Front mounted tiller. Pros and cons

[Cvans 1,009]

I have a 10 - 8spd and I am having a heck of a time finding a rear tiller for it. If I don't come up with one before this spring I'm thinking of making due with what I have. I have a rear mounted 30" tiller for a Simplicity . When placed in front of the Wheel Horse the pulley on the tiller lines right up with the PTO pulley on the tractor. I know it seems odd but I'm starting to wonder if this might not just work until I come up with the correct tiller. Have any of you ever seen a tiller mounted on the front of a garden tractor before? Or is this totally :imstupid: ?

Thanks for your input!!!!

Chris

[CasualObserver 3,410]

My first reaction is to make sure your tines and shafts are rotating the right direction. The cutting edges of tillers are specifically directional for a reason. When they hit an obstacle they can't penetrate, they crawl over it. The other point I'd bring up is you'd have to till in reverse. You don't want to be trying to drive forward through the tilled soil, packing it back down would defeat the purpose for starters, the crappy traction would be a close second.

[Buzz 502]

Never saw it done but brings up a couple of questions.

1/Mounted in the front would the tines turn in the proper direction and pull the tractor along or would you be trying to push against it?

2/ Would driving over the soil you just tilled pack it back down? It could be one of the reasons you've never seen it done.

Your idea isn't :imstupid: , it's different....... Interesting to see what the other members think.

[Cvans 1,009]

Due to the fact that I'm working on 2 other tractor projects (building a loader for a Kubota G4200 and salvaging out a Simplicity) I still have to answer some of the questions you bring up. Wouldn't it be great if the rotation was correct to help push the tractor backwards . or even pull it forwards. I'm just laying out plan "B" so I have time to work out the bugs if necessary. I don't know that driving over the dirt would be such an issue or not. Usually I pull a small drag over the ground after tilling anyway. I guess that traction and steering were my biggest concerns.

Thanks for helping me think this out

Chris

[Duff 206]

Chris, if you can get the rotation issue worked out I don't see why tilling "backwards" should be any great problem, and it would solve the possible problem of packing the soil back down. It would also make repositioning the tiller between passes a piece of cake! On other applications some guys have run the drive belts in a "figure eight" to reverse roation of things. Also, I think some tillers allow you to reverse the orientation of the tines.

IMHO, if you can't find a rear-mount tiller but have something you can make work on the front, I'd say, "Go for it!" and make it a win-win situation all around.

Good luck!

Duff :thumbs:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,152]

If you can't locate a WH tiller, why not look for universal tow-behind unit? (or convert the Simplicity tiller into a self-powered unit)

If you have to fabricate parts to mount it to the WH tractor, you're probably better off having it on the rear.

Check THIS out for some ideas too.

P.S.> I moved this to the I & A category.

[jerrell 1]

:thumbs: right on TT, BWH,(before wheel horse) i had an old murray rider , no deck and a murray tiller, made the tiller a pull behind and it did a decent job but no where near the wheeel horse. ,on my wheel horse tiller , it may not be Rx, but i find if i make my tiller run in reverse (pulling backward on the tractor) like the old murray did being pulled, it does a better job, i did this by making the belt into a figure 8, used it all last year and no problems, and the ground is broken up better. i plow first then use the tiller and it works great..

[Cvans 1,009]

TT. I'm semi retired on a fixed income. Don't be sending me to sites like that,

your killing me . I could spend all day looking at that stuff. Reminds of

when I was a kid and spent hours and hours dreaming over the Herters catalog.

Seriously tho, I will give all of the options a some thought. And I do appreciate

your input. It sure is nice to finally have the time to do the things I've thought

about for so many years.

Chris

[Nick 13]

Rear mounting the tiller with an engine might be a good way to go. Sears and several other companies sold the tow behind tillers so you might get lucky and find one of those with a good price before spring.

Steiner and Ventrac both use front mounted tillers. Never had a tiller but looks like they did leave a nice looking job.

http://www.ventrac.com/products/video/KL480.htm

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I did not really think that finding a wheel horse tiller was so hard.

I have come across quite a few in this past year. But maybe

I am lucky to live in "tiller country" (if there is such a thing).

Where is your location? BTW

If nothing else.....your front mounted tiller would make a good

conversation piece!

[KyBlue 655]

I found a tiller pretty easy, there have been several on Ebay this past year, and I know of one feller in PA that has a couple for sale, ive bought parts off him. I'd hate to think of what shipping the tiller would cost... but they are out there.

[Cvans 1,009]

Hey Nick that video was great. Thanks. In areas with higher populations I'm sure that a tiller would be easier to find. I've been noticing that PA seems to be a real hotbed for garden tractors. It's a good thing that I don't live in that neighborhood. My yard would be a disaster for sure.

Chris

[KyBlue 655]

Mine came from Wva, and Ive seen qutie a few out of Ohio and Indiana too.

It'll take some effort but they are out there. Where are you located, maybe a RS member can help ya locate one.

[Cvans 1,009]

I am located in east central SD. I have just started placing ads on Craig's list and have been monitoring them for quite a while. Also E-bay. I'm not against driving to get one but 200 miles is about it.

Chris

[Teddy da Bear 11]

No wonder your having a hard time Chris.

Kinda bleak out there. If your on the east end of dakota....your

best bet will likely be found in Minnesota.

Best of luck.

[Buzz 502]

Hey Chris, there is a yahoo group made up of members from the north central part of the US of A. Why don't you join and tell them what you're looking for. Some of the members, but not all, also hang out here on Red square. Here's their link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthCentralWheelhorseEvents/

[Cvans 1,009]

Thanks Buzz, I'll run over there and take a look. Yes Teddy it can be a challenge to find things once in awhile. But when you do it sure seems worth while. I watch the Minnesota Craig's list pretty closely. Also North Dakota, Nothern Nebraska and South Dakota. I figure between the 4 states there must be at least a dozen Wheel Horse tractors. . I was in North Dakota once but I didn't see any. Some very people up there tho .

Chris