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ipswich, ma usa

I'm looking to purchase a new tiller for this season. Something to do about 1000 square feet or so. Don't want to spend much over a grand for it. Any suggestions? Looked at some nice models from Troybilt and Sears. Honda seems to be the way to go with the four stroke but to much coin for me.

Thanks

John (5150)

1/31/2003 1:10:53 PM

Montoursville, PA

JOhn, my two cents worth. Rear end tillers very difficult to handle in small patches. Hear what you say about the coins. Look into a good second hand one at a garden center shop. Take a serious look at Ariens. I think it is one of the better front end tillers. I've had three or four of them over the years. 8HP is my choice. Two of them stood up to the employee use destruction factors very well.

A thousand square foot garden is about what I have run over the years.

1/31/2003 1:21:28 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

The best tiller made is a BCS. It is often used in commercial applications and at rental centers. The tiller end is detachable and is able to receive many attachments. They are very spendy, just like the troybilt. My experience is the cheaper mtd's and sears tillers dont have what it takes to till in the amount of leaves and manure we put in our patches. For a 1000 sqf, might be better of renting or borrowing one. Shannon

1/31/2003 1:54:36 PM

South Hill, Virginia

I use a front tine craftsmen that was something like 300 or 400 bucks. It doesn't work as smoothly as the rear tine tillers I've used but it is about half the price. I have about 1300 square feet and after the first till of the year it gets alot easier to control it. It was strictly a money decision for me and it beats using a shovel:)

1/31/2003 2:43:40 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Ive been using a MTD honda 5 horsepower front tine to cut out and double dig a clay/rock pit!...starts everytime and sure ya get bounced around but it throws big rocks and has a reverse handle when I get in trouble....It's tilled ten years worth already!!! patch is 3000 sf and still along way off from being prime...just keep cutting it up! Was somewher in the 500 dollar range from home depot.

1/31/2003 3:09:10 PM

Indiana

I use a pair of 20 year old troy-built horse models. They are great! 350 was most I paid for the one.

Tom Beachy

1/31/2003 3:40:56 PM

huntsburg,ohio

bcs is the best but troy bilt is right there with it and cheaper.spend the extra money and buy a better one they last my troy built is 13 years old and has gave me few problems.jerry

1/31/2003 4:35:34 PM

Southern Illinois

the only tiller you need,sears chain driven front tine tiller,are rear tine,just make sure you get chain driven,they are a work horse,i till 3 acres of pumpkins every year,there are many chain driven tillers but for the money sears is the way to go.

1/31/2003 4:58:51 PM

[email protected]

I'm a little embarassed to admit I have an 8HP rear tine Kubota. As much as I'd prefer American made, the Japanese motors are superior. I got mine for free from a large municipality. Some yahoo put it away without fuel stabilizer & it sat for a while. The stale fuel clogged the carburetor so it had trouble starting. The City guys in the parks department gave it to me after they broke the starter rope yanking the heck out of it. Cost to repair=less than $20.00
Rear tine is my preference for all scenarios. BCS is the best reasonably priced unit (full tilt commercial duty Italian made hydraulic units are $5000+). The Troy Bilt Horse with the Kohler is the second best for sure. Front tine units bounce pretty bad in hard ground, though could make sense in loose soil if you're working next to structures like fences or garages.

For the record, I work for a Professional Turf Eq. manufacturer/distributor & in the past have managed 2 different repair shops over the years. I've seen every sort of abuse & neglect imaginable.

Try to find a good used TroyBilt Horse or BCS from an established dealer in you area. Either can be had for less than a grand. A friend of mine found a great deal on a TroyBilt on Ebay last summer for $350.00 & was just tuned up at a shop for $65.00. The old man showed us the dated receipt. These machines don't see many hours of use unless they come from a rental shop. So as such, the few problems your likely to have will be fuel system dirt or stale gas related and maybe a dry rotted belt. If the tines or pneimatic tires look excessively worn, move on to the next unit as these are the ones with high hours.
Don't buy something you wont be able to find parts for in 5 years. A lot of "house brands" require propietary parts that you could have trouble finding. While Sears also follows this practice, they are very good about keeping up with parts.

Steve

1/31/2003 5:40:43 PM

Montoursville, PA

I would agree that renting might be the way to go if you wanted to see if you liked one machine or the other. I thought all my life I wanted a Troy Built until I rented and used one in tight quarters. You can do more better in tight quarters with a front end tiller. I just looked in the Thursday newspaper. There are five machines offered between $200.00 and $500.00.

1/31/2003 5:41:16 PM

Long Island,New York

I've used an almost antique Troybuilt horse and I bought a 6.5horse power Sears rear tine.....I wish I had a horse. Sears does ok , especially for the money, but the Horse was a nice strong deeptiller........G

1/31/2003 5:51:00 PM

Deer Park WA

I prefer a good old two bottom John Deer Roll over plow (LOL). I have a sears rear tine tiller I have used for years but it's a man beater! It's much easier pulling a plow while sippen a cool lemonade.

1/31/2003 6:00:28 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

I love my troy built Horse. It's been a great tiller for the last 14 years. When this tiller wears out, I'll buy another Troy Built.

1/31/2003 6:17:53 PM

Pulaski Tn [email protected]

yOUR NEIGHBORS!!! HEHEHE CHEAPEST WAY TO GO.. I HAVE 2 ARIENS, ONE FRONT TINE AND ONE BACK TINE..LIKE BOTH OF THEM. BUT I ALSO HAVE ONE OF THOSE SMALL ECHO TILLERS,LOOKS LIKE A MANTIS TYPE.2 STROKE.. MAN YOU TALKIN ABOUT TEARIN UP SOME GROUND.. ITS LIKE HOLDING ONTO A BOAR GROUNDHOG ON COCAINE.. I SIMPLY LOVE IT.. WHEN YOU GET THROUGH THE DIRT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE RUN IT THROUGH A BLENDER..SINCE I GOT IT I HAVENT HARDLY USED MY NEW HO.. SAY HAS ANYONE SEEN MY OLD HO?? BOY I STILL MISS HER.. THE WAY SHE FELT IN MY HANDS.. ALWAYS IN THE TOOL SHED WAITIN FOR ME.. NEVER COMPLAINED..THE BEST DARN HO I HAVE EVER HAD.. I STILL THINK TO THIS DAY MY NEIGHBOR TOOK HER FROM ME..IF I EVER FIND OUT......

1/31/2003 6:49:48 PM

Ontario

BCS is the way to go. Direct drive with a sealed transmission guaranteed for life. In the winter you attach a snowblower to the PTO and you can blow off your patch lol. Cost me $3000.00 CDN. I have rented a troybuilt, Honda and a Kubota and they pale in comparision. Well worth the investment, and the best part is I rototill gardens on the side because its a commercial machine. Payed for itself in 3 years.Italian made but has a 9 horse Briggs and Stratton on it, and around here theres nothing but clay. Works great on chewing up sod, the only problem I have with it is it buries itself and have to lift it up to keep her moving. You only need two fingers on the throttle thats how smooth she works. With the direct drive( no chains, no belts) there is no power loss so the tines are 20 percent faster then chain/belt driven machines.

drew

1/31/2003 7:08:27 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Hey John, if you wanna test drive a Troy Pony this spring
mine's available (rear tine) These things are like boats...
I already want a bigger one with 8" depth potential !
Give me a holler if you're interested. Duff

1/31/2003 8:36:39 PM

Saegertown Pa.

I have a BCS it's eight years old I wish I would have gotten a Troybuilt the BCS I have sets to low to the ground and when your tilling under any thing it pushes every thing under the axle and just sets there and spins, then you have to put it in revers and back up two feet to get every thing out from under the front axle, its a real pain in the you no what. I called BCS and they did't now why it does that. I have used a Troybuilt in the past and did not have any problems the axle is a lot higher up. I would definately try to find a used Troybuilt.

Quinn

1/31/2003 9:33:17 PM

[email protected]

Quinn,

Is there room on that thing for larger diameter wheels?
My Kubota did that when I got it. The tires looked very small for the size of the rim. Norhtern Tool or Bailey (I got mine from Silver Streak wholesale) might have a tire for that rim that's 1 - 1.5" bigger around. Mine gained the added clearance needed & has been good ever since.

If you post the tire size & the maximum clearance around whats there now, I'll check the wholesale books.
Just a thought.
Steve

1/31/2003 10:34:56 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

I have a King Kutter 6' width tiller. Works great. I used it on an acre and took just 1 hour and 20 min. tilling depth goes to 8".

I also used a 25+ year old Troy built Rear tine, same results but takes more time. lol

Check ebay, occasionally I have seen them there for a resonable price.....Tom

1/31/2003 11:43:17 PM

Pulaski Tn [email protected]

oNE THING YOU DONT WANT IS ONE THAT THE REAR TINES TURN BACKWARDS..OR TOWARDS YOU..I BOUGHT ONE AND RAN IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND 7 OF THE 10 MINUTES WERE SPENT TRYING TO UNCLOG ROCKS FROM WHERE IT PICKED THEM UP AND HUNG THEM AGAINST THE FRAME.. SHE WENT ON THE AUCTION BLOCK SOON AFTERWARD..

2/1/2003 6:00:25 AM

Myrtle Creek, Oregon

I have a Troy-Built Pony, Cost me 400 bucks. When I bought it I thought well it'll be good for the flower bed's I've used it in my garden and patch for 4 years, we till around 2500 sqft just to start, till all the flower bed's and then in the summer we till in between the rows of our veggies.
The wife and I can weed the garden in about 2 hours and till in new compost every other week.
that little bugger don't miss-uh-beat, even when I am working out of town the wife tills everything and coments on how did we ever get along without it.
to tell you the truth, the only thing I would trade it for is a bigger Troy and then I wouldn't trade it I would keep it and just buy the largerone.
H-K-J <;-)

2/1/2003 9:47:22 AM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

FOR SALE

10 hp Troybilt Big Red, less than 100 hours, electric start
and accessories, wheel weights and plow.

Traded in for a 5 foot pto tractor driven tiller, got too old for a walking tiller.

Rear tine.

$1,800.00 firm, over 2,700.00 new!

Bob Attaway

2/1/2003 5:34:32 PM

Puyallup, WA

Bob,
Have you been to Blackshear Place, Roberts Crossroads and
Chestnut Mountain?

2/1/2003 6:20:30 PM

syracuse, ny

well, after reading ALL the great answers above,
my 2 cents' worth is getting cheaper all the ti(n)e!

but i have an old Troy-Bilt rear-tine Horse with the 7 HP Kohler on it, for two patches @ 2800 sq. ft. each..
as was said above a real man-beater! used to look forward to a good workout, then i get this guy to do it for 80 bucks with a pto-driven 6'-wide and i've been dreaming about it ever since!!! i'll always have my Horse, a relic,
but my next big expenditure for me will be a tiller that
can be pulled along behind any garden tractor---
i haven't actually seen one but they're around 750 bucks from a farm implement place 20 miles away from me that sells
Cub Cadet and that's the brand he's tilling me about...
also, i saw one in a magazine about, i think it was Northern Equipment Company, and the little logo said
Agri-Fab............have a look see at those brands and good luck!

2/2/2003 1:55:55 AM

Puyallup, WA

Want a word of advise? Do NOT buy a Chinese built tractor!
I have had continual breakage with my 28 hp "Tom Cat". So far, the steering knuckle has broken three times. The fuel injector lines twice. The starter broke. The electrical system "fried". The PTO gear will not engage while the engine is running....ect! All in the first two years!

2/2/2003 2:10:55 PM

[email protected]

YIKES!

Chinese motor in that thing too Stan?

Steve

2/2/2003 4:45:34 PM

Puyallup, WA

Yes....and it runs "hot" when rototilling ...even in 70° weather!! Well....I guess I do bury it pretty deep!

2/2/2003 8:29:31 PM

Puyallup, WA

Oh...did I mention that the muffler fell off?

2/2/2003 8:39:12 PM

Puyallup, WA

Oh.....did I mention that my "other tiller" is a BCS?

2/2/2003 8:47:29 PM

Deer Park WA

Hay now Stan, my 36 Hp tractor is a Cub Cadet (Chinese) in fact I believe all compact tractors these days are Japanese or Chinese built. My tractor has been great so far although it only has 53 hours on it..... I think you probably are just to hard on it, and probably spend to much time in the patch to keep up on the maintenance! (LOL) Till next time...

2/2/2003 11:07:33 PM

Puyallup, WA

Gerry.....Did you say, "Maintenance"? I even took it in for the 50 hour "maintenance check"...had to haul it 300 miles to do so! Most of the stuff happened in the first 50 hours!! I only put 25 hours a year on it. Did I hear you offer to trade me "straight acrossed" for your tractor? :>)

2/3/2003 12:25:35 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

What is a BCS tiller? Does it stand for something?

2/3/2003 12:51:33 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

PB type in "BCS Tiller" in yahoo search. Direct drive PTO, able to swap attachments.

2/3/2003 1:13:38 AM