# Rotary tiller disappointment



## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

Please help! 
We ordered a new rear-tine rotary tiller and it was delivered today. It took a small bit of assembling and appears to be a good machine, well made. It starts and runs like a dream.

However the tines just dont cut into the ground! We have tried a number of speeds and settings and it just skates over the top of the lawn grass, hardly cuts at all. This is VERY frustrating! Any suggestions as to whether we are doing something wrong or have we bought a lemon!?


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## kkkrissy (Jan 8, 2013)

you could have the tines on backwards. I've also rented some that you would just have to hold on to for dear life till they started to dig in the ground.New ground was really the hardest challenge.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

do you have the depth adjuster set correctly?
Can you shift the direction that the tines rotate?
If you have the tine rotation set to forward it will want to roll over the sod.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

A tiller over a lawn? Tillers are meant to work on established gardens rather than breaking sod. If tillers were all that were available 200 years ago, much of the American Midwest would still be prairie suitable only for bison. Your tiller is expending all of it's energy trying to cut through the grass and roots. After each pass, still meets the same resistance from what it tore up the first time. Stop and rake off all of the remnants of the sod and make that the basis for a compost heap in a corner. Then turn the tiller loose on it and it will go deeper with each pass until you reach its maximum depth.

Martin


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## kellyst (Mar 17, 2011)

A tiller isn't a good instrument to break new ground.


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

Seems like you will have more issues with the grass and roots getting tangled in those tines.


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## imthedude (Jun 7, 2011)

you can break new ground with a tiller. it's not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done. i find that with my tiller i have to pull against it when trying to break through grass/weeds/etc. and get through to the soil underneath. like i said it can be done, but you have to be patient and work with it. after a few passes, you'll break through the mat of roots that is your lawn and get to the good dirt (hopefully it's good) underneath.

another alternative is to rent a sod cutter and remove the layer of sod/roots/etc. i am of the opinion that by doing this you lose a bit of soil that you don't really want to lose.

alternatively, depending on the size of your garden space, you could use a shovel to do the initial ground breaking, and follow that up with your tiller to break down the sod and clumps of dirt.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

When we lived in town we hired someone with a plow to break the ground for us.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Set your lawnmower as far down as possible, so it scalps the grass. Blow, or rake it away. Set your tiller drag to a high setting, so that the tines will just pass over the soil at first and break loose the sod roots and chop them up a bit. Use a sprinkler to get the soil slightly wet and let it sit overnight. Next morning, make successive passes, at right angles to the last pass, deeper and deeper until you reach the depth you want. 

With the Troy-Bilt Horse, and many other forward rotating tines, pushing down on the handles will cause it to skate forward over the soil, as the tines will ride up and over the heavy dry soil.

You'll need to make several passes to loosen up heavy sod, and some raking may be needed to get the root fibers out of the way. Takes awhile, but it can be done(and yes, make sure the tines are not backward.)

geo


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

Thanks everyone for all your responses. I think I had expectations that were a long way off the reality - envisioned a neatly ploughed row forming from the lawn as I strolled foward! Oops! Maybe we should have got someone in to break the ground first. I feel like a bit of a doofus. The tiller does have foward rotating tines, and the assembly instructions were very clear that is how it's supposed to be - went back and double checked it all.

At least we are not afraid of hard work, and after another attempt at a few passes with a death grip on the machine we got through to some good soil and it was tilled up really nice. It is very dry here as its summer at the moment, so the soil is pretty hard.

So...we will try again, wet the soil the night before and rake in hand - the grass is a thick mat and needs raking off - lucky the pigs think it's Christmas again with armloads of grass roots thrown to them!

Thanks again for the good advice.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Dh and I broke new ground with a rear tine tiller. It wasn't the easiest job in the world but we did it. You have to go a couple inches deep at a time and work and rework the area. It even worked up part of the old gravel driveway.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I thought it was backward moving tines that were for breaking sod. If you don't have the option of turning the tines backwards, you probably won't be able to break the sod very well. I used to us a potato fork to break up the soil, then my little mantis-like tiller. It worked very well for several start up gardens. My cub cadet can break sod - with the tines moving backward in my sandy loam.


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## elmtree3 (Apr 30, 2011)

All of my gardens were made tilling sod with a rear tine Horse tiller. As stated in an earlier post, the depth setting is the most important when breaking sod.......very shallow at first, just skimming the surface of the sod, then go only one notch deeper at a time, let the tiller wheels do the work and NEVER push down on the handles. As stated earlier, go opposite directions and you should be successful in starting your new garden.
The last addition I put on my garden was probably 20' x 50' and didn't take more than an hour to till up the grass and make it look like the rest of my garden. Hope this helps.

Taking care of that area after planting took lots of time though.:heh:


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## PurpleToad (Jan 23, 2011)

If you have pigs, fence them in the area you want dug up. When all green matter is removed, and the top of the soil is loosened up, it will be much easier to till. Get the animals to do the hard work for ya.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

I've never had problem breaking new ground with our rear-rine tiller...except when I get a bit antsy and try to do it when the soil is somewhat wet. Then the moist dirt just packs all around the tines and won't let the tiller dig.


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

We have now mowed back the sprayed area really close and will follow all the good advice here to get that ground broken. I'll be doing a rain dance for a light sprinkle of rain to soften the day before. After tilling we will be adding back those grass clippings, manure and thick woodchip mulch to get the soil in good condition.

We do have 2 pigs, but they are Kunekunes, so dont root as much as other breeds, will use them to keep the orchard grass down and manured. The ground is too hard and dry at the moment and they are enjoying the pasture above the roots. We'll use them in the garden later on I think.


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## Guest123 (Oct 10, 2006)

If you have a string (grass trimmer, weed eater, weed whip) what ever you call them in your area, use it to scalp the ground right down to bare dirt. Takes a little time but it does helps a lot.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

ani's ark said:


> We have now mowed back the sprayed area really close and will follow all the good advice here to get that ground broken. I'll be doing a rain dance for a light sprinkle of rain to soften the day before. After tilling we will be adding back those grass clippings, manure and thick woodchip mulch to get the soil in good condition.
> 
> We do have 2 pigs, but they are Kunekunes, so dont root as much as other breeds, will use them to keep the orchard grass down and manured. The ground is too hard and dry at the moment and they are enjoying the pasture above the roots. We'll use them in the garden later on I think.


Why are you breaking ground now, and not waiting until your springtime??? Just because you have a new tiller? Just curious. (Or will you be planting green manure, etc, for next season?)

I'm really surprised that this post hasn't attracted the "anti-tiller" folks..... 

geo


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## goatlady (May 31, 2002)

I do believe the seasons are reversed in Australia from the U.S. so this would be a good time for them to be tilling.


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## BobbyB (Apr 6, 2009)

I started on nearly bare ground with my old Troy Bilt. The first pass is about 50% preventing a runaway.

Then the second pass went deeper and much easier to handle.

Then I watered and let it dry and hit it again and got to where I wanted. My garden is 80 x 50, but it is less intimidating if you work it up in strips.


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

geo in mi said:


> Why are you breaking ground now, and not waiting until your springtime??? Just because you have a new tiller? Just curious. (Or will you be planting green manure, etc, for next season?)
> 
> I'm really surprised that this post hasn't attracted the "anti-tiller" folks.....
> 
> geo


We live in New Zealand (not Australia - thats like saying a Canadian is from the US, they get upset!), so it's summer here! I am actually not a big fan of tilling year after year, disturbing the soil, but we have to get these gardens in so we can plant our crops. The soil is clay loam and we just cant plant into it as it's compacted and matted grass roots from being a farm paddock. We have Kikuyu grass which is trying to take over the world and needs to be sprayed, broken up and raked out before an 'organic' garden can be started. And we will have to use the chickens in a mobile tractor to eat up any new shoots that come up. If you just mulch on top of it it grows through. It's demonic.

We have big piles of manure and woodchip mulch on standby, so after tilling, composting, manuring and mulching it will be pretty much a no-till garden. I watched Back to Eden online and it was just awesome, lots to think about. I'm *hoping* we can sell the tiller in a couple of years once all the gardens are in and established. 

I'm not against tilling in manure and compost for preparing the garden beds to get them started, then let nature do the rest with lots of worms, mulch and compost. Im all in favour of no-till. But I'm not a rabid permaculture person, just lazy! So I'll always use the easiest most natural way, as long as it actually *works*.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

I aplologize for my geographic ignorance, but I would think the early gardening season would start on Sept. 21, (first day of spring) and that summer would begin on December 21......making January19(or 20th?) a bit late? That's why I asked...........Mom said you won't learn if you don't ask questions...... 

And I wouldn't sell it...you may want to make a bigger and bigger garden.

geo


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

geo in mi said:


> I aplologize for my geographic ignorance, but I would think the early gardening season would start on Sept. 21, (first day of spring) and that summer would begin on December 21......making January19(or 20th?) a bit late? That's why I asked...........Mom said you won't learn if you don't ask questions......
> 
> And I wouldn't sell it...you may want to make a bigger and bigger garden.
> 
> geo


No worries mate! We sound a lot like Aussies and get all worked up about it because we are the poor island cousin. :gaptooth:

We started our spring garden in September, and have eaten well all summer, but as we have no snow in our area, just one or two frosts (far north of the north island) we garden all year round. 

Occasional frost is all we have to contend with, and manage all the rainfall with good mulch layer to prevent leaching and erosion. The only time I cant sow seed is about June - August, although everything grows more slowly in winter months. 

I'm now sowing brassicas, celery, zuchinni, beets and spinach, broad beans and french beans, lettuces, leeks and asian greens. Also my autumn potatoes will go in next month. I'll continue to sow my winter veges two weekly until May. 

Whereabouts do you homestead?


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Okay, makes sense. At the moment it's 68 degrees here in SW Michigan, and the little space heater is struggling to bring it up to 72 here at the computer desk. Outside is a different story, we are getting NW winds, from Canada, across Lake Michigan, causing what is known as "lake effect" snowfall..........

Our first gardening will be inside the house, soon, with the planting of the onion seeds, then as the weather becomes warmer, inside seed starting will begin for brassicas, tomatoes, peppers, and many others. Our last expected day of frost here is May 15, so only lettuce, spinach, etc is planted before then, with early potatoes coming closely behind. 

So you can understand my questions.......I sometimes envy your situation and climate, but I would have to relearn so many things........this is definitely a four season climate here.

geo


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

Wow, that is cold! I spent a few weeks in Alberta, Canada in winter years ago. 
It *is* lovely having the whole year gardening, but it has its downsides. 
Theres no real cold to kill off the pest insects. The mud is awful, and I sometimes think a winter off, sitting in front of a fire with a seed catalogue would be nicer than weeding in thunderstorms and lashing rain! Dont get me started on the Kikuyu grass again. 

And I tend to waste seed thinking hmmmmmm is there still time to get some zuchinnis in? Yeh I'll try. And then they waste garden space and rot.


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