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HP requirements for Roto-tillers

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Wade

03-26-2001 10:28:58




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I understand that Howard is the brand and that ground speed is most important. Now what's the width to horsepower requirements for an established garden plot? Probably to be pulled with a 36 hp Deutz, but other tractors may become available.

I'm thinking that 5' is the first choice, but may lean towards 6' and take it extra slow.




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JK-NY

03-30-2001 06:30:41




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 Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Wade, 03-26-2001 10:28:58  

My Dad and I have done a fair amount of custom tilling with a 5' John Deere tiller behind a JD950- 27 pto hp and it handles it fine , What experience has taught me-wet ground conditions take alot more power to operate the tiller than proper condtions as well as much poorer results.Slow ground speed is a necessity. When working hard ground ,heavy clay,new ground etc. a shallow first pass with 1 or 2 depper passes gives good results if soil is dry enuogh to till,ifit is on the wet side make the first pass and wait for it to dry up if possible. I have found that a slow ground speed and a sloer engine rpmto keep pto speed 350 -400 rpm will save alot of broken tines and tine bolts, esp on the first pass. You are correct, howards are the cadillac of tractor- powred tiller.

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Robert in W. Mi.

03-31-2001 07:30:23




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 Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to JK-NY, 03-30-2001 06:30:41  
In all the years i've been tilling, i've never broken a tine or sheared any bolts, unless they were nearly wore out. I would NEVER lower the RPM to a lower than "PTO speed" in hard soil!! Doing this is very hard on your tractor!!! I'm told that these days John Deere is buying all their smaller tillers from Howard, that should take care of any breakage problems!! It just doesn't pay to try to save money on a tiller, and make sure the one you buy is rated for more HP than your tractor has too!! Robert

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Boyce Cowgill

04-10-2001 13:22:18




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 Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Robert in W. Mi., 03-31-2001 07:30:23  
You stated:
"make sure the one you buy is rated for more HP than your tractor has"

Ok . . . I'm the first to admit this . . I'm a dummy.

Why?

I bought my first tract (ever) 2 weeks ago, a 1948 Ford 8N and yesterday I bought a Gearmore L-135 Tiller (53") which is rated for tractors 25+HP. My 8n is only 23 HP, but I plan to use it on a horse arena that had been lovingly cared for by the previous owner for 25 years.

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Dave Golden

05-10-2002 14:13:46




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Boyce Cowgill, 04-10-2001 13:22:18  
I have a Ferguson TO-20, I am being told that I can not use a 3 pt. hitch Tiller, because the RPM's on the Tiller will be slower than what my First gear on the tractor will have me moving... So what my concern is, am I wasting my money buying a 72 inch tiller ??



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Dave Golden

05-10-2002 14:08:43




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Boyce Cowgill, 04-10-2001 13:22:18  
I have a Ferguson TO-20, I am being told that I can not use a 3 pt. hitch Tiller, because the RPM's on the Tiller will be slower than what my First gear on the tractor will have me moving... So what my concern is, am I wasting my money buying a 72 inch tiller ??



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Dave Golden

05-10-2002 14:06:56




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Boyce Cowgill, 04-10-2001 13:22:18  
I have a Ferguson TO-20, I am being told that I can not use a 3 pt. hitch Tiller, because the RPM's on the Tiller will be slower than what my First gear on the tractor will have me moving... So what my concern is, am I wasting my money buying a 72 inch tiller ??



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Dave Golden

05-10-2002 14:01:51




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Boyce Cowgill, 04-10-2001 13:22:18  
I have a Ferguson TO-20, I am being told that I can not use a 3 pt. hitch Tiller, because the RPM's on the Tiller will be slower than what my First gear on the tractor will have me moving... So what my concern is, am I wasting my money buying a 72 inch tiller ??



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JK-NY

03-31-2001 09:53:51




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 Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Robert in W. Mi., 03-31-2001 07:30:23  

I was only trying to relate what we have learned in the 22 years we have owned the tiller. Tines are more supscebtable to breakage when worn and the outboard bolt holding the tine to the tine carrier can be shered off by hitting rocks. The machine we have has shear bolt protected driveline also . I stand by what i posted earlieras to ground speed, depth and rpm's, in the situation s we have worked in this has proven to be good advice. By limiting depth , ground speed and rpm's on the first pass many stones that would otherwise cause damage ar dislodged and can be pick up so you don't hit them again.The proper combo of loer ground speed , lower rpm and shallower initial passes has'nt damagd anything on the tractor or tiller, it has prevented alot of damage to the tiller. You do not want to reduce rpm'sto the point of lugging engine, thus the sloer speed shallow multiple passes.A couple more thoghts to pass on (IMHO) moldboard plowinf of sod in advance of tilling can prove worthwhile, esp to get ground dried out and remove a few stones. We also found the tines that most frequently bothered were the two outmost tines on either side that faced out, we have run without them for a few years wiyh no noticable difference in results.Lastly the tiller has prove to be an excellent secondary tillage machine on plowed and once disced ground in advance of seting vegetable plants either by hand or machine.

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Russ

03-27-2001 06:24:02




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 Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Wade, 03-26-2001 10:28:58  
Howards are outstanding machines but there are other brands worthy of consideration, depending on how much you will use it. I don`t till a ton so a 5' king Kutter has worked very well in all types of soil on my 23 pto hp Ford 1720. A good friend tills about six acres a year with a 6' Long brand tiller on his 1720. It also works very well, but it is about all that tractor can handle. Russ



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Robert in W. Mi.

03-27-2001 19:48:24




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 Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Russ, 03-27-2001 06:24:02  
I've seen a couple of those lesser brands in the field. Ones a 5' Bush Hog brand my brother bought new. He runs it on a 27 HP Massey. It worked pretty good in his sand, but soon he was doing a garden or two on the side. One day he hit a rock, and BANG!, next thing it's bent and he's fixing it!!! I've hit hundreds of rocks (among other things) with my Howard over the years!! By a good one now, or fix it later!!!! Robert

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bbott

03-26-2001 13:14:12




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 Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Wade, 03-26-2001 10:28:58  
I think 6' is too much for a 35 hp tractor. When I've hit sticky spots I've had a 5' Howard use every single hp (55) from my tractor.

Other Considerations are your soil conditions.. and how slow you can gear your tractor.



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Robert in W. Mi.

03-26-2001 16:04:12




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 Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to bbott, 03-26-2001 13:14:12  
55 HP, and 5' Rotovator????? I don't know what tractor you have, but it must be a little on the weak side. I've run my 6' Howard on several tractors, and my 45 HP air/oil cooled Agco Allis runs it very good!! I've Rotovated everything from compacted gravel drive ways, to wet muck!!! Yes wet muck is a full load, but my Agco handles it just fine!! A 6' Howard is too much Rotovator for a 36-07 Deutz (I have a 30-06 Deutz all so, and it has the same HP as the 36-07) "unless" you are only going to use it for a small garden every once in a while, and nothing else. I'm not sure why any one would invest that much money in a tool for one garden a year though??? Hire it done, and save a bundle!! Robert

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BFO

03-28-2001 05:49:33




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 Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Robert in W. Mi., 03-26-2001 16:04:12  
I think you have to keep things in perspective. I would not even consider using a 5ft. behind anything less than 50hp., but, that's because some years I'm doing 30+ acres. And when preparing ground for vineyard planting, you're doing multiple passes, you're going slow and deep at max. rpm. It would burn the clutch and motor out of a smaller tractor.



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Robert in W. Mi.

03-28-2001 12:34:25




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to BFO, 03-28-2001 05:49:33  
BFO, I do custom Rotovateing, and i do a lot more that 30 acres a year. I got my first call of the year a few hours ago to Rotovate a field. I Rotovate as deep as my Rotovator will go, (8")
and i do multipule pass' for some customers too. I've never even come close to over heating my Agco 4650 (air/oil cooled), no matter how hot it is out, and this tractor is in the 45HP class. I have my rotor speed turned up too, as i have the multi speed gear box on mine. This tractor has a 16 speed with creep gear, so i can match my ground speed to any conditions my customer may have. Veggie farmers here want you to go slow and grind it up!!! My Agco will run my 6' Howard in any conditions with out any problem! I do it all the time. Robert

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BFO

03-28-2001 13:05:34




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Robert in W. Mi., 03-28-2001 12:34:25  
That's great, glad you're getting such good performance, hope you're blowing out the engine regularly. I still wouldn't put a smaller tractor on the Howard given local conditions. BTW I used to do custom work too, between 30-40 acres, 2 or 3 passes, sometimes more, sometimes less.



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hire it done

03-26-2001 23:08:02




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 Re: Re: Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Robert in W. Mi., 03-26-2001 16:04:12  
Because if we don't tractor till it, Mom will spend hours standing behind the troy-bilt. I'll get something in 5-foot size.

Dad got one for the 9N(or 8N whatEVER that little punk is) that's about 3 feet wide. What a pain in the arse. He's not the farm type person, but he buys the farm stuff.



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BFO

03-26-2001 11:40:04




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 Re: HP requirements for Roto-tillers in reply to Wade, 03-26-2001 10:28:58  
I run a 5' Howard behind 50 hp and 55 hp tractors with power to spare.



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