear box. any idea's?

 

[LBrown59]

What price range are you wanting to work in?

 

[jdude]

Thanks for the responses.

I was hoping to stay at or below $600.00 dollars. If something was really nice, I would consider going a little higher.

Thanks.

 

[john_bud]

Look to see who is selling the grey market tractors in your area. They often will have tillers too.

jb

 

[flusher]

Look to see who is selling the grey market tractors in your area. They often will have tillers too.

jb

Right on. I bought a used Yanmar RS-1200 rototiller (48" wide) for $300 from my local grey market tractor dealer and used it on my 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto). Worked great.

 

[California]

Right on. I bought a used Yanmar RS-1200 rototiller (48" wide) for $300 from my local grey market tractor dealer and used it on my 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto). Worked great.

Me too! I found a used Yanmar RS-1400 (1400mm, 55 inch) tiller at my local gray market importer at a very fair price. This model is designed for a 20 pto hp tractor (24 engine hp).

Most Japanese tillers brought over are standard 3-point mount. Make sure you don't drive a long way just to find a proprietary 2-point version.

 

[Cocre]

I have verbally committed to buy a local "like new" used KingKutter II 60 tiller that listed on Craigslist. It is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the "old" new price and several hundred dollars cheaper than the "new" new price the units sell for a TSC.

I looked for a while, almost bought new and this shows up. Perhaps now I can also buy the 9 bucket I want for my backhoe. Anyone have one for a Deere 447 backhoe?

 

[bjr]

That's about all we got around here too are those imported rice tillers for a used market. The guys around here with 35 hp utility tractors try to use them they just trash the rice tillers, I mean wade up the draft arm lugs and tear all the tines off. What I've done now three different units is to strip 'em down to bare tubes and make a new 3 point cat 1 hitch with half inch plate, then cut off all the nubs where the tines are mounted and weld back half rounds, predrilled for the tines of course, three eighths plate flanges to make full flanges and bolt kk tines on. These are pretty heavy duty tillers then. It's not cheap or easy but I had the time ,in the winter, and scrounge some plate and the tines were available from the local KK dealer for a reasonable price. Those riice tiller tines are expensive and seem to fly off at the mere sight of a rock. After a couple of years of the guys tillin' our sand/rock soil they seem to be holding up. Good used tillers with flange mounted tiness are a rarity around here also. bjr

 

[Kernopelli]

That's about all we got around here too are those imported rice tillers for a used market. The guys around here with 35 hp utility tractors try to use them they just trash the rice tillers, I mean wade up the draft arm lugs and tear all the tines off. What I've done now three different units is to strip 'em down to bare tubes and make a new 3 point cat 1 hitch with half inch plate, then cut off all the nubs where the tines are mounted and weld back half rounds, predrilled for the tines of course, three eighths plate flanges to make full flanges and bolt kk tines on. These are pretty heavy duty tillers then. It's not cheap or easy but I had the time ,in the winter, and scrounge some plate and the tines were available from the local KK dealer for a reasonable price. Those riice tiller tines are expensive and seem to fly off at the mere sight of a rock. After a couple of years of the guys tillin' our sand/rock soil they seem to be holding up. Good used tillers with flange mounted tiness are a rarity around here also. bjr

Good point on the rice tillers. The tines sit in lugs and are held in with a bolt, the bolt holes are where the tines usually break at. Standard tillers use heavier tines that bolt to plates in two places and are much sturdier. I have a 55" grey market tiller I've used for 5 yrs. I loaned it to a friend once, he used it to till a very large area that was hard pack clay...he brought it back to me with 3 tines left ( don't ask, it's still a tender subject!). However, the rice tillers work very well in loose soils. If the soil is filled with large rocks you will break tines eventually or if rock hard soil, it should first be broken before tilling (I use the scarifiers on my box blade when tilling an area that has never been broken before). When using mine in an existing garden that was tilled the year before, I have had no problems with just going out and tilling without breaking the soil first. I really don't think that if you were tilling sandy soil (with no large rocks) or loam, that you would need to break a virgin area first but it is always better to err on the side of caution though. I think that as long as they are used with a little foresight they are a very good "bang-for-the-buck" purchase.

 

[California]

I should mention that the Yanmar tillers include a special top link, two separate pieces, and I've seen one ebay seller who doesn't provide these essential parts. (If you just use a standard top link, the tiller frame will hit the tires when you lift it.)

I described this with photos in this thread.

If the seller doesn't include that special 'bridge' and short top link, run away. The guy doesn't care if you can't get it set up correctly.

In my case, we discovered my tractor wasn't standard it, has longer 3-point arms. My tiller dealer went the extra mile and gave me a free pto extender to make it all come out right!

As for destroying the tiller - just don't run it with a larger tractor than it was intended for, and as Kernopelli noted, break up rock-hard ground with something else first. I don't think you can hurt it tilling the same garden year after year.