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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] BCS vs. Troy-bilt (was Re: Market-farming Digest, Vol 100, Issue 16)

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  • From: Aaron Brower <aaronbrower AT yahoo.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] BCS vs. Troy-bilt (was Re: Market-farming Digest, Vol 100, Issue 16)
  • Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 16:54:32 -0700 (PDT)

Title: Re: [Market-farming] BCS vs. Troy-bilt (was Re: Market-farming Digest, Vol 100, Issue 16)
I also agree. I would be concerned if rototilling was my primary tillage technique year after year. 

An additional consideration is a belly mounted tractor. I know they have been discussed here in the past. I just wanted to mention them as a viable option. 


From: Antoine Gendreau Turmel <fermecouleedouce AT gmail.com>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 6:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] BCS vs. Troy-bilt (was Re: Market-farming Digest, Vol 100, Issue 16)

I agree with John. If there is a good possibility you will eventually grow more than one acre, a tractor is probably the best way to go. You have more tillage options and the possibility to buy used equipment. A front-end loader and a manure spreader are almost mandatory if you want to manage manure and compost. And the FEL is useful for a lot of other things. Being able to pull a trailer really helps to bring in the harvest.


Antoine G Turmel

Ferme de la Coulée Douce
St-Antoine-de-Tilly, Québec
250 members CSA, zone 4
www.FermeDeLaCouleeDouce.com  




Le 11/05/11 14:53, « stonecirclefarm tds.net » <stonecirclefarm AT tds.net> a écrit :

Just FYI for all those not familiar: Richard Robinson's excellent post comparing his BCS to a "Horse" refers to the Troybilt model called a Horse not an actual horse!

I have no experience behind a BCS but I have (and still sometimes use) a Troybilt Econo-Horse.  The reverse gear (when it was working) was not great and I also am frustrated by the un-tilled middle strip.  That said, unless you are growing on less than acre, I feel that a tractor is the best way to go.  All those BCS attachments are cool but they are very pricey and you may end up investing a bunch of money in a system that you may out-grow or regret down the road.  I'm not saying that walk-behind tillers don't have their place but I think it is important to think carefully about the eventual scale of your operation and consider all the functions you want your source of horse power to accomplish before making an investment.  In the end, I feel that a tractor gives you far more functional tillage options (especially the ability to chisel plow or pull a nice spring tine field cultivator) and this is important when trying to build and maintain healthy soil so as to avoid having the roto-tilling tines be your only tillage action season after season.  Also, many cover crops are easier to manage with a tractor than a walk-behind tiller.

-John




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