Rotary tiller width

[Rosohatica]

Hi all,

I am buying rotary tiller for my Kubota L3200. Manual states the maximum width of the rotary tiller should be 137 cm. The dealer I want get the tiller from offers widths of 125 and 145 cm, while the outer width of my wheels is 130 cm. Rotary tiller doesn`t have any side movement. I am sure tractor could run 145 cm tiller, but I don`t want to push the tractor to its limits. I would be more comfortable with 125 cm one. Since tires are a bit rounded they might not sit entirely on the ground, so at the contact point with the ground width could be a bit short of 130 cm. Do you think I could get away with 125 cm tiller? Thanks.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You can get away with either.
The wider tiller is just going to make it a little slower moving.
Your not going to work it too hard in just the added width.
And your rear wheel width is adjustable:

 

[Rosohatica]

Thanks, yeah I can adjust the rear wheel width, but at the narrowest setting it is already 130 cm. That would be sketch marked as "a": 1015 mm measured at the middle of the wheel from the image below. Add to that half of tire thickness on one side and half on another, that gives you 1015+285=1300 mm.
So if you think tiller of 125 cm would work with 130 cm wheel width, I vote for that !

You can get away with either.
The wider tiller is just going to make it a little slower moving.
Your not going to work it too hard in just the added width.
And your rear wheel width is adjustable:

View attachment 144040

View attachment 144041

 

[old and tired]

I run a 5 footer (152.4 cm) behind my L2800 BUT I have HST - are you a manual transmission?? I can crawl at a snail's pace, which helps.

Also, how many rocks and roots do you think you'll run into?? If you have plenty of either, the smaller one might help. I have a few rocks (no roots) per 3 meters, and I stop to remove rocks as I find them. I usually run a subsoiler through the ground before I till the area.

 

[Old Machinist]

Should be okay with a 145cm forward rotating tiller. I wouldn't try a reverse rotating tiller.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

a lot depends upon soil conditions. I run a 5' (145) tiller behind my d-14( 35-40HP) and in great soil... run 2nd, high range, idle...it's easy. In 40 year old notilled field, 1st,low range, WOT and she's NOT 'happy'.
I have it offset to right( track is 6'), so left tire track becomes garden footpath, beds nice 4'+ wide,easy access from both sides.

 

[Old Machinist]

Pulled my 6 footer (182.8 cm) forward rotating tiller set at medium depth with my LX3310 Hydro in medium range this year. Fairly hard sand/clay mix soil. Kicked out the occasional root but no problems other than dry and dusty.

 

[Rosohatica]

Pulled my 6 footer (182.8 cm) forward rotating tiller set at medium depth with my 4310 this year in fairly hard clay mix soil. Kicked out the occasional root but no problems other than dry and dusty.

View attachment 144118

Hi, isnt this 3310?

 

[Rosohatica]

I run a 5 footer (152.4 cm) behind my L2800 BUT I have HST - are you a manual transmission?? I can crawl at a snail's pace, which helps.

Also, how many rocks and roots do you think you'll run into?? If you have plenty of either, the smaller one might help. I have a few rocks (no roots) per 3 meters, and I stop to remove rocks as I find them. I usually run a subsoiler through the ground before I till the area.

Yes, I have manual transmission. And 1st slow speed is not nearly as slow or crawing as it was on my old sold B1402.

 

[Rosohatica]

To make things more complicated, it seems that markings of width on the rotary tiller are not unique and depend of the manufacturer. The specs for the tractor list maximum working width. And what is working width? I assume it is the span of ground that the tiller’s blades physically engage and turn over in one pass. BUT is it measured from the outer cutting edge of the blades on one side to the outer cutting edge of the blades on the opposite side OR it is the inside width of the tiller’s chassis or housing?

 

[old and tired]

A lot of it will depend on what soil are you tilling? Was it previously broken ground (like after you plow) or is it virgin soil which may have tree roots.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: 'working width' is the width of dirt that gets dug. It'd NOT the inside dimension of the frame.

What I call my "5' tiller" ,is really 145cm( Made in italy, so METRIC), it's 57.08661" in normal numbers.

I'm pretty sure nobody can drive any tractor with tiller dead straight, with ZERO overlap, to within an inch , let alone to 5 decimal point accuracy !!

Also, I've always tilled N-S, then E-W ( well, 90* passes ) which really helps 'flatten' and 'smooth' the gardens

 

[Old Machinist]

Hi, isnt this 3310?

Yeah sorry. I have a JD 4310 also and I'm old! Edited for accuracy and completeness.

 

[Rosohatica]

Yeah sorry. I have a JD 4310 also and I'm old! Edited for accuracy and completeness.

 

[Rosohatica]

A lot of it will depend on what soil are you tilling? Was it previously broken ground (like after you plow) or is it virgin soil which may have tree roots.

It will be mostly plowed land.

 

[Rosohatica]

re: 'working width' is the width of dirt that gets dug. It'd NOT the inside dimension of the frame.

What I call my "5' tiller" ,is really 145cm( Made in italy, so METRIC), it's 57.08661" in normal numbers.

I'm pretty sure nobody can drive any tractor with tiller dead straight, with ZERO overlap, to within an inch , let alone to 5 decimal point accuracy !!

Also, I've always tilled N-S, then E-W ( well, 90* passes ) which really helps 'flatten' and 'smooth' the gardens

I agree, we are not talking about mechanical watch precision here. BUT, let me tell you that the guy who is selling these tillers has measured width of blades and they are spread at 135 cm, while on the tiller it writes HL 145. 145 cm is inside measure of the chassis. So, I would say working width is 135, not 145 cm. The tiller specs in the book say working width is 145 cm

 

[GreensvilleJay]

well it is being measured in SILLYmeters....