Grading What works a tractor harder?

[knukey]

What works a tractor harder a rotary cutter (cutting 2' field grass) or a tiller (cutting thru 6" dense field grass)?

I guess I'm pondering which requires more HP?

 

[jeff9366]

Ground contact work (tilling) requires more tractor power than non-ground contact work (mowing).

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Depends on the width of the implementsame being compared. If they are the same width, the tiller hands down.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I disagree It takes a lot more power for a mower than a tiller. 2ft tall grass will bog many tractors and a tiller is easy in one. I have a 5 ft deck and a 5 ft tiller.. Ed

 

[4570Man]

The tiller, no comparison especially if you operate at the same ground speed.

 

[Will_C]

The only time I have had my B2620 near over heated was using a tiller. Never had it close bush hogging unless the radiator was plugging up with chaff.

Will

 

[Baby Grand]

With our 32 hp machine, if I'm tilling 6" deep, I'm in 1st gear @ PTO rpm (0.6 mph) with a 5' tiller.
2' & dense field grass, I'm in 3rd or 4th gear @ PTO rpm (1.9 or 2.3 mph) with a 5' brush hog.
From that I'd say tiller takes more power, by a factor of roughly 3 or 4.
-jim

 

[Ed of all trades]

I can run my tiller and do at around 1700 rpm's and the tractor has no problems. I run my bush hog at 2500 rpm's and I often bog it down. Talking about running a tiller at the same speed as a bush hog is silly. Ed

 

[MESSMAKER]

A lot of variables. I have bogged more using a cutter than a tiller, but it was at different speeds. You mow up steep hills but don't usually till these areas. I think it can go either way, but if I had to pick, I would go wit tilling since I seem to use more fuel per hour.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I can run my tiller and do at around 1700 rpm's and the tractor has no problems. I run my bush hog at 2500 rpm's and I often bog it down. Talking about running a tiller at the same speed as a bush hog is silly. Ed

Guess it takes more power to run a tiller then.....

 

[buickanddeere]

Not an issue. What messes up diesel equipment, in particular modern emissions diesels . Is operators putting around , light loads and start/stop operation.

 

[SPYDERLK]

What works a tractor harder a rotary cutter (cutting 2' field grass) or a tiller (cutting thru 6" dense field grass)?

I guess I'm pondering which requires more HP?

The same - full power. Just adjust ground speed to suit.

 

[4570Man]

I can run my tiller and do at around 1700 rpm's and the tractor has no problems. I run my bush hog at 2500 rpm's and I often bog it down. Talking about running a tiller at the same speed as a bush hog is silly. Ed

I was talking about running the bush hog at the same speed as a tiller. A tiller couldn't handle running in 4th gear. Running a bush hog in first or second gear at pto rpm is hardly noticeable work on the tractor.

 

[milligjg]

I'm no expert on either, but I would have to ask what type of soil are you tilling. I know my tractor would much rather mow 2' of grass/weeds than attempt 3" of the clay on my property:laughing:

 

[4570Man]

I know the tractor and I would sure rather bush hog a 15 acre field than till the same 15 acre field. The grass is pretty thin around here mostly due to poor soil and mowing 2 foot grass really isn't that difficult.

 

[TomSeller]

I would mow the 6" field grass and let it decay a bit before I tilled the ground.

You can normally brush hog a lot faster than till. Given the same speed, tilling to depth takes more HP

 

[Jerry/MT]

I can run my tiller and do at around 1700 rpm's and the tractor has no problems. I run my bush hog at 2500 rpm's and I often bog it down. Talking about running a tiller at the same speed as a bush hog is silly. Ed

Using rpm is not a correct way to indicate power out put. if you look at a power curve for an engine, what you looking at is max rated power vs rpm. there are many lower powers outputs available below that max line for any given rpm below the max line. A better indicator is fuel flow rate since it rate of energy input into the engine. If you do that, you'll will find that ground engagement implements consume more power per foot of working width than mowers. Of course there are other variables For example tilling sand might require less power than mowing 3 inch saplings with a 4 inch spacing. But in general, ground engaging tools with the same working width will require more power than mowers.

 

[Egon]

Put a rated water pump or generator at full load on the PTO.That'll make the engine work.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Using rpm is not a correct way to indicate power out put. if you look at a power curve for an engine, what you looking at is max rated power vs rpm. there are many lower powers outputs available below that max line for any given rpm below the max line. A better indicator is fuel flow rate since it rate of energy input into the engine. If you do that, you'll will find that ground engagement implements consume more power per foot of working width than mowers. Of course there are other variables For example tilling sand might require less power than mowing 3 inch saplings with a 4 inch spacing. But in general, ground engaging tools with the same working width will require more power than mowers.

The same - full power. Just adjust ground speed to suit.

As said earlier, both tilling and mowing take exactly the same power.

 

[vanguard]

As said earlier, both tilling and mowing take exactly the same power.

I like the way you're thinking. It's a machine, make it work. :thumbsup:

Having said that, I find I have an easier time using all my tractor's power with ground engaging stuff, like a land plane filled with rocks, than I do with a finish mower. With a mower I often have to go slower to get a decent cut or to make the turns.