Tractor roto tiller/garden tractor-or706 fit.

Lou from Wi. · Feb 14, 2011

Thanks guys in advance,would like opinions on a REASONABLE COST rototillers that would fit our budget/garden tractor (preferably) or at least one that we could use on our 706, The 706 is NOT equipped with a 3 point just a bar.Don't have a heck of a lot of garden space as yet(until the O.C.46 gets into the act. But in the meantime,in order for my son NOT TO HAVE TO USE our old front tine walk behind jober,that will make blisters,And Shake ya apart after 7 hrs use. A used on with an engine on it to drive the tines would be o.k. (I think) Never had one so I Just don't know.I would bet some of you guys use em and would know. Would appreciate you sharing your first hand knowledge. Regards LOU.

Dave in Tx · Feb 14, 2011

use a deere 65" tiller and wouldn't take for it. You can probably rent one with tractor for first tilling. Mine will til 10 inches deep the second time over. I try to til early so rains will settle ground some, otherwise is so loose it is hard to get seedbed. HTH

Anonymous-0 · Feb 14, 2011

How big of a garden do you want? Garden tractor tillers are made to work in previously dug up dirt. Put them in hard packed sod and they'll self destruct in no time. A finish disk behind your 706 might be a better option. Discing the garden 2 or 3 times will do about the same as rototilling and a disc won't require as much maintenance or repairs. Dave

Anonymous-0 · Feb 14, 2011

Yea, if you got the room, plow and disc. Or plow and use the tiller you have. Make ya appreciate the veggies more :shock:
I don't know what it's called in english, but most of the farmers have a thing here that will get a plowed field plant ready in 1 pass. PTO driven with what looks like the garnen claws (just tuffer) and a row of or two of serrated rollers that I believe turn in opposite directions. Doesn't do you any good, but I feel better for sharing it :roll:

larry@stinescorner · Feb 14, 2011

Lou , I plow my plots first,then I till with the tiller It is tough to break up ground with a front tine tiller,but it will maintain the garden during the growing season,no problem if you could plow it under first

Anonymous-0 · Feb 14, 2011

remember the ads in the 70's for the troybuilt tillers???

The guy with a normal tiller being all beat up with his hat falling off and the guy walking off to the side with one hand on the troybuilt smiling............

I'm getting this picture......... Victor with the normal tiller and blisters and Louis walking along side his rear tine with a glass of lemonade and a cigar......

I gotta get outta here.......

the tractor vet · Feb 14, 2011

yea ya can do that with a Troy Built . Super great tiller , just love them . TILL ya hit a big flat rock, then it goes from a mild mannered tiller into and unguided MISSILE or a SPOOKED JACK RABBIT .Case in point here , back years ago i Vultured one at a sale and 8 Hp. Horse model for 300 bucks . The only thing wrong with it was the rev. pulley, friction disk what ever ya want to call it . Came time to put in the garden as we always did but this year we were going to put a Garden twice as big and open up new ground next to some reclaimed strip mine ground . Well we must have gotten over a weeeeee bit to far . My buddy was running it and he is walking behind it when it found a big piece of flat sand stone and this tame piece of equipment launched itself into the air with the ballistics of a cannon ball and flew in the air about 20 feet before coming back down to earth with my buddy in hot pursuit , Just as head grabbed the handle bars it found another flat sand stone and off it went again , by this time i am on the ground rollen with tears streaming down my face as my Buddy is tryen to get control of this mechanical monster that just seconds ago was a tame little kitten . But they are one heck of a tiller IF YA DON'T have flat rocks.

larry@stinescorner · Feb 14, 2011

you are so right! I have an old one I bought for 50 dollars, it works good ,but if you hit a bad spot it will launch you!

El Toro · Feb 14, 2011

I plow my garden then use a Troy Bilt tiller over the plowed ground. I've had about 30 of them over the years. Use to buy used ones and fix them. Had 4 new ones and sold them too. Here's one I paid $100.00 for it. Needed seals & tines. I sold the 6 hp Tecumseh engine and installed a 10hp B&S engine. There doesn't seem to be a market for them now. Guess everyone goes to the local grocery store. My nephew has written a canning book and has sold a lot of them. I think the ecomony and people being unemployed has started people canning again. My late mom canned everything she could. Always had a big garden. When I asked about the Depression years she said they never knew it happened. They raised chickens for eggs and meat. Had milking cows and hogs to butcher. Got a little money from the milk being shipped. When WW2 started she worked at a defense plant making 20mm ammo for the war effort. My nephew has the home they bought when my dad gave up farming since my brother and I were in the military. I think they paid $11000.00 for it and now the house next door has a asking price of $625000.00. My late dad would roll over in his grave if he knew real estate was bringing that much money. Hal

Rettchr · Feb 14, 2011

I had a 6 Hp Troy Bilt from 1976 until 2004. Yes, you CAN till walking with one hand, UNTIL you get to the end of the row. Then you need manuevering room and the ability to to lift the rear tines up in the air-- this will take two hands unless you are a lot tougher than I was.

Recovering from a broken leg (Oct 2003) in 2004, I sold the Troybilt in Spring 2004 and bought a used Cub Cadet that had a rear tiller. I hauled it home and drove out to the garden. I engaged the tiller and dropped it down at the edge of the plowed area next to the rhubarb. This area had NOT been plowed so the turning tines were on top of the ground-- lifting the rear wheels off the ground and (note sandstone story below) and sending me across the garden as if I was being propelled in a wheelbarrow-- I was stopped by the wires supporting the grape vines. Took the tiller back and traded on a small 4wd Kubota with tiller and solved the problem.

The 4wd Kubota works well, but it is NOT a cheap solution. However, by doing a few gardens for the neighbors I will have it paid off in about 100 years. I recommend a small tiller (Honda, Mantis or equivalent) for cultivation and HIRING the spring tilling done.

DeltaRed · Feb 14, 2011

Lely Roterra?

El Toro · Feb 14, 2011

I even had a black Troy Bilt tiller I bought new in 1991. A man was looking at a garden tractor I had for sale and wanted to know what I wanted for that tiller. I told him the black tillers were not being made anymore and I would sell it for $2000.00. He said he had bought a farm in SC and ws going to retire there. He peeled off 20 100 dollar bills. I kept the hiller furrower and it is black too. He didn't buy the tractor. Hal
PS: The price was $1819.00 and I got $50.00 off the price. I bought it in Delaware where there was no sales tax.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 14, 2011

Larry I see you have a blade for your tiller. I just picked up a blade for mine and wondered if the angle wasn't made quite right for the blade. Seems like the top of the blade should be tipped forward more, think it would clean snow better. Might go and change that this summer on mine. thanks chris

Mike (WA) · Feb 14, 2011

I've used a Troy Bilt for years- but picked up a BCS with Briggs engine from an estate a couple years ago, and the difference is "night and day". BCS is heavier, but all gear driven, and will go about twice as deep on the first pass. But it is HEAVY- so you pay for it on the turns at the end of the row. But it also doesn't launch itself in rough going- just bounces a bit.

The Troy is going to get painted up and sold this spring.

dhermesc · Feb 14, 2011

The 706 is not a good tilling tractor - especially without a three point. Buy a small disc, put some weight on it and drop it in the ground - be a LOT cheaper than a tiller the size you are looking at.

The old Cub Cadet and John Deere belt driven tillers on the back of their older garden tractors work OK in garden soil but will tear themselves up trying to break out new ground or till up a lawn fro replanting.

mkirsch · Feb 14, 2011

Yes, low gear on a 706 at an idle is pretty slow, but when you wind it up to get the tiller working, it's still way too fast. Idle or wide open the results will be about the same because the PTO RPM to ground speed ratio is the same. In either case the tiller will basically just walk across the top of the ground and not mix the dirt.

You need a gear that's at waddling speed with the tractor's engine running at PTO RPMs.

Plus you're looking at a 7' tiller to cover the wheels, and that's going to cost a fortune.

Tilling also breaks up the soil too fine. What happens is the first time it rains, the top layer of dirt hardens into a shell that prevents water from penetrating.

JayinNY · Feb 14, 2011

Yep, I live on clay and rock ground. Was tilling my garden behind my lawn shed last spring, hit a rock and launched the till into the shed and broke the recoil,,, I wanna get a bumper for it now. Its a Troy Built Pony.

Lou from Wi. · Feb 14, 2011

Want to THANK ALL YOU FELLOWS WHO SHARED THEIR SUGGESTIONS WITH US, and the humor .I know it's late in the day but we went to Eau Claire to pick up a tool box and came across a SPRING TOOTH digger looked to be between 5 -8 ft wide. Lowers down hydraulically Tire looks bad, been sitting out by a shed not being used.Havn't discussed price yet but we will soon. In the mean time here are some pictures to give you more idea of what we have so far. The spade bar I made to mount on the bucket of the 722 Bobcat which works O.K but I made it to do the furrows when going in reverse.That way were not packing the soil when we drive forward . Picture of the 706 rear with Hyd operational if selected from inside the cab.
picture of the lawn tractor (sears 20 hp) should do a tiller (not so sure after reading you fellows post. Think that idea is not going to work out for us. Gonna be making several garden places from what we have now (see pic) Back behind the house,out front in 2 locations.
Just hope we can get it all done this year.If not we we will be doing the garden part where we always plant. The soil is sugar sand, some small rocks now and then.Produces some nice veggies though.Like everybody who has- we want more ground,larger garden. Hope this helps.
Warmest regards LOU& VICTOR.

Billy NY · Feb 14, 2011

20 feet, I really want to dispute that LOL ! They do take off but 20 feet ??? How in heck is that possible LOL ! But.... I know those tillers well, in this ground, rocks and roots will make em jump and or take off across the lawn ! That's why they have to have the optional bumper guard, to protect from knocking off the carb when the turn over ! LOL

You need prepared soil for them, though I have cut into sod, you absolutely have to start shallow and use one notch at a time on the depth, or forget it ! I have found that a bottom plow, disc, then the tiller works nice, if you have rocky, clay type soils, best to have that ground worked by something heavier first, or excavated out, and filled with clean garden kinds of soils with all the organics in it etc. I know someone that worked the proving grounds for gardenway, and that place was no different from where I live just outside of Troy, rocky clay/loam kinds of soil, tines are worn out quickly in these soils, but they are one tough tiller, just have to know how to use em, I've got 2 of em, still stand by em though LOL !

Billy NY · Feb 14, 2011

Hal, that is really interesting, I know the 102nd and 9th avenue (Gardenway) place, used to deliver there often and never knew they did that. Was a great product, and one of the last manufacturers of something quality left in Troy, was a sad day to see them go and our local senator who was a majority leader tried like heck to help em get through the hard times. Anything built there, even snowblowers still has a lot of interest here, My dad bought a Horse PTO model new, late 80's I found a garage kept 1 owner, horse, no pto for $300 a few years ago, tines still had paint on em, never been left outside, not faded, looks like it just came from the showroom floor 7HP kohler, my favorite motor for these, his has the 8hp, thats all you need, thing runs perfect. As long as I garden I will not be without one, took me years to find and be able to hand the person the money before someone else got to it before me. In spring time they can fetch double what I paid, I have seen em overpriced to reasonable $100-$150 to $300 and just saw one offered FREE on craigslist. People around here still swear by em, and they do work fine, you just have to know how to use em to get the best results, no they do not like hard ground, roots or rocks LOL.

Lou from Wi. · Feb 14, 2011

Thanks Larry. Your pictures of your gardens are always impressive and productive. We are working on trying to get the right tool for the job. Lots of great information here. We really appreciate it all . Warmest regards LOU & Victor.

26Red · Feb 15, 2011

Bercomac makes a universal tiller that would fit your sears garden tractor.

www.bercomac.com

Tractor roto tiller/garden tractor-or706 fit.

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