Garden Tillers

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TheChickMan

TheChickMan

In the Brooder
7 Years
Mar 12, 2012
91
1
41
With my logic i figure if you got chickens you got a garden, so here is my question. What do you use for a garden tiller. I cant afford a fancy rotary tiller you pull behind a 15,000 dollar tractor but sorta built a homemade one. it is a 2x6 that is about 40'' inches wide. i took some rope and attached it behind our john deere 265 mower. on the 2x6 i sent about 8 nails about 6 inches in length through it. i nailed a carhartt coat to the 2x6 to put some weight on it and hold that board down so it doesnt jump out of the ground. then i used 2 yard rakes attached with black electrical tape to the arms on the coat dragging behind it to smooth it all out. It is very fun to use but i am afraid it is doing more harm than good. the top quarter inch of the soil is really nice and fine. beneath that it is as hard as concreate, but it is very fun to use. i will try to post some pictures if this thread gets more than a few views. most of the time that weight i use is my younger brother. the world really looks differnet when you are getting all dusty down there and feel like you are being attacked by 2 huge mower tires.
 
Last edited:


Older, possible early nineties, MTD rear-tine tiller. Got it off craigslist for $250, replaced all the belts and cables ($130) and gave it paint job and a name, lol. It ran when we bought it, just needed a new spark plug. 5hp, it will till through just about anything.
 
I have an ancient Airens Jet tiller - looks like it's a torture device, but runs like a dream - I change the plug and air filter each spring, run it like mad, then clean it and park it under the pine tree. It's older than I am. Hubby got it for me as part of a trade for some tree work he was doing for a guy. Garden is 20x30'. The tiller weighs a holy freaking ton or so, so it doesn't run from me when it's going, we just till along nice and easy.

 
TheChickMan said:
With my logic i figure if you got chickens you got a garden, so here is my question. What do you use for a garden tiller. I cant afford a fancy rotary tiller you pull behind a 15,000 dollar tractor but sorta built a homemade one. it is a 2x6 that is about 40'' inches wide. i took some rope and attached it behind our john deere 265 mower. on the 2x6 i sent about 8 nails about 6 inches in length through it. i nailed a carhartt coat to the 2x6 to put some weight on it and hold that board down so it doesnt jump out of the ground. then i used 2 yard rakes attached with black electrical tape to the arms on the coat dragging behind it to smooth it all out. It is very fun to use but i am afraid it is doing more harm than good. the top quarter inch of the soil is really nice and fine. beneath that it is as hard as concreate, but it is very fun to use. i will try to post some pictures if this thread gets more than a few views. most of the time that weight i use is my younger brother. the world really looks differnet when you are getting all dusty down there and feel like you are being attacked by 2 huge mower tires.
Click to expand...
Your 265 isn't doing a whole lot of damage, aside from compacting the soil a bit (if any), but you really need to till deeper. You'd be better off with fewer, DEEPER spikes to start, then switch over to your current set-up. I recently killed and re-seeded my lawn. I wish I had your set-up to use as a harrow! I tilled deep but couldn't get it broke up fine and powdery as I would like. Good luck and have fun!
 
TheChickMan said:
it is a 2x6 that is about 40'' inches wide. i took some rope and attached it behind our john deere 265 mower.
Click to expand...

What you describe is a spike tooth harrow. It would be used for breaking up clods after a garden is plowed, but wouldn't do much to break the ground.

A Deere 265 isn't going to have much traction to really work the ground, but if you could rig up one good shank out of something that would rip the ground to 4 to 6 inches deep, multiple passes would get it done. Then your harrow would be used to smooth it all out.
 
booker81 said:
I have an ancient Airens Jet tiller - looks like it's a torture device, but runs like a dream - I change the plug and air filter each spring, run it like mad, then clean it and park it under the pine tree. It's older than I am. Hubby got it for me as part of a trade for some tree work he was doing for a guy. Garden is 20x30'. The tiller weighs a holy freaking ton or so, so it doesn't run from me when it's going, we just till along nice and easy.

Click to expand...

That is the exact same tiller we have. We found it on Craigslist. The motor stopped working so hubby put a lawn mower motor on it and man does that thing have some power now!
 
We have an old Ariens rear tine tiller we got off CL 2 years ago. Unfortunately, neither DH or I have the strength to pull the rope. My kids can start it but they don't live here anymore.
So... last weekend we scored a 80's era Troybuilt Pony electric start. JUST what the doctor ordered. We are in love, and it only cost $200. I feel like we stole it. Ariens is up for sale. Someone else can deal with its power... and it does have power.
 

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