Tiller What kind of Tiller?

[mbeckett]

I am looking for some opinions on what to do for tillers. This will be for next year as we already have our garden planted this year. Our garden is presently in a low lying area of our property and is too wet for much of the spring and early summer, so the wife and have decided to move it to some higher ground and we are also wanting to expand it to appx 1/4 - 1/2 acre in size we currently use an 18" Rear Tine tiller and it does a great job, but I know it will be too much to till that size of a garden with a walk behind tiller. I know it can be done but I'm also looking for speed here too. I have a Ford 641 Workmaster and all the research I have done says that it probably isn't the best tractor to try a 3pt tiller on. So I am looking for options (Affordable Options), I'm not in the market for a new tractor. I have been looking at Pull-behind tillers and have also been thinking of getting a disk and harrow (Do you think this will work the ground fine enough to plant a good garden). I just want some input from others on what they do and if they have had any luck with either of these two options. I am also open for other options if you have any. I am not opposed to renting a bigger tiller or having someone till it for me but I would rather do it myself so that I don't have to depend on someone or be at their mercy. Thanks for your input and I look forward to hearing all the great ideas.

 

[bilrus61]

Ok I'll chime in with some advice. Since your first gear on that tractor is a rather swift 2.5 MPH it isn't gong to be a great choich but I think you can work it out. Your tractor has 32 PTO hp according to tractor data. I would say you would need a tiller that can be offset to take out a tire tread, that way you can leave a smoother garden but that is just for looks. Some tread marks don't hurt a garden whatsoever and you going to track it all up anyhow when you plant. At that speed you'll need a couple of passes, depending on your soil. Maybe three. Again not a big deal. Look around at craigslist and get one not over 60 inches. Actually the one that would really suit you would be a Befco 40 or 50 series but your talking 2000+bucks there. Tillers can be run a bit under the rated speed so that would help with your tractor.

You can do it with a disc and then smoothing it with your walk behind as you plant. But thats no fun is it? Naw you want a tiller by golly! Don't get one too wide. Don't worry about tread marks. Don't overtax your tractor. Lap your tilling as in till partways over your last tilled strip. Just about any tiller brand will do. They are simple machines. Oh and I'll send you a IM on some tiller bargains.......

 

[Blade Breaker]

King kutter at fleet farm was the best deal I found. No shipping either.

 

[MHarryE]

Soil type probably will influence your choice. I have a 1/2 acre plot for sweet corn. At first I disked with one of the smaller disks from our farm but that didn't really provide the seed bed I wanted for a garden so I bought a tiller. That does the job fine behind my L5740 (about 50 PTO hp) but I need to go very slow to pulverize the soil in my heavy clay. I was surprised how we'll the tiller did breaking up sod on a part of our home place on which I wanted to restart a lawn. Roundup, wait 2 weeks, then till and I had eliminated the ruts and gave the new seeding a weed free fighting chance. So my concern would be the 2.5 mph minimum travel speed. With my hydro I could just inch along. Power was no problem but the tiller didn't like taking too much of a blade cut with each rotation.