1968 commando 8 rototiller

[Redman408 0]

I have a wheel horse rototiller that I had  bought a while ago, I just have never found the right wheel horse to mount it onto and I personally think this commando 8 i have should be powerful enough to run the tiller, I would really like some other people's input on how I would go about mounting it and making the pto clutch work, thank you

[ebinmaine 72,671]

Can you show pics of:

The model numbers on the tractor and tiller?

The tiller as a whole?

Any brackets or pulleys you have?

What PTO is on the tractor?

 

 

[ri702bill 9,419]

My 2 cents.... 8 HP is marginal to run a tiller, even if is in great running condition. Best used to till an area free of rocks & roots, not unbroken unknown soil.

The Commando 8 is a 4 speed.... you really need the low range 6 or 8 speed to be able to run the engine at WOT and still have a slow enough ground speed. Or an automatic?

Right implement, wrong tractor.....

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,482]

The very first tillers had their own engine so that got the tiller speed up. They offered a speed reduction kit (SR-64) to get the tractor ground speed down. Also used for snowthrower applications.

The transmission pulley was changed to 7-1/2" with the necessary idlers for clutch action.

Do not know how effective it was but something to consider.

This does not provide a belt source to drive a tiller.

 

[Pullstart 66,734]

I’ve done it with my 8 hp 8 speed 502.  I wouldn’t recommend it honestly!

 

 

[ri702bill 9,419]

4 hours ago, Pullstart said:

with my 8 hp 8 speed

8 speed - there you have it.....

[Pullstart 66,734]

12 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

8 speed - there you have it.....

But the small pulley still taxes that little K-181 pretty hard.

[ri702bill 9,419]

2 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

But the small pulley still taxes that little K-181 pretty hard.

Yup - only 8 little WH squirrels on that hamster wheel!!

[kpinnc 14,641]

I fully agree with the others on the thread. Firstly, the 36 inch rear tillers were some of the absolute best attachments Wheel Horse ever made. 

 

I would say this concerning horsepower: I tilled with a 310-8 for years. It was very strong, even in solid red clay that was loaded with rocks. That being said, 10 horsepower isn't much, but the low range on the tractor is what allows less power to do so much work. The slower ground speed allows the tiller to take a far smaller bite. 

 

Point being? A healthy 8 hp engine might be enough under certain conditions, but the low range of an 8 speed is what is an absolute necessity. 

Edited 19 hours ago by kpinnc

[Pullstart 66,734]

1 hour ago, kpinnc said:

I tilled with a 310-8 for years. It was very strong, even in solid red clay that was loaded with rocks. That being said, 10 horsepower isn't much, but the low range on the tractor is what allows less power to do so much work. The slower ground speed allows the tiller to take a far smaller bite. 

I think a K-241 vs K-181 has a significantly advanced torque curve from the longer rod.  It’s not fair to rate them only 2 powers apart, when we need the torque numbers.  After all, horsepower is how fast we can hit a wall.  Torque is how far we can push it.  

[kpinnc 14,641]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

I think a K-241 vs K-181 has a significantly advanced torque curve from the longer rod.  It’s not fair to rate them only 2 powers apart, when we need the torque numbers.  After all, horsepower is how fast we can hit a wall.  Torque is how far we can push it.  

 

I would agree with that. There is a fairly large torque increase from small block to big block on a K series or Magnum Kohler. Stroke, compression, even the mass of the individual flywheel makes a difference. 

 

My point was you don't need 25hp to run a tiller and that low range alone has more impact on the tiller performance than does pure horsepower. 

 

All that being said, tillers have been used with small block Kohler-equipped tractors successfully since the 1960s (especially after 1967). Obviously, as with any powered implement the performance rises with the amount of power applied. That is a given. 

Edited 17 hours ago by kpinnc