Rear tine tiller

[linn]

Can someone recommend a good rear-tine garden tiller? We lost our barn Sunday to a fire and the old tiller was in the barn. It was an old front-tine tiller which was cumbersome and hard for me to use. Please give me the pros and cons of the tiller you recommend so I can pass them on to DH.

[Mike in Pa]

Do NOT get a pull-behind universal tiller for the lawn tractor .. TERRIBLE! Rear tine the way to go. I personally wouldn't go too light but make sure you can handle it. Hopefully ground is broke already. If so, you could go smaller, just take a few more passes.

Troy-built and others are similar in craftsmanship, IMO.

[Siryet]

We have a craftsman 7 HP and are on our third season. In fact I just did the maintenance on it yesterday and wife is going to use it soon. She is 5'1" and weighs 101lbs so you know it is easy to use.

Just our experience.

[big_dippin]

From my experience, Troy-Built is #1.

[mistletoad]

We love our Husqvarna. It starts on the first pull, breaks new ground with ease and can be guided (not pushed or pulled or wrestled) with one hand on all but the loosest ground.

[Rockin'B]

Troy built is now made by MTD. So is most Craftsman stuff.

Oddly enough, my tiller is MTD and is the only MTD item I own. Generally I don't think too highly of MTD stuff but this rear tine tiller has been going strong for over 10 years and has lasted through my abuse of it. It works!

[jerzeygurl]

sorry about the fire, hope every one is ok,

we no longer garden with a tiller because of the high clay soil, we have gone over to mulch garden 100 percent

have to make dh not till ( some reason he champs at the bit to till it anyway) i had to tell him if you mix clay and hay you get bricks

i agree the pull behind doesnt work well

I like a little mantis style to go between rows if you soil is loose enough

[sewsilly]

I own an 18 year old Troybilt Pony that I bought new. It has served well and is an excellent machine still. I am a female of mid size and can use it with no trouble or to no ill effects later. The other tiller we had left me sore for a week.

I'd highly recommend it.

[Macybaby]

If you want to break ground, I'd suggest getting one that will do both forward and reverse rotating tines. I have one that does both, and in no way would I suggest one that does ONLY reverse (counter rotation).

I was putting in a new garden, so I experiemented with different setting on my new machine, to see what worked best under different conditions. The reverse (counter) rotation is pretty much a must with most new machines (they seem to be too lightweight to do the job otherwise). Without it they'll just drag you across the ground (been there, done that).

Without also having the forward, once the ground is worked up well the machine just sat there in counter rotation mode. Wheels turned forward, tines turned backwards, and there it sat. Changed it to forward and the machine moved forward at a nice even pace. I was able to walk beside (Not behind) the machine with one hand on the handle, and never had any problems. I like having NO footprints in the soil when I am done, at least for a minute or two LOL!!

I would also suggest one that has a neutral position. My older (like 6 years) one does not have that. To disengage the wheels, you must tilt the machine so it is resting on one wheel, remove the cotter pin and slide the wheel up the axel, then replace the pin. And then you have to put it back into position to use it. Really a drag when you need to move the machine around but don't want to start it. Besides, when running, it moves very slow, and I'd rather be able to shut it off and simply roll it back to the shed.

I was just being able to see the garden under the snow, and then we got another 12" last weekend. I SOOOO want to be able to get out and play in the dirt!

Cathy

[Spinner]

I have the troy built Pony and I love it. It does all the work, I just walk along and keep it company while it works LOL. Of course I don't use it much anymore since I do mostly square foot gardening, but every now and then it comes in handy to break up a new flower bed or something.

Forgot to add that I love not having to pull a rope, it's a key start.

[WisJim]

I have used a Troy bilt, and didn't like it, and have owned an Ariens for nearly 30 years. We are thinking of replacing it with a BCS or Grillo, probably with a diesel engine, primarily because we can get a sickly bar mower and other accessories for it to use when it isn't used as a tiller. We only till some of the garden in spring and some in fall, mostly mulch in recent years.

[anniew]

I have a BCS. It is electric start, and always goes. Although I think it is a bit cumbersome for me, I know several commercial people who also have them. They operate like a PTO and you can switch implements. I have a sickle bar for it and a chipper/shredder. There are several other attachments that you can get.
I prefer to have someone with a tractor with a cultivator work up the soil as soon as the ground is ready in the spring, but after that, the BCS keeps things in pretty good shape (if I don't procrastinate too long).
Ann

[magnolia2017]

I have a 5.5 hp Craftsman that I bought new 5 years ago and it does great. I have very little faith in Craftsman products nowadays as 3 out of 4 power tools we've bought in the last two years have all had to be returned for repair.

DH bought a 7 hp Troy-bilt Horse at an estate sale and he loves it. I don't. The Craftsman has counter-rotating tines and the Troy-bilt doesn't, so it tends to jump and drag you across the garden if you run into a rock.

I guess I'd recommend counter-rotating tines as a necessity. They do a much better job of breaking the soil and are easier to handle.

Maggie

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i bought a simplicity 7016 and like it very much very comparable to the troy built and made in wisconsin

[2Bassetts]

2bassetts, I have a 7hp. Troybilt and have never had a problem with it. A real work horse. Kate

[MoonShine]

Craftsman here...probaly a 7 or 8 HP,I can't remember right now. I like it,but sometimes I do have to wrassle with it when turning a corner,but other than that,I can't complain. It gets the job done everytime.

I was looking at some new Troybuilt reartine tillers yesterday evening at Lowe's. I guess they make them in china or mexico now cause they were El'cheapo. Nothing like the one I wore out this last summer. I had the Econo-Horse that I had bought in 94. I probably didn't buy one big enough as I used the crap out of it in those 12 years. Broke down last summer and couldn't no longer find engine parts for it.

So now I'm looking for a new tiller also. So I'm glad someone asked this question of which tiller to buy. I am listening closely so I'll know too.

[Windy in Kansas]

I have used both a Troy-bilt and a BCS tractor with rear tiller attachment.

The Troy-bilt was good, but the BCS unit is hands down the better of the two.
The Troy-bilt didn't handle new ground as well as the BCS and after each had made two passes on their respective garden space the BCS had a much better prepared seedbed without any footprints. It is truely a one-handed operation on the second pass whereas the Troy-bilt isn't.

If you don't feel you can afford the tractor and tiller attachment then by all means get the Troy-bilt or another.

Your investment of either should last many years and be considered as just that, an investment. If you market garden don't forget to figure depreciation and value at end disposal with either machine.

[annie716]

So sorry for your loss. I have a Troy-bilt pony, older model but I love it. I used it when I weighed 110 without any problems, once in a while it takes me for a run if I have it set to deep, we have tons of rock & clay but I'm turning it into great soil! It's the only pull start machine we have that I never have a problem starting. I borrowed a Troy-bilt horse once but that was a little to big for me.

[clovis]

Dad is looking at buying a rear tine tiller, also. Thanks for all the input!
Clove