Tiller Question

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cat-face timber

Knot Bumper
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What tiller do you use?

I might be in the market for a tiller.

I am looking for something that can break my
Super Hard, Rock Filled dirt.

Not sure if one of those small ones would work.
 
My tiller

I use a Husqvarna dtr900 it does awesome and has forward and reverse tines. The reverse tines break up the ground really good. I don't know about the durability on them because this is the first season with mine. It has had really good reviews.



If you have some time and patience, start looking for a used Troy Bilt Horse. Those things can break up concrete!!!!!
You can also get different attachments for the PTO.

All in all I think you would be better off finding a old rear tine. Someone here can give you some more models.
 
I'd have to agree find a rear tine tiller. I have a 3pt tiller that I use in the fall and spring then use a Stihl small frt tine during the year. Works well for sandy soils not sure how it would do if hard and rocky.
 
I use a troybuilt horse and agree with others a rear tine is the way to go!!
We had an old sears front tine when I was a kid and that thing would beat the crap out of you for real tilling, it worked for light tilling like weed control but thats it IMO.
 
I use a 3-point for spring, fall and for really hard dirt. I use a Troy-Bult Big Red Horse repowered with a 6.5GX Honda for row weeding, tilling small gardens, and planting with the hiller attachment. The one that gets used the most is my Mantis, those things just rock, you can till deep or just lightly weed next to the plant, plus it came with an edger that works awesome. If it was me and didn't have the tractor a Horse and Mantis is a have too, and if I didn't have room for the Horse the Mantis will be easyer on you than a front-tine.
 
It is probably worth it to hire up someone with a three point to hit it first, after that a good used horse or pony tiller will work fine. Check out your local TS bulletin board, there is usually two or three guys hiring out tiller work.
 
I like BIG front tine tillers. I put one of my flip belts around my hips, clip in to the center of the handle bar, and lean back an let it dig in. After the tines dig all the way down I take a step back, yank the tiller up on new ground and do it again. I just rent so I have tried several rear tine ones and they can't do the job in most of my garden spots until the ground is well dug up.
 
I like BIG front tine tillers. I put one of my flip belts around my hips, clip in to the center of the handle bar, and lean back an let it dig in. After the tines dig all the way down I take a step back, yank the tiller up on new ground and do it again. I just rent so I have tried several rear tine ones and they can't do the job in most of my garden spots until the ground is well dug up.

Are you breaking new ground this way?
With a rear tine tiller all you have to do is put the drive wheels in neutral and engage the belt (the rear tines will be running only) then hold the machine back till you want to move on to the next spot. I sometimes do this when we are transplanting small bushes (lillocs etc) to break the ground up cause we dont really dig a hole for them.
I would agree that a rear tine tiller would require two passes to break new ground, but that still seems way easier to me to then what you have described. I still have my granddads old front tine tiller, it wouldn't take much to get it running, I guess I could try it sometime......
 
This may be old school but when I was younger I made about 60 new gardens for people,and plowed up many repeat customers gardens year after year.My machine of choice back then was a Gravely rotary plow.That thing would chop up large roots and throw a brick out or large stone.One area close to me is well known for its hard rock filled soil.I am not trying to say it did not have its challenges but that gravely plowed 8 inches deep and made the gardens.

One thing is for sure if you hit something you better hang on.That thing could kick like a mule.For about the last dozen or so years I have used a BCS.They are not cheap but I have only replaced tines once in those years with a normal tune up once in awhile. The BCS is a good tiller,I just walk beside it and let it go.The rocks have been long gone from my gardens,so it is easy to run.
 
This may be old school but when I was younger I made about 60 new gardens for people,and plowed up many repeat customers gardens year after year.My machine of choice back then was a Gravely rotary plow.That thing would chop up large roots and throw a brick out or large stone.One area close to me is well known for its hard rock filled soil.I am not trying to say it did not have its challenges but that gravely plowed 8 inches deep and made the gardens.

One thing is for sure if you hit something you better hang on.That thing could kick like a mule.For about the last dozen or so years I have used a BCS.They are not cheap but I have only replaced tines once in those years with a normal tune up once in awhile. The BCS is a good tiller,I just walk beside it and let it go.The rocks have been long gone from my gardens,so it is easy to run.
I didn't know what a bcs was so I looked it up. Looks like a modern day gravely, pretty cool. What attachments do you have for it ? One site showed it with a mini bailer!! Pretty cool
 
I rented a tiller yesterday, spent three hours tearing up old growth turf. The thing was a monster, could pull a fat man through a knothole.
Once I figured out how to run it, it pulverized everything. We don't have rocks here.



 
I didn't know what a bcs was so I looked it up. Looks like a modern day gravely, pretty cool. What attachments do you have for it ? One site showed it with a mini bailer!! Pretty cool

Those mini balers are cool but are expensive.I have 2 BCS tillers,I use the large one for tilling the gardens at the beginning of the season.I think it is 32 inches wide.My smaller one I use between the rows during growing season.I got the small one off of Craigslist about 2 weeks before Christmas several years ago. It runs new about $2200.00 new,the guy wanted Christmas money I got it for $600 and it was only a year old.

I watch the auctions for implements,so far I have 2 tillers,a snow plow,mower and cutter bar.To run them you just turn the handle around and put the implements on the front.The machine itself is built like a tank and the Honda engine is easy to get parts and service.If you want a diesel they have that also.
 
I gave up on walk behind tillers many years ago, i use a tractor with a 3 point Howard Rotovator, i have three of them. (industrial tiller) I also do custom rotovating for others and have been doing so for MANY years.

On new ground, i'd hire someone in with a tractor to till it the first time, and that will get you WAAAAY ahead of the curve!

I have a Troy Bilt "horse", personally i think they are over rated. Years ago, we wore one completely out! This one is in near new shape, because i moved us to a tractor/tiller to replace it. A BCS is a LOT better tiller than a Troy is!

SR
 
Pull a fat man through a knot hole! :hmm3grin2orange: That's funny stuff Randy!
On topic though do some research into the models but the older Troy Bilts were gear driven trans and basically indestructible. I have a Husqvarna CRT 52 and wish I would have researched more first. The Husqvarna tillers are made by AYD along with many others and are chain driven for the tines and tires in the trans. Mine is in a million pieces right now waiting for my new chain to show up. It broke after 3 years of use. So I fired up my little toy Satoh Beaver 4x4 tractor with the tiller on back.
 
I cant remember what brand it is but my uncle has a reverse tine rear tine tiller that works awesome. The tines pull backwards on the tiller while the wheels pull it forward. That thing breaks new ground pretty good.
 
I rented a Barretto a couple times years ago...beast is an understatement :D

If I was breaking up new ground and didn't have someone nearby with a tractor to plow it / 3pt tiller...I'd rent a tiller and beat up the rental place's unit. Unless they're renting a Barretto, in which case it you could till up the tarmac at an airport and it wouldn't care.

I have a Troybilt Junior I got for a good price, but I wouldn't mind a Horse or Pony :)

OH JIMMINY CRICKETS...

I just can't squeeze the cash out of the bank at the moment, otherwise I'd be on this one like flies on cowpies -- BCS with tiller and sickle and needing a tune up asking $499:
Bcs tractor ( Italian ) w/ tiller+ sickle bar
 
What tiller do you use?

I might be in the market for a tiller.

I am looking for something that can break my
Super Hard, Rock Filled dirt.

Not sure if one of those small ones would work.

I use an old gear driven Rear Tine Troybuilt Bronco. But I cheat. I begin the season using a tractor and 10' Disk, and finish the season doing the same to turn everything under. The little Bronco keeps the garden looking good for as long as possible.
 
That is basically what I do as well. Plow, disc, till with tractor, maintain with Hasqvarna tiller and then plow and disc it all under in the fall.
 
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