Two root tillers, the same size... one a DR tiller with the tines that rotate against the forward movement or a Troy Built tiller the same size that has the tines that rotate forward...
I'd buy a rear tine tiller, them front time tillers will beat you to death, but since money is not an option for you, I'd buy a tractor with a pto and get a tiller for the tractor.
in this case i doubt it makes a difference. i never heard of the counter rotating kind. i though the forward rotation was what what propelled it. if you want a tiller, i'd get an older troybuilt horse 8hp. if thats too much, go with a pony. whatever you get, make it a rear tine.
Some tillers have counter-rotating tines, probably the best option. Bigger is better too if the garden is of any size. Just went through Hell getting a new one, as most are imported or have imported engines and ships are stacked up offshore due to trucking backlogs. The Cub tiller I ordered in December was nixed by an availability issue with the tines. Ordered a Troy Built from Home Depot, but it disappeared from tracking, and they cancelled the order because there were no more to be had. Finally found a smaller Craftsman, which is identical to a Troy Built Colt. It’s just barely up the task, but all I could find locally or online. My original backup plan for the Cub was a Honda, but those are still afloat as well.
Bottom line is you may not have much or any choice, so get what you can.
PS: The first Troy Built I ordered suddenly showed up in my driveway, long after my money was refunded. Now I know why it vanished; it had been dropped and the crate almost destroyed. Not sure what was inside, but it was rattling around loose. The express company came back and hauled it off.
I'd buy a rear tine tiller, them front time tillers will beat you to death, but since money is not an option for you, I'd buy a tractor with a pto and get a tiller for the tractor.
I got one of them... 86hp with a 8' tiller.... I need something a little smaller....
I have a DR tow-behind tiller that I pull with a garden tractor. I don't recommend them. I've had numerous issues with it. It's not heavy duty enough and I've had broken metal parts that I've had to repair. They take a real beating from vibration. I'm pretty sure it's a rebranded Agri-Fab but I'm not positive.
One issue is that there's a bent 3/8" rod that's used to lift the tines (actually it lowers the wheels, lifting the entire tiller). It came with flimsy kotter pins in both ends holding it in place. The vibrations ate through the keys and let the rod drop out into the tines, turning it into a pretzel. I got a new rod and replaced the pins with heavier hairpin clips that I check regularly for damage.
in this case i doubt it makes a difference. i never heard of the counter rotating kind. i though the forward rotation was what what propelled it. if you want a tiller, i'd get an older troybuilt horse 8hp. if thats too much, go with a pony. whatever you get, make it a rear tine.
The rear tines can be placed in Tine-neutral and have their own transmission so you can still ‘drive’ them to and from the shed
The rear tine units will also till in forward till motion but essentially the machine will run off and leave your grip and not really dig in. Thus counter rotating tines while the transmission progresses the whole machine forward makes it efficient.
Those archaic Front Tine machines will give you a good beating and shake down, you see them often at yardsales, folks can barely get $50 to $75 for them. No one wants them.
A rear tine unit when used for weekly cultivating chores, a man can simply walk beside them gently guiding with one hand.
Two root tillers, the same size... one a DR tiller with the tines that rotate against the forward movement or a Troy Built tiller the same size that has the tines that rotate forward...
Old TroyBilt can be worn out and rebuilt for decades. Hand tools are all you need. It doesn't do as much as fast a newer designs. Harbor Freight will sell you a Predator Honda knock off engine to bolt on when the time comes.
I don't know Dr, but if you can find a used BCS or Grillo for the same money, don't hesitate. Also easy to live with and will be around a long time. Does more than TroyBilt in less time even though it is narrower. And being able to pick it up is much easier cthan needing ramps or jacks. Earthtools.com
in this case i doubt it makes a difference. i never heard of the counter rotating kind. i though the forward rotation was what what propelled it. if you want a tiller, i'd get an older troybuilt horse 8hp. if thats too much, go with a pony. whatever you get, make it a rear tine.
The rear tines can be placed in Tine-neutral and have their own transmission so you can still ‘drive’ them to and from the shed
The rear tine units will also till in forward till motion but essentially the machine will run off and leave your grip and not really dig in. Thus counter rotating tines while the transmission progresses the whole machine forward makes it efficient.
Those archaic Front Tine machines will give you a good beating and shake down, you see them often at yardsales, folks can barely get $50 to $75 for them. No one wants them.
A rear tine unit when used for weekly cultivating chores, a man can simply walk beside them gently guiding with one hand.
The one I ended up stuck with uses a drag bar to hold it back. Properly adjusted, it works as advertised and I can run it one-handed, more or less. Not as easy as a rear-tine, but do-able.
The Cub I ordered and never got had it all: Honda engine, F&R, rear tines. Might try again next year.
in this case i doubt it makes a difference. i never heard of the counter rotating kind. i though the forward rotation was what what propelled it. if you want a tiller, i'd get an older troybuilt horse 8hp. if thats too much, go with a pony. whatever you get, make it a rear tine.
The rear tines can be placed in Tine-neutral and have their own transmission so you can still ‘drive’ them to and from the shed
The rear tine units will also till in forward till motion but essentially the machine will run off and leave your grip and not really dig in. Thus counter rotating tines while the transmission progresses the whole machine forward makes it efficient.
Those archaic Front Tine machines will give you a good beating and shake down, you see them often at yardsales, folks can barely get $50 to $75 for them. No one wants them.
A rear tine unit when used for weekly cultivating chores, a man can simply walk beside them gently guiding with one hand.
The one I ended up stuck with uses a drag bar to hold it back. Properly adjusted, it works as advertised and I can run it one-handed, more or less. Not as easy as a rear-tine, but do-able.
The Cub I ordered and never got had it all: Honda engine, F&R, rear tines. Might try again next year.
Lots of clay and rocks here, I see people having a hard time with them. Probably be alright in some built up garden spots with duff, organic matter or loamy, sandy soil horizons.
I have a Husqvarna rear tine tiller with a Honda engine, and it's the cat's meow for most garden jobs. The gears allow you reverse the direction of the tines so you can either heavy till or light till. I've still got my old front tine tiller that I've had for 25 years, and use it only to lay off my rows.
Also have a 4 foot 3 point hitch tiller that I can use on a little tractor if I want to do a lot of tilling.
in this case i doubt it makes a difference. i never heard of the counter rotating kind. i though the forward rotation was what what propelled it. if you want a tiller, i'd get an older troybuilt horse 8hp. if thats too much, go with a pony. whatever you get, make it a rear tine.
I used to have a Pony, the 3hp one. It had forward rotating tines that made it useless in anything other than soft soil. If it hit anything even slightly hard, it would jump out of the ground and bounce over it. It was a miserable thing to use. It was easier to just use a shovel and spade the ground.
The biggest thing I see problem and complaint wise is people using tillers for gungho, new ground breaking of a garden spot.
I used my tilers for spring work-ins of compost and fertilzers, and for weekly weed cultivation/maintenance between rows.
But, ya know if you dont have access to a tractor for the initial groundbreaking, you just have to take your lumps. BTDT.
I had a crazy dope head cousin wanted to borrow one of machines to try and find the lid to his septic tank. hell naw
Right. To do it right, you need to break new ground with a turning plow. I always do that, and in the fall, after harvesting everything, I'll either plow my garden spots with a bottom plow or a chisel. That way, the ground drys faster in the spring, allowing you to plant sooner.
If it wasn’t for the damn deer, I could disc mine with tractor, but I have a fence around mine, no tractor room. See what kind of cshit I have to put up with in my yard. They eat most plants or the blooms. They don’t fuuck with jalapeños or squash, can grow them outside of garden. Tomatoes or cucumbers, forget it.
in this case i doubt it makes a difference. i never heard of the counter rotating kind. i though the forward rotation was what what propelled it. if you want a tiller, i'd get an older troybuilt horse 8hp. if thats too much, go with a pony. whatever you get, make it a rear tine.
The rear tines can be placed in Tine-neutral and have their own transmission so you can still ‘drive’ them to and from the shed
The rear tine units will also till in forward till motion but essentially the machine will run off and leave your grip and not really dig in. Thus counter rotating tines while the transmission progresses the whole machine forward makes it efficient.
Those archaic Front Tine machines will give you a good beating and shake down, you see them often at yardsales, folks can barely get $50 to $75 for them. No one wants them.
A rear tine unit when used for weekly cultivating chores, a man can simply walk beside them gently guiding with one hand.
ya you're right. i actually forgot how mine works. shows how much i use it. i went over to raised beds about 10 years ago and haven't used mine in a long time.
Hell ......the front tine tiller I have bought it used in 1973 at a garage sale had to put a new engine on it one from Harbor Freight 6 HP on it in 2001....been painted 2 times don't even remember what brand it is..... Bottom line with a front tine type if you fight it .....it will pull twice as hard jerking you ....if you know what you are doing you can run one with one hand and let the tiller do the work....
Two root tillers, the same size... one a DR tiller with the tines that rotate against the forward movement or a Troy Built tiller the same size that has the tines that rotate forward...
Cost is not a factor.
Which would you buy ?
New Troy Bilt's suck ass. I have no idea about the DR, so that's what I'd get if limited to those two choices. I have an Earthquake which is an import and its been very good thus far.
If cost is truly not a factor BCS is by a very wide margin the best there is. Would rather have one of them than every troybilt ever made. The big box store brands that have the tines which can be switched in either direction is second best. Troybilt is waaay overrated and over priced.
I like rear time ones that can rotate the tines backwards. They seem to dig better. I've rented both types and the ones that the tines only go forward are harder to get to dig deep. If the wheels will drive forward while the tines turn backwards they dig and till well while just creeping forward.
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