Need a new tiller..

SodBuster87 · Apr 24, 2018

What brand of tillers do you guys have and how do you like them? I've finaly had enough of my Cub Cadet. I've fought with it (and the dealer) for 2 years. It has given me problems literaly from the first week I've owned it. I have a budget of about $1,000 and not afraid of good used. My RT65 has burned off belts from week one if you till more then 1" deep the tine shaft has shifted over in the case about 2" to one side. It has had a clunking noise when tines engaged for some time and now the trans is so stiff you can't hardly shift it between fnr or forward or reverse tine rotation. Dealer last time it was in said I abused it. The belts are rolling sideways then loosing grip and smoking(burning) which would tell me pulleys are mis aligned. How is this abuse on my end? And it has done this since the very first tank of gas.

Sod Buster

P.S. the "Best in the industry" 3 year warranty is SH#T because the dealer will find every excuse to void it.

old · Apr 24, 2018

Don't know how good they are any more but I have been using the Troy built tiller my dad got new in 1972 and I use it every year will little to no problems. He us to till an acre or so with it a number of times each year

johnofnewhaven · Apr 24, 2018

I have a Troy built and have had it 8-9
years with no problems

IanC · Apr 24, 2018

Keep your eye out for an OLDER Troy-Bilt (pre-MTD takeover). F.I.L. has a BCS and it is built as well as the Troy-Bilt, just not as easy to find parts.

Billy NY · Apr 24, 2018

Troy bilt horse is one I would recommend, and I've heard the BCS brand has good reviews for their similar type of equipment, but specifically their rototiller. Troy bilt horse is a common good quality rototiller, old and new, good value for the money.

Rich, click on the first link, they talk about a 1972 model.
Troy Bilt Horse Article

Current Troy Bilt Horse

ed will · Apr 24, 2018

Hi, I have a honda 500. Its worked flawlessly for 35
yrs. Starts on 3rd pull after sitting all winter. I use
stabil in the gas. Till a big garden each year.
I also have the Troybilt poney. No problem with it
either. I changed the plug in it once. It's about 30
yrs old . Ed Will Oliver BC

Absent Minded Farmer · Apr 24, 2018

We love our BCS 732 with 28" tiller. It replaced our old 6HP Troy Bilt Horse of 37 years. I anticipate it outlasting me by a few years. Do need some
more toys for it. The tiller just isn't enough. Put some research into the company. They seem to be quite respected the world over & make quite a few
other products. I wouldn't mind having a ride on binder &/or a Volcan tractor. Neat stuff!!

Mike

P.S. Bought ours through a place in KY called Earth Tools. There's quite the pile of info on that site about all the BCS equipment.

jacksun65 · Apr 24, 2018

I have a Husqvarna with a honda from slowe's No problem with it for four years now. Grease it maintain it drain the gas in the
fall. If I had Problem with it take it back to slowe's and demand a new one.

Eldon (WA) · Apr 24, 2018

I bought this old Howard rotovator back in '02 at an auction for $1000 and have tilled probably $30,000 worth of gardens with it...just replaced the tines a couple of times and a bearing....after I bought it an old fellow came up to me and said I bought a good tiller...he was right.

SVcummins · Apr 24, 2018

Gotta new husqvarna . I liked my old mtd a lot
better the mtd would dig deeper and the handle
swung to either side of the machine so you didn?t
have to walk in tilled dirt

jeffcat · Apr 24, 2018

Have one of these beasts up on my folks farm. My dad bought it used
and it was a trailer type. He converted it to two point hitch. Damn
thing will dig to china if you want. Makes an icreadably fluff seed
bead. For the little stuff I have a Troy Horse. When you learn that
the best way to dig with them is about one inch at a time till you
establish your new bed you are fine. I have sandy soil in SJ so you
can just dig right in. The absolute BEST tiller for gardens and such
is a Gravely rotary plow. Fantastic digging power house.

Traditional Farmer · Apr 24, 2018

I have a Massey Ferguson 1655 garden tractor with a 3pt Massey Ferguson 4ft wide tiller does a great job.Also have a Massey Ferguson 220 compact with a King Kutter 4ft tiller that does good
too.If a tiller doesn't come with a seat and a steering wheel I ain't interested in it.

tracto-man · Apr 24, 2018

I second the Husqvarna with Honda motor.
Floks have had one for a few years now with
zero issues. IIRC it was around $550

bmack95hd · Apr 24, 2018

My neighbor has that same Howard. Man does it ever chew up some dirt.

gab · Apr 24, 2018

I have three tillers, A Honda powered Mantis with about 3 hours on it that I ain't crazy about. Got an MTD that will shake your brains out and I have a 1968 14 hsp. Wheel Horse and the rear tiller. Built it out of two junk tractors and a junk tiller in about 1984 and had around $400.00 dollars in it. Out side of a broken 30 year old belt the other day it has preformed perfectly, just used it today. Priced a new tiller like that about 15 years ago and it was $1200.

Eldon (WA) · Apr 24, 2018

It is a 60", I have bought 4 more over the years if I could get them for a grand or less...but I am still using this one. I did buy this 80" 3 years ago and have become addicted to it...so the 60" only gets used in tight spaces. I've got $2500 into this tractor and tiller setup...HP and weight, that's what it takes!

tomstractorsandtoys · Apr 24, 2018

I bought my wife a new BCS 25 years ago and it has been great. The Honda engine started and ran great as well. She wore out two sets of tines and has put lots of hours on it. Tom

Paul from MI · Apr 24, 2018

Old 2-cycle Mantis, but I just use it to cultivate. I plow and disc to till.

Kansasredneck · Apr 24, 2018

I've had a few of those over the years. Very good machines. Biggest mistake I made was selling them.

gab · Apr 24, 2018

Had all mine out today. I've only been able to sell one and kinda wish I didn't.

Part Time Pete · Apr 25, 2018

This is one I rented last year. Very well built, but I'm sure very expensive as well.
Pete

wfw · Apr 25, 2018

I was given a troybilt horse that was built in 1973. engine was bad. replaced engine and a seal and it works good. the only problem I know of with it
right now is the tine shaft has a groove worn in it so the seal I replaced will leak again. at that time I will replace the shaft and both seals. I put
a harbor freight engine on it, could not afford a briggs right now but will get one later. I have a honda 5 hp but it is just not enough hp for the
tiller. I have a 6.5 on it right now. I also have a troybilt superbronco (by mtd) that I have used for several years, it isn't big enough for my garden
at the time(I moved and right now have no garden) so it was overworked but it does good also. you can still get parts for the old made by gardenway
troybilt tillers and they were well built.

Bret4207 · Apr 25, 2018

Find an older Troybilt and out a new engine on it if needed. Honda also made good tillers. BCS and Gravely are in a class all by themselves and are several steps up from anything like a Troybilt.

rustyfarmall · Apr 25, 2018

I owned a Troy-Bilt Horse. Clumsiest thing I've ever been around, but it got the job done IF the ground had already been worked. Trying to tear up some fresh sod was next to impossible. The Horse lived up to its name, and would take off like a bucking bronco if I tried to go too deep. If I set the depth to a manageable setting, it would only scratch the surface and didn't really get anything done. I wore it out. I then priced a new BCS. Sorry folks, If I'm going to pay THAT much, I want a seat AND steering wheel.

I then bought a Craftsman. It is more user-friendly than the Troy-Bilt, but is very capable of the same shenanigans.

I tried breaking up some sod with the Craftsman. Gave up and brought out my H Farmall and 2 bottom plow.

Oliver 500 Wa · Apr 25, 2018

I've had my BCS since 1981. Still has the original engine and runs great. Only problems have been a worn out seal on the tiller and a split fuel line. Been through several sets of cutters.

It was expensive back then, but I don't remember what I paid. I much prefer paying for a good machine that will always be ready to go than getting something cheap that is always burning my time doing repairs.

rustyfarmall · Apr 25, 2018

(quoted from post at 07:54:56 04/25/18) I've had my BCS since 1981. Still has the original engine and runs great. Only problems have been a worn out seal on the tiller and a split fuel line. Been through several sets of cutters.

It was expensive back then, but I don't remember what I paid. I much prefer paying for a good machine that will always be ready to go than getting something cheap that is always burning my time doing repairs.

When I priced a BCS, Seems like the price was around $2,500, and that was just for the power unit. A tiller attachment was additional.

GeneMO · Apr 25, 2018

Last year I gardened I had a big one. Put a lot of time, sweat and money in it.

Coons absolutely would not be stopped. Electric, two wire fence had always worked, they laughed at it. I trapped eight and they still destroyed every stalk.

What they didn't get, the neighbor ruined with Dicamba.

I now do not garden.

Gene

jimg.allentown · Apr 25, 2018

Well, here is my opinion.

I bought a couple of tillers in my time. I started with a front tine tiller. What a man killer! A constant fight. They buck and grab, and want to go every way but the way that you want it to go. They will till the ground, but you will sure feel it.

Next, I bought a rear tine tiller. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was advertised to be easier on the body than the front tine type. I started out with a Craftsman 5 HP model. Advertised counter-rotating tines. I wondered what that meant. Either way, it did a good job of turning sod into garden. After that, I bought a fancy MTD model that allowed selection of the direction of the tines. More horsepower, bigger garden, and all was well. So far, I have been running that tiller for about 10 seasons give or take.

The biggest thing I see wrong with the Troy-Bilt tillers is that the tines turn the same way as the wheels. When it digs in, it takes off on you. This puts a limit on how deep you can till, and how hard the soil can be before the tiller is useless. If the Troy-Bilt had counter rotating tines, it would to far more tilling than it can do as it is. I would put my MTD up against ANY Troy-Bilt made.

Your money, your choice.

rustyfarmall · Apr 25, 2018

(quoted from post at 16:10:24 04/25/18) Well, here is my opinion.

I bought a couple of tillers in my time. I started with a front tine tiller. What a man killer! A constant fight. They buck and grab, and want to go every way but the way that you want it to go. They will till the ground, but you will sure feel it.

Next, I bought a rear tine tiller. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was advertised to be easier on the body than the front tine type. I started out with a Craftsman 5 HP model. Advertised counter-rotating tines. I wondered what that meant. Either way, it did a good job of turning sod into garden. After that, I bought a fancy MTD model that allowed selection of the direction of the tines. More horsepower, bigger garden, and all was well. So far, I have been running that tiller for about 10 seasons give or take.

The biggest thing I see wrong with the Troy-Bilt tillers is that the tines turn the same way as the wheels. When it digs in, it takes off on you. This puts a limit on how deep you can till, and how hard the soil can be before the tiller is useless. If the Troy-Bilt had counter rotating tines, it would to far more tilling than it can do as it is. I would put my MTD up against ANY Troy-Bilt made.

Your money, your choice.

My Craftsman will run the tines either forward or in reverse. First time over the garden in either the fall or in the spring HAS to be done with the tines running in reverse or it simply will not dig in. Tear up the soil in reverse mode, then smooth it all out in forward mode.

C.Amick · Apr 25, 2018

Might want to consider a Farmall Cub with cultivators. I have a tiller, but don't use it. Even if you want to still use a tiller, you can run the cultivators first and soften
the dirt up to make it easier.

SodBuster87 · Apr 25, 2018

(quoted from post at 18:25:25 04/25/18) Might want to consider a Farmall Cub with cultivators. I have a tiller, but don't use it. Even if you want to still use a tiller, you can run the cultivators first and soften
the dirt up to make it easier.

Already thought about it...... Actauly rethinking the whole idea today. I have a quack digger I pull behind my CC 1450 which digs the ground up fairly good but leaves it rough and ridges. I like the way a tiller fluffs the seed bed and leaves it level. I might forget about the tiller and find a sleeve hitch and disk for the Cub Cadet 1450.

Bret4207 · Apr 26, 2018

You're not going to do much with a disc behind a garden tractor in sod, they just arent heavy enough.

Need a new tiller..

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