Welding tiller tines

[2manyrocks]

I could use some help with this same problem. Two of the tines broke on my Troy Bilt tiller that's maybe 4 years old. I mig welded them together and they snapped right off at the same spot only after a few minutes of tilling.

What's the process to weld these things or am I just wasting my time?

 

[Transit]

That is a tough question to answer. What kind of steel? How are you wilding, wire, heat, prep, and pre and post heat? What mig? Most important, your welding skills?

 

[Kays Supply]

Have you tried Hoye or Fredricks for tines? They are the best source for grey parts.

 

[Dargo]

I could use some help with this same problem. Two of the tines broke on my Troy Bilt tiller that's maybe 4 years old. I mig welded them together and they snapped right off at the same spot only after a few minutes of tilling.

What's the process to weld these things or am I just wasting my time?

Not tough at all. Just a different process. Rather than me typing them out, look on some welding sites. I already explained how to harden mild steel. For the weld, it's a must to pre-heat the area to be welded and then make sure it very, very slowly cools. Personally, I bury my work in a big bucket of sand. It holds heat very well. Heat it, weld it, torch it a bit to equalize the heat and then bury in sand for the night. That's the "reader's digest" version.

 

[2manyrocks]

How do you suggest I preheat? I only have a propane torch like you use for sweating copper pipe. I can preheat small objects until they are cherry red, but I'm not so sure it will work with something as large as a tiller tine.

 

[Dargo]

How do you suggest I preheat? I only have a propane torch like you use for sweating copper pipe. I can preheat small objects until they are cherry red, but I'm not so sure it will work with something as large as a tiller tine.

That's plenty hot. I'm nowhere close to my manual (yeah, I cheat even after all these years ), but I think all you need is something like 700 degrees or so. Just make sure it's all heated evenly before and after the weld. Then bury in sand if you can. You can bury in other things or wrap in several layers of fireproof blanketing, but I don't have that available and sand is cheaper. Not knowing what parent material you have, a good guess of a rod would be a 7018. It's a low hydrogen electrode that's good for most steel and even cast steel. Just make sure what you're welding is very clean, bevel the edges, and tack both sides before you lay in the main weld. If not, it will definitely curl on you. If your parent material is really thick, you may want to use a 6010 for a root pass and then finish with a 7018. Personally, if done right, I doubt you'll break a good weld from a 7018 rod which, BTW is about what you get out of most MIG wire.

If you're going to stick it, here is a good little chart that tells you how to read the rods. http://welding.w4zt.com/stickrods.html Here's another chart that tells a bit more about application and characteristics http://welding.w4zt.com/stick.html You'll see there what I was talking about when I mentioned possibly using a 6010 for a root pass then finish with a 7018. Unless it's over 3/8" thick, I wouldn't really bother with a root pass with a 6010. Technically, that's wrong, but nobody's broken my technically incorrect setup. Good luck! I have no idea of your skill level. If you're a pro, I don't mean to insult you. If you have very little experience, don't worry about much because a little 4 1/2" angle grinder can be your best buddy. Good luck and be careful!

 

[2manyrocks]

I've got plenty of sand. If I can still find the pieces of the tines in the shed, I'll give it a shot with the stick welder instead of the mig.

thanks very much.

 

[Transit]

How do you suggest I preheat? I only have a propane torch like you use for sweating copper pipe. I can preheat small objects until they are cherry red, but I'm not so sure it will work with something as large as a tiller tine.

350-500 is a good number.

 

[chriswheeler]

Pre heat is good and necessary. First bevle the edges some, I realize that the tines are about 1/8' thick, but do both sides, and clean the tines in the area of the weld. Time to weld though, don't use 7018, use 10018, this rod welds alloy steel better. Tines are most likely made from 1050 plow steel and won't hold nearly as well with 7018 as they will with 10018. Rod size = 3/32". Should use a welder that will do DC. After welding cool slowly, grind the weld and look for cracks. 10018 rod for alloy steel is available from most welding supplys. Note here that the best weld on 1050 steel is not nearly as strong as welds made to mild steel. (1020 ) Even after all of this, hit a rock, might break right off again.
Chris

 

[2manyrocks]

Well, I couldn't find the broken tines in the shed. I may have thrown them out thinking I couldn't repair them. They had broken at the place where they bolt to the tiller housing, and I remember making the effort to bevel and make a clean weld so they would bolt back in place, but I didn't preheat or put them in sand to gradually cool them. Then they snapped like peanut brittle when I started using them.

If I can't find them, I may have to buy a couple of replacement tines after all. This is a smaller tiller I use for cultivation once the garden is growing.

Now I have another tiller (Troy Bilt Horse) that still has the original tines on it that are worn. A set of replacements is about $100, I think. Is it worthwhile to try to weld on more steel and retemper them or just buy the replacements? I'm a bit concerned that the replacements may not have the quality of steel of the original tines. Should I use 10018? I have a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone welder.