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Tillers?

finkikin

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204
Location
Tomball
Planting Zone
8B
I want to expand the garden next year and was thinking about tillers. Who uses them and what brand do you use? I have been using a hand held twist type and it is hard hard work. But it does the job for my size garden. Any recommendations on a good tiller?
 

w_r_ranch

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We have a Poulan Pro PRRT900 (rear tine) that we picked up at the local Western Auto. If memory serves me correctly, we paid right around $700, although I've seen them since for much less. A quick search shows them to be ~$540 + shipping.

It has never given us any problems...

http://www.ruralking.com/lawn-garde...s/poulan-pro-17-rear-tine-tiller-prrt900.html

If you want to test drive it, that can probably be arranged... I'll bring a lawn chair to sit in while drinking your beer & watch. :D
 
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finkikin

Well-Known Member
Messages
204
Location
Tomball
Planting Zone
8B
We have a Poulan Pro PRRT900 (rear tine) that we picked up at the local Western Auto. If memory serves me correctly, we paid right around $700, although I've seen them since for much less. A quick search shows them to be ~$540 + shipping.

It has never given us any problems...

http://www.ruralking.com/lawn-garde...s/poulan-pro-17-rear-tine-tiller-prrt900.html

If you want to test drive it, that can probably be arranged... I'll bring a lawn chair to sit in while drinking your beer & watch. :D

I don't see a cup holder for my Jack N Coke...:facepalm:
 

w_r_ranch

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LOL!!! Trust me, you need both hands to hang unto it once you put it in gear... refreshments come afterwards.
 
E

ErnieCopp

Guest
I have a Husqvarna Front Tine, and it is a one pull wonder for starting. I had a front tine Honda in Idaho for the propagating beds, then i borrowed my daughter's rear tine when i started overhauling this place.
Problem with the rear tines is it will only dig as deep as the undercarriage will allow, or about five inches of hard ground and maybe 7 or 8 of loose soil. The Front tine tillers will dig about 50 or 75% deeper.

I did have to bend a re-curve in the anchor spike, as it was too straight and dug in, had to be pulled up, jumped forward, and dug in again, which was not suitable. I bent the spike backwards, so it digs smooth now. Wonderful motor in it, reversible, just a dandy tiller, and half or less the cost of a rear tine.

Ernie
 

Lost in mn

Well-Known Member
Messages
98
Planting Zone
3
Garden Tractor rear tiller or Stand alone? Any of you have or use a Tractor set up or do you prefer using a stand alone unit?

My old tiller took engine detonated in a very cool cloud of oil and smoke so I am looking into new options for next year. Was even thinking about some higher end farm type stuff for my Kubota but the prices are insane for the small area we will be working on.
 
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ErnieCopp

Guest
MN, I wrote a reply to the email notice but as it has not popped up here, i will rewrite it.

I have used both types and the rear tine type is easier to use, but only goes as deep as the underecarriage will allow, so that leaves a hard pan at the same depth each year.

So i bought a Husqvarna, from Amazon, and it arrived with the throttle lever broken during shipping. Husqvarna was an SOB to deal with on the problem, so i contacted Amazon and they quickly offered me a credit that was more than what it cost me to make the repair. But the tiller itself is wonderful, and will dig as deep or deeper than you want or need to go.

It only cost a few hundred dollars and i highly recommend it, if bought through Amazon for warranty protection.

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

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As I mentioned earlier, I have a Poulan Pro PRRT900 (rear tine). Other than the obviously different color scheme, it appears to be identical to the Husqvarna DRT900H. I was able to compare them side-by-side when I bought the garden tractor last spring.

I guess you could find out how much the tiller attachment for the garden tractor is & then weigh the pros/cons.
 
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ErnieCopp

Guest
One of the problems we had with the tillers on the big tractors was the tire tracks. One of the best things about the rear tine tillers is you can finish off your seed bed by walking along side, and not leave any foot prints or tire tracks in the bed.

It is harder to do that with the front tine tillers, so there are pros and cons, like in anything else. Another consideration is your soil type, and mine has hard spots so i needed to go deeper, but if subsoil drains well, going deeper may not be necessary

Buying new stuff is one of the best parts of gardening or farming or contracting, and i sure miss that. I just bought a new screwdriver the other day, that i did not need, just to buy something nice and shiny.

Ernie
 
K

ksk

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w_r_ranch do you have to put an attachment on your Poulan to make your rows?
 
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w_r_ranch

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No, last year when I laid it out for the 1st time, I spray painted demarcation makers on the inside of the capstone (these represent were the pathways go). I coarsely form each row & then make a 2nd pass, 'eyeballing' the markers as I go. You can see the black markers in the picture below.

 
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ErnieCopp

Guest
Yan,,
You can set up two range markers, about 3 or 4 feet apart on the line you want your row. The one on the end should be a little taller than the other one. Then go to the far end, and work towards the marker stakes. They may need to be readjusted to line up with the starting end.
Then work towards the range markers keeping them in line.
Strings are always in the way, and if anything pushes them aside that makes your row crooked for sure.

My dad would tell us kids more Corn grows in crooked rows than in straight ones, not because the crooked rows are longer, but because there are so many more of them than there are straight ones. But he was a horse farmer and horses did not have GPS' to guide them.

Ernie
 

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
Planting Zone
6b
My dad would tell us kids more Corn grows in crooked rows than in straight ones, not because the crooked rows are longer, but because there are so many more of them than there are straight ones.
ha, I like that!
 
M

marcoshoward

Guest
I want to expand the garden next year and was thinking about tillers. Who uses them and what brand do you use? I have been using a hand held twist type and it is hard hard work. But it does the job for my size garden. Any recommendations on a good tiller?

Hey!
I am using a tiller - Sun Joe Electric Tiller. I have a big garden and this model of triler copes with this.
The price about $420. In general, I can advise a good site where you can find other models of the same pricing policy.

Here https://grass-killer.com/reviews/best-garden-tillers/
 
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William4Poole

Guest
I use a tiller of brand Corded, it is electric. In size, it belongs to small tillers. It is designed for a land area of 8.8 pounds. There are also other options for other tillers https://grass-killer.com/reviews/best-garden-tillers/. Read, there is a selection and description of each model, what are its advantages and disadvantages. So maybe you will make a choice.
 
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