Rototillers | Buying tips, maintenance and operation.
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- Tips for what to look for in a quality rototiller. Operation tips, and maintenance check points.
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YOUR VIDEOS ARE VERY INFORMATIVE, I HAVE BEEN FARMING 18 YEARS AND STILL LEARN SOME LITTLE TIPS FROM YOU.. EXCELLENT.
Enjoyed the man’s presentation. Unlike most he didn’t repeat himself over and over or waste words.
Thanks! I really enjoyed the longer clip. 3 minutes is great, but it misses so much. Thanks for the extra effort.
Perfect timing. I'm seriously looking for a tiller.
Took delivery of my BX2680 about a week ago, I got the RTR0550 reverse rotating tine tiller...the areas I'll be working in have been tilled before so for the best finished look I went with the reverse rotation tiller. This is my first tractor, and I'm very happy with how the PTO on the tractor engages and disengages, no sudden jolting, a nice very smooth engagement and disengagement.
Its always a good practice to throw some blocks under the implement if your going to be working on them elevated with the 3 point. I know......safety Sally.... but I have personally had some close call's.
I have a 50" Chain driven reverse tine Land Pride. Very happy with the tiller.
Jeremy- I have one too and works well. I find that the tiller throws rocks to the side of the tiller rather than up and into the tiller. I go about 2 inches in depth at a click. What has your experience been with rocks and other hard objects?
Great video, I wish I had watched this before I bought my tiller. The sales guy from Kubota talked me into getting a reverse rotation tiller, but after watching this video it appears he mixed up the forward rotation with the rear. He said rear rotation tillers are best for rocky soil and that’s what we have. Now I know why I had to stop after every row and remove any rocks that it sucked up into the tines.
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I must disagree with the expert in this instance. I have owned/used both chain-drive and gear-driven tillers. Both are/were Howard "Roto-vators" (the original rotary-tillers and IMO still among the best...) Both approximately the same age/amount of usage. The chain-drive model was my first and it gave trouble with chain stretch. The "shoe" which controlled chain tension was a "wear part." When the chain got slack from stretching it would jump off one (or both) sprockets, destroying the chain (and incidentally, doing its housing no good....) So I made certain that tiller's replacement was gear drive. I have had no issues with it. I guess I've had the gear model about 20 years, and it was old (1960) when purchased. I'm a commercial gardener and depend on my equipment to be "ready to use" when called upon. Consequently, I'll never go back to a chain-driven rototiller. Just my $ .02 worth. I do believe the Messicks are Pros, and usually take their advice to heart. But I beg to differ in this instance...
Thanks for this
A wealth of knowledge....what is nice your vids usually save me from a lot of screw-ups....stay safe
I sure wish we had a dealer like you guys here in Colorado. Keep up the good work and thanks for all you do.
Why do you have the flap at the back up ?
I was using mine down and came online to find out about that. My chain keeps dropping it
I like to drop my plow in in the fall of new plots. Then in the spring till and have nice ready to plant garden. Matter of fact I plan to turn over a couple plots during our warming trend coming up
Yep plow then till
Picked up my tiller end of last season and used it once which generated question you answered in this video. Thank You, Neil!
But they did several things wrong in that video.
@@TF856 your parents did several things wrong raising you.
Does that somehow make you unhelpful, invalid or worthless??
I can see it made you unnecessarily rude and your grammar is crap but I think someone, somewhere, could appreciate you.
When someone else appreciates something, who the hell are you to criticize that thing?
You didn’t even bother to offer any support for your comment, just showed up uninvited, announced your complaint and left. 👌
Excellent video. I've learned so much about tillers. Thanks so much.
Great explanation! If you drop the rear gate, there is more dirt contact from not being thrown out as quickly. I've found that very effective.
Yeah they did several things wrong in that video.
@@TF856 in my experience on first passes on virgin ground you want the clumps to exit, and allow to dry out a week before a second pass (when you then lower the rear gate)
@@slip0n0fall you guys can do it however you want. I didn't realize how low the standards were in your part of the country. 😁
I'm telling you how professionals do it with a long list of repeat commercial, agricultural and residential clients.
We don't waste our time doing it twice on two different days.
When the moisture is correct in the soil do it once, leave it looking gorgeous like a professional did it.
We charge a 3 hour minimum, do the whole job all at once if possible.
Some large-scale job's take several days to complete.
And on many jobs the weeds are already at least 2 - 3ft tall.
Many of our customers are so happy with the beautiful smooth job that they don't even want to walk it!!!
If we did it your way it would take longer and would not look nearly as nice.
We always ran the Howard rotavator (forward)behind at least a 60 horse tractor and the Howard rotavator had L shaped blades.
We never used the C shaped or U shaped blades.
@@slip0n0fall another thing:
Why in the world would you want the clods to go flying out, they're not going to get broken up that way!
That's just going to make the job take a lot longer cuz you have to go over it more times !
I often run the RPM's up above where it says to run them just to make sure everything gets broken up thoroughly into powder!
Keep it underneath the machine, don't let it fly out until it is powder!!!
If there is dust you waited a little bit too long to rototill it.
Pull up a handful of dirt, squeeze it in your hand,
Open your hand.
If it falls apart it's too dry!
Then lightly touch that squeezed dirt that is in your hand and see if it falls apart easily or not.
If it doesn't fall apart is too wet.
That is how soil engineers have told me how to test the ground on different construction sites.
The same applies to ground that needs to be rototilled.
@@TF856 good info, thanks
You should have the flap at the back dropped down. That keeps the material in the tiller which helps it do a better job.
Tiller has been my favorite purchase for my tractor. Tillers and thick grass do not like each other tho lol
If you're not in hurry it's better to mow the tall weeds and grass about 2 weeks before you rototill it.
I got the reverse and yes it is much cleaner. Great into Neil - Thanks.
great video You need a Woods Land Plane with scarifiers for the driveway.
Educational. Some information was "DUH!". I always thought gear drive was better.
Because of the increase in torque I still believe it is.
We use a 1025R and a 60" king kutter tiller, has worked great for the little time we used it.
This is just awesome info to put out there. I need to watch those slip clutch adjustment videos now. Thank you.
Very informative video here, you explain and really get down "in the dirt" to make the matter clear, thank you for your time and consideration in making this "Tube"
Would love to see this for a power/Harley rake.
I second that
3rd
By and large I enjoyed this video.
That’s good.....By and Large. What a stupid comment....
There is also a 3pt offset attachment for that tiller which lets it be used like a rear to-side mower deck is used.
The chain drive not only protects your PTO but you can also order them with various gear ratios.
Reverse rotation tillers also exist because some people like to drive backwards when tilling or put it on the front. They're actually pretty effective against deep packed snow in combination with a rear pivot plow as well.
Aint never heard of a "Pivot Plow"?
Great video! This answered my question how a tiller would handle unbroken ground. In short, not too bad for a food plot.
Another great video thanks Neil. I would love to see a video on the best way to level an uneven meadow, using a box blade and rippers. Driving in forward and reverse.
I find your videos really helpful. Thank you.
if you kill grass [roots] ahead of time it works up much nicer..the roots really hold the soil together
If its fresh packed virgin ground, 12" plowed first early in the year if weather permits. Let the ground rest till spring then till. You can beat your tiller to death with the hard packed turf. This is the way I set my sweet corn crop here in NC.
By and large another great video…. 👀
Lots of excellent info. Thanks!
4 vs 6 tines per flange makes a differance. And letting the rear gate drag on the ground helps it finish a little nicer.
Looking at buying a tiller what is the difference between 4 versus 6 tines is there a video you could send me a link towards
@@jakereed6754 a 6 tine per flange will mulch up the sod better then a 4 tine. They both do a great job but a 6 tine has more teeth turning through the dirt mulching sod finer for those brand new gardens. I think tractor time with tim has a video on tillers. And his number 1 thing is it doesn't really matter what tiller you get, you will most likely love it. To me the only thing I'd really look for is forward or reverse rotation tillers.
Does weight matter I am looking at 2 oen is farm king 50" 4 tines weights 250 and a 60" country line that weights 600 and 6 tines?
@@jakereed6754 weight does matter but I wouldn't say its the most important. More weight should mean better quality, as thicker gauge steel is used all around. If you are doing a garden for personal use I think any tiller will do the job and leave you happy. Weight is good if you have hard pan, or if you are always tilling virgin soil/sod. If you have stones I would say a forward rotation tiller is a must as they tend to bounce over the stones where a reverse tiller will kick them around in the machine. If all you plan to do is the same garden every year you can be very happy with a 4 tine forward rotation tiller, and thus you can save some money as these are usually the cheapest.
@3:22 why you need to tighten jam nuts
xavi0n left side pin was falling out also🤦🏻♂️
@@toddrabideau5576 Sharp eye... Had to look back 2 times :)
I just bought a b2650. Love it by the way. Someone commented about a Harley rake. I would like to see you run a Harley rake on a comparable tractor. Maybe yours👍
One of your best videos! Super helpful! Looking forward to slip clutch video.
I want a tiller but renting just makes so much more sense
Ought depends your size and the time using it, I don't know of anyone renting these, I'm in texas
Good video! Please block the machine up when reaching under it. If things can go wrong..... they will. Don’t get hurt! Also some people in my area try to use the tiller with an 8 N Ford tractor. Not a good idea. The ground speed, even in first gear is too fast, even with the Sherman auxiliary transmission. If you have the rare Howard gear reduction, it will work. Parts are next to impossible to get for the Howard reduction! Please block the tiller up!
I usually leave the rear shield drag on the ground.
He doesn't really know much about using a rototiller obviously.
Shield down breaks up clumps better leaving a finer material.
Shield up allows debris/rocks to escape easier and not get jammed up in the tiller.
Both positions have a correct time and place, him being in unknown soil and on the first pass, shield up was logical.
Please make a video with a reverse rotating tiller on the road!
I have a frontier tiller went to go change the oil on the chain box pulled the plug and it was full of grease. Was expecting oil but nope definitely grease
I prefer a gear driven tiller since it is able to put more torque to the ground.
Currently in rocky New England soil I have to plow before I till. Just going out and tilling is too hard on the equipment. Very rarely one hits a tip of ledge and that does no favors to expensive equipment.
Can you link the clutch video? I can not find it. Thank you.
I learned some things. Thank you
Land Pride has sheer pins on their smaller models.
I've had my tiller I use it on my Ford 3000 diesel tractor it's a 6 foot tiller had to shorten the pto shaft and put oil and grease the tiller before using it I used it 3 years ago and bought it 2years ago my wife really likes it
have a Land Pride RTR2072 and love it....
Definitely need to work on how you use the tiller.
Beak the hard ground with a plow of some sort and you take more than 50% of the load off of the tiller. You can go deeper and faster.
Exactly, mo board or Disc plow, then till then plant
Great video, thank you. I live in Northwest Arkansas. We have very rocky soil. Is there a model, in particular, that would be best for this soil? I was thinking it probably needs the heaviest duty.
Is there anything to concentrate on blade types and number of blades used for tractor power capacity
Wondering if you might be able to tell me why my tiller has gotten to where it bogs down and stops turning when tilling. When I first got it, it would till through concrete (kidding), now with the least resistance it stops.
👍thank you for another very helpful and informative video!
Question: B2650 PTO engaged. Normal for transmission to make a bit more noise? Mine sounds rattly without an implement connected.
Please run slower and drop the rear shield down,much better mixing of soil.
Could’ve used a little more cowbell....
if you put the door on the back of the tiller down it flattens the soil out
I don't know if this applies to any other tillers, but the manual for my old John Deere 448 tiller says to drop the tiller to the ground before engaging the PTO. I think it may be to avoid having the chain slapping around when there's no load on the tines? Also on mine the chain case is packed with grease rather than filled with oil. Maybe they don't make any like that anymore.
More tutorials like this!
You mentioned testing the slip clutch but how do you do that.....scientifically or at least safely?
Land Pride just posted a video on their channel within the last day or so showing how to test a slip clutch.
You loosen the tension on the slip clutch springs & then you run it at low rpm slowly dropping it into the ground until you see it slip. Then you stop & reset the spring tension.
@@waynes.2983 That makes perfect sense. Thank you.
Can you till in a square direction or do you have to stop the machine and start a new row?
Thanks Neil,
How much area is too much for a roto tiller? I have about 6-7 acres on a new to me hunting property I'm going to food plot.
Usually for food plots you'd use a disc, or renovator. A tiller is too aggressive, and often the soil conditions are pretty rough.
@@MessicksEquip , Thank you
Messick's knows their stuff. But I routinely use a very large tiller over multiple acres of fruit plots. I'm not a hunter though and know nothing about food plots.
I forgot to add, I've a Kubota bx2360, I only have an RPM readout for the engine. 1/2 throttle, so about 1500??
What rpm range do you suggest?
Can you tilt your 3 point arms and till a ditch to help with grading hard dirt?
Yes of course
Good Video thanks, P.S. I noticed your vids Music in the intro is very Hot (loud) compared to your Audio that is.. Cheers
Can you drive in reverse and "create a reverse rotation" tiller by lifting the rear gate?
But then you would be compacting the soil again with the tires on the tractor.
@@pedrobatista4439 true
@@pedrobatista4439 If you were running a 4' veggie bed and a 4' tiller you could probably fully straddle the bed with the tires and do both with many tractors. I never thought of it before you mentioned, but it could be a useful application. Anyone ever try it?
Great video but you never covered depth control
Can you use a quick hitch with a rototiller?
searched for the slip clutch adjustment video but didn't see one titled that. Can you provide a link to which video it is, please?
Never got it done. Still on my list.
What's the difference between 4 versus 6 tines
Is there a land pride sight one can see msrp? RTA25 is my choice.
I am breaking new pasture ground that has 10 year old big tractor ruts hardened in by the turf. Trying to flatten the field. I am running 45 deg s from ruts, with tiller on the deepest setting. Rooster tail out of tiller. Tomorrow will be next pass, 90 deg from first pass (still 45 deg from ruts). 5' tiller with 33 hp tractor, slightly bogging on first pass. Any suggestion to flatten the field with my rotortiller? Like your videos! Thanks.
run a single thin ripper through on 2' spacing, then rototill . Maybe water a day ahead, 1-2" . or plow if you can. or aerate 2x this year and ripper next year .
None of the videos I've looked at say what RPM the tractor should be set at when tilling. 1500 RPM, 2000 RPM, 2500 RPM?
Not a science, but generally low. I'd start around half throttle.
Side shifting a tiller, wouldn't that destroy the pto shaft ?I am considering moving the three point hitch ,gear box off setting 12''and cutting tiller shaft. Yes a lot more work, but a true off set.
The amount of shift is limited so you don't go over an acceptable angle for the yoke joints. Its usually only a few inches.
AWESOME 😎😎
would you be able to go with 72in
So couldn’t you just go in reverse with your tractor? Or would that not be recommended with a forward bite tiller?
You end up bending the 3pt linkage.
@@MessicksEquip good to know thank you!
Please do a harleyrake
But what about the tillers that you can convert forward to reverse? Are they any good?
I've not seen a tractor mounted tiller that does that. Some walk behind (TroyBilt Horse) are able to do that and work well.
@@MessicksEquipI know Tarter can be switched. I've got a list I made last year... some place. I remember there were quite a few that you could swap back and fourth. Some brands had lines that could and some that couldn't .
How many pto hp required per foot rototiller.
I have a lot of rocks... what happens if I hit a rock?
I have a BX23S with a 42" tiller. i am new to this. Can I effectively run the tiller without the front loader?
You don't need a loader LOL. Although, between the loader, tiller, and box blade those are going to be my main purchase attachments when I buy my tractor here in the next month or so.
@@wildbill23c Not a silly question actually. Depending on the size of the tractor and tiller, a FEL can help a lot with balancing loads and optimizing steering. Weight up front is a good thing when it comes to very large attached implements.
@@whome9936 Never said it was a silly question, and I run my BX2680 all the time with my RTR0550 tiller without the loader, that loader sticks out there in the way, you have plenty of weight up front on the tractor without the loader to run a tiller....a brush hog on the other hand, you'll want front weights for the loader installed.
So if u use a forward rotating tiller and just back up with it tilling, won't it become a reverse tiller?
Is that a serious question? If so, then the answer is no because the PTO shaft doesn’t stop and reverse when the tractor does.
How about plowing first then till it
So to start a garden the grass does not need to be removed or killed?
Nope, just till it under a time or two.
I would think you should rip the soil 8 to 10 inches deep and then rototill. Your thoughts?
ideally, plow, disc, and then till - you can do it all with a tiller, it just takes longer and may be more wear and tear on the tiller, once the ground is broken, it becomes much easier each year
Yes by all means
@@cowboywoodard2569I think it depends on the size of the tiller. Some agricultural tillers weigh a ton and till 10 - 14 inches deep, considerably deeper than most moldboards I've pulled. In a use case like that, more time and more fuel may not prove ideal across multi-acre plots. Would a plow be nice in my garlic and strawberry plots? Probably. Would it be practical? Maybe not.
Really informative video. Thanks for doing these videos.
Eric S. Duck, P.E.
Forest Hill, LA. 71430
Shouldn't you plow a virgin ground before using a tiller?
Would not hurt, most people don't have that option.
I think that's a matter of scale, for most hobby gardens if you had to pick one attachment (plow, disc, tiller), the tiller would be it
For unbroken ground, a plow helps. But with no plow it will take more passes.
@Phil Hall Sounds good. Less stress on the Tiller.
When was this video filmed? We don’t even have leaves on our trees in honesdale Pennsylvania.
Late summer. I save videos and publish when the season is right
I need some guidance on a rototiller for a BX23S. I know landpride but any other options?
I have a landpride 50" reverse tine tiller I use in a heavy clay soil for a 3,000 sq/ft garden and love it. If you plan on doing food plots or tilling soil often that has not been tilled or plowed before than get a forward tine. I originally bought my tiller with my BX2370 and that 23hp engine handled that 50" so well that I always kinda wondered/wished I went with a 54". 5 years later I traded in my BX for a B2650 and now I really wished I went with a 54". The 50" is almost too small. But anyways the other things you want to look for when buying is quick hitch compatible if you are using a quick hitch (you dont want to decide later on that you want to start using a quick hitch because than your PTO shaft is going to ge too short. Those are cut to size on small tractors). Last thing to look for is a slip clutch instead of shear pins on the PTO drive system. If you are going with landpride its both quick hitch compatible and comes with a slip clutch so you are all set. Plus its made in America. All Landpride equipment is made in USA
@@andysworld2188 Great points, thank you. I'm going to be purchasing a BX2680 here in the near future probably within a year or 2. Definitely want a tiller for it for sure, between a loader, pallet forks, and tiller, all of them are just about a must have LOL.
Mr. Neil, could you let me know the name of the video which describes how to slip the clutch? Have a new tiller I've have not used as of yet. Sounds like I really need to do that before its first operation. Thanks Sir.
I've not completed mine yet. Other people have done this though.
@@MessicksEquip ok. You mentioned in this video about seeing separate ones you've done previously on how to do that. Thanks
Where is your link to slip clutch maintenance?
Still haven't done that one yet, but others have.
reverse tiller or stone burier.... living a nice soil for a planter..
I like my reverse tiller to bring stones to the surface easier, as the frost will eventually bring them up if you don't remove them
Sweet. Thank you. What model tractor is that?
Kubota MX5200
@@MessicksEquip Actually it looks like an MX4800 from the picture at @7:48 but pretty much the same except a few hp.
Can your tractor be too powerful for a specific tiller? I have a 57PTO hp tiller and want to run a 60 inch tiller. I've been told by my dealer the tiller is too small for the tractor. Is that true?
It would not stop me from trying. It would make it easy to slip the driveline or knock out shear pins.
How much for a 6 foot?
What kind of tiller was that? Was it a Wood's?
yes
I have a ford 8n, can I use a 5ft or a 4ft?
Yes you can if the ground has the right amount of moisture in it so it's not too hard or too soft and muddy.
In the video they did several things wrong.
Always rototill in the very lowest year you have at a fairly high RPM. The standard 540 RPM for the PTO or higher. Always leave the tailboard on the ground to make the ground smooth.
Yes
Just a side note, research Japanese style rotary tillers with curved blades compared to the US/Euro style blade profile. I have both for our vineyards... the Japanese is so much better since I got it I barely use the Howard tiller.
www.k-taiyo.co.jp/en/business/
Same width tiller runs on half power...
We always ran the Howard rotavator behind at least a 60 horse tractor and the Howard rotavator had L shaped blades.
We never used the C shaped or U shaped blades.
@@TF856 I run a 165 cm wide Kubota tiller on a Kubota 24hp tractor at half throttle. I could never use the howard half the size on the same tractor, i need to run my antonio Carraro tractor for the Howard, that is how different they are in power hunger. The design of the blades is that they chip a bit by bit of the soil and do it so efficiently and easy. The US/Euro tillers use brute force for the job thus the need for more power.
If chains were a problem, you wouldn't have timing chains in car engines
Timing chains in engines are a common point of premature wear and failure.