Tiller tips?

[random]

I'm specifically wondering about the END of a run - when I lift the tiller, it leaves a gouge where the blades were turning. I haven't found a good way to eliminate this, seems it's inherent in the tool. Best I can do so far is to try to keep them fairly in line and follow up by a pass along the end, leaving only one of them that I fill in by hand.

Also, there's some furrows made by the edge of the frame. I've thought of something like a drag harrow but the tractor compresses the tilled soil quite a bit, I don't think the harrow would break up the tracks much.

Any tips on dealing with either of these?

 

[MINICUP28]

What I did was leave it and go in the opposite direction at the end of the season. My garden was fenced and I would pull the fence on the two ends.

 

[NCL4701]

I'm specifically wondering about the END of a run - when I lift the tiller, it leaves a gouge where the blades were turning. I haven't found a good way to eliminate this, seems it's inherent in the tool. Best I can do so far is to try to keep them fairly in line and follow up by a pass along the end, leaving only one of them that I fill in by hand.

Also, there's some furrows made by the edge of the frame. I've thought of something like a drag harrow but the tractor compresses the tilled soil quite a bit, I don't think the harrow would break up the tracks much.

Any tips on dealing with either of these?

If you want a drag/chain harrow type perfection, I’d try to figure out how to attach the drag to the back of the tiller rather than making a drag only pass after tilling. Doesn’t take much HP to pull a drag big enough to cover tiller width.

Used to routinely chain a drag behind the disc harrow for making seed beds. Don’t see why it wouldn’t work with a tiller unless there’s no good way to hook it to the tiller.

 

[NHSleddog]

Leave it at the end all the way across, then when you are done you do one pass the other way on that end and it will even it all out.

 

[Nicfin36]

Leave it at the end all the way across, then when you are done you do one pass the other way on that end and it will even it all out.

That's what I do.

 

[jyoutz]

I'm specifically wondering about the END of a run - when I lift the tiller, it leaves a gouge where the blades were turning. I haven't found a good way to eliminate this, seems it's inherent in the tool. Best I can do so far is to try to keep them fairly in line and follow up by a pass along the end, leaving only one of them that I fill in by hand.

Also, there's some furrows made by the edge of the frame. I've thought of something like a drag harrow but the tractor compresses the tilled soil quite a bit, I don't think the harrow would break up the tracks much.

Any tips on dealing with either of these?

I just level out the end furrow with a garden rake when I’m done tilling.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I fix my self a drink and be thankful I am not doing by hand.

 

[random]

If you want a drag/chain harrow type perfection, I’d try to figure out how to attach the drag to the back of the tiller rather than making a drag only pass after tilling. Doesn’t take much HP to pull a drag big enough to cover tiller width.

Used to routinely chain a drag behind the disc harrow for making seed beds. Don’t see why it wouldn’t work with a tiller unless there’s no good way to hook it to the tiller.

My main concern with this would be the chain getting into the tines of the tiller when I raise it.

Looks like the bulk of people here do about the same as I do.

 

[NCL4701]

My main concern with this would be the chain getting into the tines of the tiller when I raise it.

Looks like the bulk of people here do about the same as I do.

Makes sense. Running sideways across the ends certainly fixes the ends. Doesn’t fix the furrows made by the edge of the frame if that’s a significant concern. But yeah, you’d have to be really careful to set it up to make sure you didn’t have any chance of catching the drag in the tiller if you did that. Probably not worth messing with.

 

[BigG]

If you extended the top link would the marks be less noticeable ?

You could make or buy a boom for the three point that could be used to pick up the harrow. Then lay out the garden so the tire tracks are in the middle of the rows. Your planting areas would not be compacted.

 

[random]

I'm kinda mixing things up some I think: the unmarked soft fluffy flat soil I was thinking about - really only matters for winter covers. Since I do rows for spring planting I guess only the last gouge made by the tines is a problem and doing the ends the other direction leaves me with only two to worry about.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.