Plow vs tiller, another age old question...

Had to resurrect this thread to give an update. I have now officially tried the 2 bottom plow and I could not be happier. I would say that for rough ground, the plow wins hands down. After plowing I would till for a finish.

The plow definitely allows me to work new, rough ground with much more ease and speed. The tiller is great for chopping up extra grass, sod and clods. Also I would till in manure, organic matter and so forth. But for the initial soil cultivation...plow wins hands down.

I'd vote for plowing ground, that has never been tilled, for the reasons you stated. It will need tilled afterwards anyway, to smooth out.

After the first time, the tiller will get the job done just fine, IMO.

I am kind of glad you came back to this. We do the same thing, we plow, pick rocks, then till with a 3 pt tiller and each year it gets better. I still have tiller envy over Haypoints tiller though...dang......

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www.salmonslayer-simplelife.blogspot.com

My ground has plenty of big rocks which would beat the tiller to a pulp every time. The plow just pushed them right up to the surface where I can pick them out. This plow has definitely moved the homestead to a new level.

With the tiller, I always felt like I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. When that thing would jump and slam after hitting a rock I was sure I was breaking something ( I did break several tines ). Its definitely built for lighter work, not breaking rough ground.

Here is a photo of another rototiller I bought. Like the other one, the gears in the gearbox are able to change the speed of the blades. Under that cover on the end are three huge gears, over two inches wide. No chain drive for me. It is about 8 feet wide.

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When I was a kid, we had a turnplow, a plow that was called a potato plow because it made hills, and we had a heavy duty harrow. The tines on the harrow were a good eight inches, I am trying to think. And I think it could be flipped over. I was a kid and a girl, this was not my work. After plowing, the ground was harrowed, which broke up the clumps and made the ground smooth, sort of like raking. Some farmers had a heavy roll with points sticking out,that was dragged over the ground after seeding. for one thing, we had very few weeds. The plow turned things under. And we had lots of worms.
I looked at TSC for a harrow. That stuff is just way too wimpy. DH has a yanmar tractor and pull behind tiller. He has to go over a hundred times it seems, weeds just do not get turned under. I think I would prefer a plow and harrow.

I own 3 nice tillers which I never use...I switched to no till gardening a long time ago..really should sell those tillers

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Brenda Groth
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

I have a roller packer as you describe Tab. It has a rollar wheel, then a spike wheel. Its a 3 section. Ive pulled it behind my disc several times. Saw an OLD vid on U TUBES under antique tractors plowing. This guy was plowing BIG brush under with a IH 15-30 I think and a 3 borttom plow, and was pulling one section like mine behind and to the R side of the plow busting clods as he went.

I saw a used one of these today. Except it was about 15 feet wide. sure looked like it would dig deeply. Never saw one in action.