Buying Advice What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy

   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #12  
AHHHH - - my Troy Bilt IS couter-rotating.
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #13  
If you want to till up hard ground it MUST be a tiller with counter-rotating tines. A front rotating one will not work. You will end up being dragged across the yard. A Troybilt is the best for tilling a garden between rows in soil THAT IS ALREADY WORKED UP. They cannot be used to break ground.

I have a Troybilt, if I had it to do over again I would purchase one that the tines could be made to go in either direction.

Get one with reverse also.

RSKY

I thought all Troy Bilt tillers had reverse.
Mine does, and I bought it new about 40 years ago.
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #14  
I dunno what you can find for 800 dollars in your region but if you can find a larger model troybilt that is in good shape, starts, has the original manual, I would say git it.
I don't have experience with the newer models of the last fifteen or so years.I have heard customer support aint what it was in the seventies and eighties. I had a seventies model with a Kohler 7hp for about 35 years that was a great machine. Five or six years ago I latched onto a virgin 8hp Kohler, PTO model at an estate sale and I was ecstatic.

I know people who have those wonderful BCS tillers and they have been great machines for them. Expensive as can be but excellent.

I have worked up new ground with my Troybilts and it can be made easier by moving and removing the grass, weeds,etc. Then running the tiller in its' highest mode and gradually, gradually working your way through the hard top and into the soil. If you go slow slow slow and be patient, you will succeed. Otherwise run a chisel down the ground with a tractor and then begin with your tiller. Moisture content is a key in breaking up new ground. Bone dry compacted stuff is going to be rough going.
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #15  
I've got a Cadet RT 65 with a Honda engine, had it now for several years. Love it! Choice of rotation, large traction tires. The ones now come with a China made Kohler engine, but I'm fairly sure they'll do the job
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #16  
Old Troybilt Horses are the Harley Davidsons of rototillers. I like mine but not everyone can ride a Harley. Nothing fancy.

Now if you REALLY want a he man rototiller, get a restored Graham Paige/Frazer. I grew up with one of those and it was a beast.
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #17  
Watch Craigslist and for what you want to spend you may see a used BCS tiller. The nice thing is parts are not a problem and the internals of the machine are extremely durable.
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #18  
I thought all Troy Bilt tillers had reverse.
Mine does, and I bought it new about 40 years ago.

I didn't say that Troy Bilts do not have reverse. The smallest ones did not when I bought mine. But I wasn't just talking about Troy Bilts. Anything he buys should have a reverse.

AHHHH - - my Troy Bilt IS couter-rotating.

Some are, some are not. To break hard ground he needs one that is.

RSKY
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #19  
I didn't say that Troy Bilts do not have reverse. The smallest ones did not when I bought mine. But I wasn't just talking about Troy Bilts. Anything he buys should have a reverse.

AHHHH - - my Troy Bilt IS couter-rotating.

Some are, some are not. To break hard ground he needs one that is.

RSKY

My Troybilt Horse has reverse but I can not rototill with it. Once I let go of the big lever it springs back out of gear. It is more of a backup feature with deadman. Tines only go forward moving.
 
   / What Rear Tine Rototiller to buy #20  
Add me to the old Troy Built horse Bandwagon. I have one I bought about 15 years ago. Some guy had it outside behind a shed. It started and ran I paid $500 for it. It will break new ground but isn't happy about sod. As was mentioned, roundup first.

It needs some TLC but it hasn't started in almost 4 years and I could go out right now and put fresh gas in it and it would start on the second or third pull. It would then till up anything I wanted to.

I think the best 500 dollars you could spend would be a good working old model horse (nothing after 1980s). They are on Cl. Just work for one that was cared for by an old timer.
 

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