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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Tillers...was Soil and fertility
  • Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:47:40 -0500

DH says I should be more specific..
The rock jamming causes the tine shaft to move axially against the bearings, making egg shaped, gouged bearings, transmitting a shock to the metal gears and chain back to the engine which repeatedly stalls and shuts off the engine with every rock jam. We were just wondering about front tines because without the shielding, the rocks don't get stuck and the bouncing, while rough on the operator, protects the tiller itself. I want a new tiller, but I want one that lasts more than two years. I am a fan of no-till, but there is, IMO, always a use for a tiller on the homestead to remove sod and create new beds. It's not that we haven't had quality tillers, either. You know, I learned to till using a front tine tiller-it is all we had when I was growing up, and I don't think we ever even had the thing in the shop, let alone replaced it. Around here, no one has a tiller-gardens are plowed with tractors.

Two lawn tractors ago, we had a Murray that came with a Moldboard plow. It was great, and I still have the plow, but no way to use it.

EarthNSky wrote:
Both rear tine tillers we have had had counter-rotating tines and the rocks jamming in there repeatedly is rough on the bearings. Bearings break after a certain period of time--- no tiller. They seem to last about 2 years here, even though I remove the rocks as I find them.
Perhaps our rocks are larger?


Don Bowen wrote:
I realize that rear tine tillers are easier to walk through, but would a
front tine tiller be better in soil where rocks are present
Having used both in extremely rocky Spokane Valley soil I can say without
hesitation, front tine tillers are very difficult to use in very rocky
conditions. The tiller tends to bounce and the handles do a good job of
beating the operator.

Rear tines still bounce but not nearly as much and are much easier on the
operator. I never had one catch a rock in such a way as to destroy the
tiller.

Don Bowen KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html

--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge




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