Rototillers

[lostspring]

I was getting my gardens ready for winter , putting down rabbit manure tilling it it and mulching it with leaves that the folks in town rack and bag. I got about half way through and the transmission went out on my tiller.
It is a 20yr old Sears that doesn't owe me a dime but isn't worth fixing.
Does anyone have any suggestions on a new one in the $300 or so price range.
Thanks
Tom

[Welshmom]

A couple of feeder pigs and some electric fence will do all that for you for under $300. Plus, they will eat and kill grubs and weed roots, and they will provide meat for your table plus income from the sale of the second pig. Just sayin' :1pig:

[lostspring]

Originally Posted by Welshmom

A couple of feeder pigs and some electric fence will do all that for you for under $300. Plus, they will eat and kill grubs and weed roots, and they will provide meat for your table plus income from the sale of the second pig. Just sayin' :1pig:

Trying to find decent feeders in this area is difficult unless you want some from confinements, also due to the layout of my gardens this would be challanging at best.

[haypoint]

When I first saw the Mantis tiller, I thought it was a toy, not worth owning. I discovered it is quite a workhorse. I wouldn't try grinding up sod, but for mixing up manure or getting a seed bed ready, it works great.
I had 10 cubic yards of composted horse manure and top soil. It had some gobs of hay in it and clumps of quack grass. I used the Mantis to fluff it up so I could use it to plant shrubs and trees in 5 gallon nursery containers. It plowed right into it and tore the hay and grass into easy to handle potting soil.

[FarmboyBill]

And that is why I have a roto tiller, a Wards garden tractor, and a mantis tiller, plus 2 push plows. If one breaks down, I got something else to use while I get one fixed

[labrat]

We have a little Troybilt with a Honda motor about the same size as a Mantis and it works very well for tilling manure and cultivating. Just as haypoint mentioned, I wouldn't use it for busting sod.

[Oldcountryboy]

Lostspring, how big of a garden do you have? I was told that it is best to till your manure and organic matter into your garden in early spring to avoid a lot of nutrients to runoff. It's a good deal to break the garden up just before a big freeze to help kill out the bugs, but it might be best to wait till early spring to till in your leaves and other compost.

As for what type of tiller. I have lots of garden space so I use a 35 hp tractor with a rotortiller attachment. Once I get the ground broke up, I then use a little front tine tiller (from Sears) to work around in the garden once the plants are growing.

[Callieslamb]

Have you looked on craigslist for your area. In mine there are plenty of tillers for sale. I would go with one with a honda motor. I have a Cub Cadet and I LOVE it. But Dh was being really nice when we got it and we paid enough that it will have to last 25 years.

I am a fan of preparing the garden in the fall for spring. You never know when spring will be so wet you can't get out and work the garden very early.

[TSYORK]

I have a Bolens from Lowe's and never had one second of trouble out of it. I've had it for probably four years.

[lostspring]

Originally Posted by Oldcountryboy

Lostspring, how big of a garden do you have? I was told that it is best to till your manure and organic matter into your garden in early spring to avoid a lot of nutrients to runoff. It's a good deal to break the garden up just before a big freeze to help kill out the bugs, but it might be best to wait till early spring to till in your leaves and other compost.

As for what type of tiller. I have lots of garden space so I use a 35 hp tractor with a rotortiller attachment. Once I get the ground broke up, I then use a little front tine tiller (from Sears) to work around in the garden once the plants are growing.

Thanks for the response.
I don't have one large garden as such. I have smaller three gardens between 250 and 300sgft each plus a couple of smaller ones. I rotate crops between them, root crops one year tomatos the next for example, this year one went into popcorn,a first for me.
I don't till the leaves in now, I till in the rabbit manure and mulch from this year then I remulch with leaves. I have some old sections of fence that I put on top over the leaves to hold them down over the winter. I have gardened these same spots for about 20yrs now so I don't really need to break any new ground, just fluff up what's there.

Thanks
Tom