Need new tiller - any recommendations?

[BLACKJACK]

I currently have a front-tine tiller, its about 25 years old, getting kind of tired, leaking a little oil out of the front sprocket, didn't start last fall when I wanted to run it out, thinking about a new one.

I have a garden thats about 40' x 100'.

Debating on a front tine or rear tine. One thing I like about my front tine is the ability to take the outer tines off, I space my rows so that I can run down the rows with the tiller, then as the plants grow, I can take the outer tines off and still use the tiller.

Rear tine tillers look nice but I'd really have to have wide rows to use the tiller after planting. And I don't want to maintain two gas engines by having a rear tine and one of those small tillers.

Been looking at tiller the last couple of years and it seems like they're all made cheap, thinner steel on the tines, wobbly, not impressed.

Hard to take my old one in and get it overhauled for less than $200, could get a new one for $350. Its a conundrum...

What do you have/recommend?

[Tom7227]

My simplicity rear tine tiller is about that old and I wouldn't think of replacing it. You probably can get the front gear box open and then clean it good and fill it with some oil you can get at a decent shop that is thick and won't leak. Use some of the caulk type gasket material to seal it back up. If you think about it a tiller gets very few hours per year. Yours probably could use a bit of a tune up but that shouldn't go more than $50-75 at a local repair shop. They're pretty slow right now and could probably get it done in a few days.

[Early Riser]

I have a rear tine Eskimo Earthquake tiller. It really churns up the dirt and seems to be pretty powerful. One quirk I have noticed is that it does tend to displace and pile a lot of the dirt off to the sides in comparison to the older european rear tine tiller I borrowed from a friend several years ago. (If anyone else has this problem or familiarity with the Eskimo tillers I would love to hear if you have a fix or adjustment).

After tilling with the Eskimo I have to get out the steel rake and back fill the rows to make nice beds for planting. For tilling between the rows and plants later in the season I use a small Eskimo front tine tiller to chop up the weeds and airate the soil.

[BLACKJACK]

I was thinking that its kind of hard to get in and out of any shop for less than $100, then tack on some work on the gearbox... It has been a good tiller and everything is built solid, its orange, it might even be a Simplicity. Problem is that its stored in shed with 3 foot of snow in front of it - may have to go do some 'recreational' blowing!!!

[BLACKJACK]

All the gardeners must be out plowing snow or ice fishing....

[Tom7227]

As for the gear box - my 25+ YO snow blower was running rough and a friend told me to clean out the bowl at the bottom of the carb. Took it apart and managed to lose a very small needle and spent a week or so trying to figure out what was wrong. I sprayed out the carb with gumout and replaced the plug.

The shop guy told me it was junk because the front gear box was loose. I talked him into fixing the carb and he told me about the needle. Thing runs like a champ now.

Anyway, he said that I should just drill a hole in the gear box and put some heavy gear lube oil in it and then plug the hole with JB Weld. I had already taken it completely apart and cleaned it out and reassembled it using the blue silicone gasket material so i didn't need it but I thought his solution was down and dirty and pretty simple.

[Bear55]

I thought I would give this one a bump, any advice on a new tiller? Looking for something with some decent quality in the 300-350 range.

We will be planting in an old field with pretty thick sod, I am guessing it would be best to tear it up by hand at first and then go over it with the tiller but looking for any advice as I am pretty new at this.

[dairyman]

definitely go with a real tine tiller,as far as hand digging the first time around on sod ----just start out with the tiller. Rake the sod out and re-till again--doing that a few times should give you the garden you want

[Steve Foss]

I haven't fooled around with tillers for quite a few years, since we started our veggies in raised beds, so I'm out of touch with how they are these days. I did rent a Honda rear-tine tiller last summer for a large bed we needed to cut for a client in hard, compacted soil, it it was a star performer.

Bear, I don't know how large your garden will be. You can get a sod cutter to get rid of the sod, or you can till it all in and rake off the leftovers (bad idea because there are always a ton of grass roots left in the soil to spring up), or you can Roundup the whole thing, let it die, mow it short, till it in and rake off the larger chunks of leftover plant matter.

If it's a smaller garden or you feel like doing a lot of hard work, the sod cutter would be the way to go. If it's a big garden, or if you want to put forth a bit less effort, the Roundup option would do you. One thing I like about the Roundup option, especially in heavier clay type soils, is there's a fair amount of vegetable matter that stays in the soil after tilling.

[Bear55]

Thanks for the tips guys, I might try and mow everything first, then roundup and then till/rake everything up. I am thinking the garden will be in the 20' by 30' area so I don't really know if that is big or small.

[Steve Foss]

Be sure to give it a couple days after mowing so the grass is actively growing. That'll ensure a good Roundup kill.