Anyone use tillers to garden with

We have a Troy Built 8 Hp walk-behind tiller that looks like the one Seedspreader is showing above. We purchased it back in 1996 (not even close to $300) and it has worked great for us every year. We have the additional parts which we use to make furrows and move soil (even move snow). It is heavy to maneuver; so David does most of the work with it. However, I have tilled with it too on level ground. We love it and have only had "maintenance" on it each year; so it has been a good one.

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I am what I am! Acknowledging this is the beginning; and my growth is yet to end. http://motdaugrnds.com/farmsales ~~~~~ http://motdaugrnds.com

Neighbor gave me one just like it, but the engine is shot. Ive already replaced the engine on my Tuffey Troy Built, Ill get around before next spring and put a new engine on this other bigger one,

I do have a small mantis type tiller, which I don't use very often. It's not a Mantis brand but it does have a few tines that are factory bent also. Some are bent to the outside, some to the inside and some are straight. But since I don't own a Mantis, I can't really claim it would be the same.

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r.h. in oklahoma

Raised a country boy, and will die a country boy.

The only tiller I use is a Mantis. In fact I bought my second one this year. Yes, the tines are bent at the factory. That helps to dig deeper into the soil. They can go down 10 inches or so.

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Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup

FN tell me how yours are bent

I sure wish I would have investigated a little better, I like the idea of the BCS tiller with the different attachments. I'm still pleased with the craftsmen although all it does is till.

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http://kan-green.blogspot.com/

Years ago Gravely made a garden machine that was super heavy duty, and came with a plethora of attachable tools. These included rotary (verticle) plow (as pictured by pgrhard above), a cultivator (medium duty tiller), a sickle mower, a rotary mower, a pull behind harrow, a sulky, and a pull behind single bottom plow. The later ones were electric start. I've had 3 over the years (one with a Studebaker motor!) and they are probably the best machines for gardening I've ever seen. You can still find them, try Craigslist, but be prepared to pay well for a really well built machine. By the way, don't try to use the sulky if it has one, it's a killer!

I had three tillers, now I have two. Scrapped out the Murry/Troybuilt that I bought by mistake in 2001 - Thought I was getting a real Tb-didn't know they'd sold out and that was the second worst purchase I've made in my life.

But I really like the other two - one big craftsman and one small lawnboy. I'm working towards no till, but I keep expanding and the big one works so well for breaking up sod. The little on is great in the flower bed, I can pick it up and put it where I need it.

Today I'm breaking sod to expand the strawberry patch.

here is what my tiller looks like now.

this is what it looked like when I bought it.

Haypoint, I am so jealous! Gorgeous equipment there...

Looks like a homesteaders tractor if I never seed it

Thanks, Bill.
I had the tiller hooked to an 85 horse, 9500 pound tractor. Worked fine in light soil, but not the clay. When I tried to drive onto the equipment trailer, the weight of the tiller had to be on the 3 point hitch in the full up position, the front wheels of the tractor were in the air. So, I went for a tractor that had enough front weight to be able to handle the heavy tiller. 150 horsepower.

With clay soils, lots of spring snow melt and a short season, I couldn’t get in all the plowing in the narrow window of time between too wet and too dry. Then, there was the problem breaking up those rock-like clay balls that formed after plowing. With this tiller, I can make two passes through a sod covered dry clay field and it is powder soft and ready to plant.