I recently bought a small farm in Oregon. The pastures, which had been ignored by the previous owner, have in places very large mounds. In some cases maybe 18" across and 8-10" high or more. I want to flatten out the pastures. I have tried a disc harrow that does not do much with this size humps and also a box cutter which does not work at all well in the irrigated pasture. So I tried my Kubota RGA1266 tiller set to the least tilling depth so it would just mow off the humps. It worked pretty well, but eventually I got caught up in some wire and sustained enough damage I had to send it to the shop. As I want to get the work done and soon it will start raining here and shut me down, I bought a 2nd tiller, a Land Pride RTA2072, which is supposed to be heavier duty, made for commercial use. After 8 hours the tines stopped spinning and on removing the gear case I found the gear shaft had sheared off completely (before the shear pin sheared on the PTO Shaft). I hadn't hit any stones or anything, although it's obviously bumpy work tilling over these humps. So question is whether I'm using these tillers for something I should not? Better suggestion to flatten it out without breaking a few $k implement every few hours?
Reliability of Land Pride tillers?
- Thread starter billberner
- Start date
Good day.
I have an MX (and B) and LP tillers with both. Knock on wood both have been flawless.
I have no way of knowing your speed or ground condition or anything like that, but my initial assumptions are that you read the manual and checked that proper oil used, proper shear bolt/ pin used, and proper PTO shaft length (what I mean is a all items checked that tiller is set up correct and using at correct speed).
Then to each their own I guess, but what I read was you got into some wire some way some how. I’ve not had that misfortune yet, so I don’t know what should happen, but my guess is it’s not helpful. Should it break the wire or spool it? I don’t know it’s less than ideal. That being said tilling is one of those things where not sure what’s going to happen. There are ways to check the ground condition but I am not sure they are fool proof or reasonable depending on the acreage. A person could walk the area first. Could rake it or even scrape before tilling to make sure nothing buried in the grass.
I am not familiar with mowing to knock down a hump…but Assuming using at a normal tilling speed and enguageing the tiller according to the instructions in the manual, I would not think taking the top off a high spot would be an issue…it’s not a plane or grader but at normal speed should be able to till. That being said what is the below the surface? It’s a box of chocolates. Could be some real big granite potato’s. Could pull a chisel plow or ripper first. Sometimes you don’t know until you try.
If the tiller spooled up some wire, that’s not tiller fault I don’t think. The other tiller only you were were there. Were you using appropriately? (Yeah I know that’s what you asked). My experience is they seem to be pretty durable knock on wood).
If it’s new I’d be in the phone with the dealer if using according to the manual. I am not sure this helps or not. Good luck. I hope warranty covers it.
I have an MX (and B) and LP tillers with both. Knock on wood both have been flawless.
I have no way of knowing your speed or ground condition or anything like that, but my initial assumptions are that you read the manual and checked that proper oil used, proper shear bolt/ pin used, and proper PTO shaft length (what I mean is a all items checked that tiller is set up correct and using at correct speed).
Then to each their own I guess, but what I read was you got into some wire some way some how. I’ve not had that misfortune yet, so I don’t know what should happen, but my guess is it’s not helpful. Should it break the wire or spool it? I don’t know it’s less than ideal. That being said tilling is one of those things where not sure what’s going to happen. There are ways to check the ground condition but I am not sure they are fool proof or reasonable depending on the acreage. A person could walk the area first. Could rake it or even scrape before tilling to make sure nothing buried in the grass.
I am not familiar with mowing to knock down a hump…but Assuming using at a normal tilling speed and enguageing the tiller according to the instructions in the manual, I would not think taking the top off a high spot would be an issue…it’s not a plane or grader but at normal speed should be able to till. That being said what is the below the surface? It’s a box of chocolates. Could be some real big granite potato’s. Could pull a chisel plow or ripper first. Sometimes you don’t know until you try.
If the tiller spooled up some wire, that’s not tiller fault I don’t think. The other tiller only you were were there. Were you using appropriately? (Yeah I know that’s what you asked). My experience is they seem to be pretty durable knock on wood).
If it’s new I’d be in the phone with the dealer if using according to the manual. I am not sure this helps or not. Good luck. I hope warranty covers it.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
I'd expect the tiller's clutch or shear pin to fail LONG before internal damage could occour....
I would be PLOWING the 'humps' in the field
I would be PLOWING the 'humps' in the field
You might be better off having someone come in with a bulldozer and level the land. The dozer will be able to knock it down quickly and it will tear out the clumps that are too big for you to handle. A day with a bulldozer can do what it would take you weeks to do. The right tool for the job is always best.
jyoutz
Well-known member
Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
I don’t see why high dirt mounds would hurt a tiller. There must be something besides dirt in those mounds.
I've heard some disappointing stories about the quality of new landpride tillers. They shouldn't be breaking down so quickly.
Photos would help.
I always have the tailgate up when tilling unknown areas for neighbors to start no matter what depth.
Does your MX6000 have a front end loader? If so, that's a pretty serious piece of equipment and should decapitate 18" x 10" humps like they aren't even there. Don't know how many acres you are dealing with, but that (or the dozer or skidsteer options) seem like a better approach than bronco riding a tractor + tiller or other 3 pt implement over a bunch of those humps. You also get to see what you are digging up before you drive over it.
Thank you all for hte responses. I got the first tiller, the RGA1266 back Friday. I totally understsand the RGA1266 breaking the first time as it got caught up in the wire. I used it this weekend, nearly finished all my tilling when on the last fraction of an acre I heard a thud, turned around and saw half of the tiller on the ground. I put pictures of the piece left on the 3 pt hitch and the part on the ground below. Couple points on my use case: I used a stopwatch to time each of my passes this weekend, then used Google maps to estimate distance and MPH. I was averaging about 1.5MPH, which seems reasonable.
Couple other things related to the responses:
- I have tried other options. The box cutter works very well in the non-irrigated pasture. But in the irrigated pasture, it more or less just digs up the humps.
- The bucket on the front end loader kind of works, but as the fields were neglected by the prior owners for so long, the grass is growing quite large and it's not easy to get the front end loader at just the right height to cut them down.
- There is nothing in the humps but roots and dirt. Most of the humps seem to have Sedge growing in them. Sedge apparently is good for irrigation control, not palatable for cattle so I'm thinking maybe as the sedge grew, the roots held onto dirt that eroded away in other areas?
- Last year I tried to hire someone to help with the fields, but was unable to get anyone this time of year as everyone is busy in So Oregon.
- In total, I had about 35 acres to till, finished probably 34.75 when the "lighter duty" RGA 1266 failed the 2nd time.
- The positioning for the RGA1266 is more around tilling Garden beds, so maybe can more understand the failure, but still does not seem that even with the vibration of tilling large clumps of dirt for 30 hours at 1.5miles/hour the joints should snap like that.
The positioning for the RTA2072 is that it can be used on small commercial farms, it failed after about 7 hours of what the RGA1266 was able to at least do for ~30 hours.
Couple other things related to the responses:
- I have tried other options. The box cutter works very well in the non-irrigated pasture. But in the irrigated pasture, it more or less just digs up the humps.
- The bucket on the front end loader kind of works, but as the fields were neglected by the prior owners for so long, the grass is growing quite large and it's not easy to get the front end loader at just the right height to cut them down.
- There is nothing in the humps but roots and dirt. Most of the humps seem to have Sedge growing in them. Sedge apparently is good for irrigation control, not palatable for cattle so I'm thinking maybe as the sedge grew, the roots held onto dirt that eroded away in other areas?
- Last year I tried to hire someone to help with the fields, but was unable to get anyone this time of year as everyone is busy in So Oregon.
- In total, I had about 35 acres to till, finished probably 34.75 when the "lighter duty" RGA 1266 failed the 2nd time.
- The positioning for the RGA1266 is more around tilling Garden beds, so maybe can more understand the failure, but still does not seem that even with the vibration of tilling large clumps of dirt for 30 hours at 1.5miles/hour the joints should snap like that.
The positioning for the RTA2072 is that it can be used on small commercial farms, it failed after about 7 hours of what the RGA1266 was able to at least do for ~30 hours.
Oh my…from your description i think I’d be upset on the durability. I don’t imagine many in this forum till that many acres at a time with a tiller. But from a product durability point id be in touch with the dealer.
That being said is it normal out your way to till with a tiller so many acres? Farms that size don’t run a chisel plow or disc? Just from a time standpoint I would think discing would be more common on a plot larger than 5 or so acres? What are you planting?
Good luck. Keep us posted on how the tiller situation is resolved.
That being said is it normal out your way to till with a tiller so many acres? Farms that size don’t run a chisel plow or disc? Just from a time standpoint I would think discing would be more common on a plot larger than 5 or so acres? What are you planting?
Good luck. Keep us posted on how the tiller situation is resolved.
For the first oneI bought , no doubt I had no intention of tilling the 35 acres. But it just turned out to work the best given the state of the pastures. And when the first failed when I was maybe 1/2 done, I specifically bought one that was for 'commercial farming.' I did specifically ask whether people bought that one for what I was doing and they said yes. That model I am thinking should be a warranty repair, but we'll see. Also note I'm not actually 'tilling' I am more "leveling." the field was so uneven I couldn't really seed or overseed, even by hand. Now I"m done and I don't expect to have to do this again (field is now level, will not let it get back to the state it was when I started), so just trying to see if anyone else has used the Kubota tillers for anything similar, or anything 'reasonably' stressful where they held up better/well. Also, after the first died I thought about buying a chisel plow, but then found the commercial grade tiller, knew that was working well, so went with it. I will say my dealer has been really helpful. And I am new to all this, so that could be a factor. But I believe I have been pretty careful...
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
None of the farmers around here use rototiller on their acreage(8-50 acre bits ).Plows, culitvators and rolling baskets is what they use. Seriously you're destroying the tiller from abuse. 'Tiller's are 'finishing' implements NOT for turning pastures into veggie gardens.
The break of that shaft could be due to the PTO shear pin / clutch not adjusted correctly according to the manual.
The break of that shaft could be due to the PTO shear pin / clutch not adjusted correctly according to the manual.
The European farmers use tillers all the time.
Landpride quality seems to have dropped considerably. The OP isn't the only one experiencing quality issues with their Landpride purchases.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
re: The European farmers use tillers all the time.
yes, and so do I
BUT there is a HUGE difference in running a tiller 'all the time' VS trying to chew up a neglected pasture !
ONCE a field has been properly prepared THEN a tiller can be used.
I know this first hand. Veggie garden got the 'treatment' every year for 15 seasons. Sunsoiler, plow, cults,compost, rototilled. I could run tractor in 2nd ,high range, low RPM, HAPPY tractor. Try to do neighbours acre of 'notilled for 4 decades'. 1st,low range, max RPM,NOT a happy tractor. Took a week of sub soiling and plowing N>S, E>W to break it up and even then tiller wasn't stressed.
yes, and so do I
BUT there is a HUGE difference in running a tiller 'all the time' VS trying to chew up a neglected pasture !
ONCE a field has been properly prepared THEN a tiller can be used.
I know this first hand. Veggie garden got the 'treatment' every year for 15 seasons. Sunsoiler, plow, cults,compost, rototilled. I could run tractor in 2nd ,high range, low RPM, HAPPY tractor. Try to do neighbours acre of 'notilled for 4 decades'. 1st,low range, max RPM,NOT a happy tractor. Took a week of sub soiling and plowing N>S, E>W to break it up and even then tiller wasn't stressed.
Windy Hill Farms
New member
Equipment
Mx5800, la1065 loader , RTR 1574 tiller , RCD1884 cutter, titan forks
I have a land pride tiller. Use it once a month for about 6 hours on 4 different food plots. I work fields in northeast pa. Loaded with rocks from baseball to shoebox size. Jam up in the housing. Takes a beating and is reliable. The one food plot 1 acre in size has produced about 4 tons of stone. And is 5 inches lower then the surrounding field . Tiller 5 years old about 100 hours no issues .