From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Fombell, PA

I was thinking of buying a walk behind rototiller for next season. My patch is 1,000 any suggestions on a good one? I will most likely buy new.

12/5/2012 3:13:57 AM

Ireland

Here is a good rototiller.I have one and they do the job pretty good.Made in the USA.
www.barretomfg.com/
Micheál

12/5/2012 4:53:42 AM

Corryton, TN

I'm looking too. So far I like the looks of a BCS. Much heavier in person than the photos appear. Has anyone out there used one? Satisfied/disappointed?

http://www.bcs-america.com/index.cqs

12/5/2012 6:11:58 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I honestly would go rent a BCS twice a year..for 1000sqf. You are not going to find a better tiller than a BCS...except maybe a Ferrari 72S

12/5/2012 6:27:05 AM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

I got a craftmans 9 hp couple years ago waited till jan to buy got it for $701 instead $900 n regular season.it awsome it has sorta propeller type blade.which makes the dirt fine on 1st pass even when its fresh ground & never been broke.plus the tines go in reverse& foward so if a rock gets hungup you can spit it right back out.& its a digging machine it will bury itself

12/5/2012 7:08:37 AM

Belgium

honda

12/5/2012 7:14:05 AM

Omaha, Ne.

if you have clay. get a rear tine, its a must

12/5/2012 8:29:08 AM

Tennessee Valley

I paid $125 for a good one last year. Check Craigslist for a bargain and save yourself some cash is my suggestion. I told the seller I would pay him the full asking price if it started on the first pull like he advertised it. And it started on the first pull. lol

12/5/2012 8:29:54 AM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Me& used equipment do not get along.wish it did but it dont :)

12/5/2012 9:00:41 AM

Ontario

Hi , I have a 12hp. BCS, Great tiller, I had a comerical vegi. operation going for a while. I have a chipper shreader attachment, and a sickle mower attachment as well as the tiller.I would agree with Linus, it would be cheaper to rent one a couple of times a year, plus no costs to maintain. But great machine. Terry

12/5/2012 9:46:13 AM

South Carolina

BCS here. Tilled 2500 sq ft of cover crop in this last weekend in about 30 minutes. I rotate the handles around so you don't have to walk through what you just tilled.

12/5/2012 12:13:42 PM

Fombell, PA

Thanks for all the input. I think I will rent the a BCS like Linus suggested. Unless I find a deal in the spring.

12/5/2012 5:38:53 PM

Colorado

I bought a used baretto on ebay,its awesome. way expensive for a new one

12/5/2012 6:54:09 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I've been growing since 2003 and have always rented. I dont really have a spot to store one and at best I use it twice a year. In the spring to till in rye crop and any ammendments, and every second year another till in the fall of compost and manure before planting the cover crop.

At $35 or $40 for the 1/2 day rental, for me it works out great. Only thing I would advice is get one that is self propelled...so much easier.

12/5/2012 9:46:01 PM

Deerfield, Michigan

I got a rear tine on www.craigslist.com 4 years ago for $75. Still works great. Never had a problem.

12/5/2012 11:04:04 PM

Hinckley MN

the best tiller I have ever used is an old Troybuilt. You can find them on craigslist or ebay. just as good, but far more expensive, is a BCS. I have a 15", 5hp BCS and an 18", 7HP Troybuilt that is over 35 years old. The troybuilt is on its 2nd transmission, 3rd engine and 4th set of tines, but it tilled 1/2 an acre, 6 times a year for 30 years in heavy rocky clay.

a decade or so ago, Troybuilt was bought out by MTD and they are not the same quality anymore.

12/6/2012 10:06:27 AM

Ireland

on the downside to renting one out: we dont know what diseases it could bring in from someone elses soil.
So make sure you wash it thoroughly before tilling up your patch with a rented tiller.
just my two cents
Micheál

12/6/2012 11:36:35 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Yes Micheal but most places will pressure wash and clean rental equipment so that is clean for the next person.

And Ben, why till 6 times a year?

12/6/2012 12:44:12 PM

Polson, Montana

I bought a 12 HP BCS for $800 after wasting countless hours and dollars on worthless MTD's. The BCS is great.

12/6/2012 1:44:03 PM

Hinckley MN

twice in spring to prepare for planting, twice in the summer (between rows) for weed control, and twice in the fall to incorporate leaves and manure.

I take care of 5 gardens, totaling 1/2 an acre, on 3 properties.I use my tillers to cultivate between rows in the gardens. I weed the rows into the middles then cultivate the middles, incorporating the green manure into the soil. Rows 30 inches apart can be cultivated first with the 20" wide tiller, then later with the 15" wide tiller, then lastly with the mantis tiller before they canopy over the row middles. tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and other squash are at 5 ft row spacing.

In my pumpkin patch I make 2-3 passes in the spring incorporating ammendments. In mid May and again in early June I shallow cultivate the area 2ft past the vines for weed control. In fall I deep till to incorporate residue and ammendments with another 2-3 passes. I haven't grown anything big yet, but there is always next year.

12/6/2012 3:44:47 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Same here ben on uncle& i 1000 sgft vegie garden several times.we bushhog down plants& till in.

12/6/2012 4:17:09 PM

BCS machines are pretty sweet, but I found a used TroyBilt Horse several years ago (pre-Craigslist, found it in the classifieds of the local paper). The thing still had all the paint on the tines, I think I paid about $475 for it (they were retailing new around $1800 at the time, if memory serves). It has been a very reliable, very sturdy machine. Mine has the Kohler engine, and I would recommend, if you look at a used TroyBilt, to find one with either the Kohler or Honda engine, of pre-MTD vintage. As Farmer Ben mentioned, the newer ones are not of the same build quality. I think the Honda engine may be more efficient, but the old Kohler on mine is built like a tank, which I think is a pretty good attribute IMHO.

12/6/2012 7:14:55 PM