rear tine tillers

[Ralph Mowery]

Has anyone used the DR PRO XLDRT tiller ? If so what is your opinion of them or that brand of equipment?

Any other subjugations for the rear tine tillers ?

[Snag]

I've got a Snapper . It's a helluva lot easier on my old body than the front tine it replaced . Get one that has separate reverse/forward/forward with tiller transmission .

[Ralph Mowery]

That is what I thought, it would be a lot easier on the body. I am in good health now but 73 years old. Just do not seem to be able to keep going for as long as I would like without resting.

I was looking to get one that had a reverse on it and all so the reversing rotation of the tines. My plot is not very big, just about 20 tomato plants and a few squash, cucumbers, and cantalopes. I am not out to raise a garden to save money, but just to mainly get fresh tomatoes. The ones I get at stores around here is not worth carrying home.

Would be nice to get one that the wheels will turn without the tines turning. I was looking at one but the tines turned when the wheels turned. I could pull some pins and let the wheels roll without the engine running. Did not like that as the garden is down a hill from the storage shed.

[Snag]

I'm 71 and healthy , and I know exactly what you mean . I try to get in at least 4-6 hours of something productive every day . Some days I actually do ...

We're a bit more aggressive with our garden . I've got a thousand square feet under cultivation . We aim to can or freeze quite a bit , assuming the garden produces as I hope . Another 600 sf is inside the fence , devoted to bee hives and some berry bushes .

I got mine used , probably paid too much for the condition it's in . I think the guy I bought it from really believed it had "low hours" . But it does the job well , and that's saying something considering how rocky the soil is here .

[Ralph Mowery]

I decided to go with the Yardmax from Lowes as I can pick it up at the local store when it comes in. With the 5% discount it is about $ 40 less than te others. Has a B&S engine.

Here is a funny write up on it from another source. I would like to know where the electric comes in. I have a dual fuel generator, but could not find where to plug this tiller in, ha,ha. Just can not depend on what you read most places. One source seems to say MTD makes most of them with different names and paint. Maybe a few differences. Just like many things you never really know who is making an item.

From:

The YT4565 is an electric tiller with dual rear tines and a 208cc Briggs & Stratton engine. The YT4565 has a 6.6-inch working depth and features a front tine that can be adjusted to fit the soil type.

[Ralph Mowery]

No not electric start. No battery or anything that would need electricity . Just the normally needed stuff of any small engine to make a spark.

Yes that artical is very porely written. Maybe by a 3 grader converting China to American language.

[fos]

I have a Simplicity riding mower, an Exmark push mower, and Stihl two stoke trimming equipment (weed eater, sidewalk edger, chainsaw) and leaf blower. The Simplicity I bought from a farm implement dealer, the Stihl equipment from a power equipment dealer which also sells Cub Cadet, and the Exmark from a commercial lawn equipment dealer. I quit buying stuff at big box retailers many years ago, it's all 5 to maybe 10 year throw away trash. And good luck finding parts for it when Home Cheapo doesn't sell that model next year.

I had the same conversation about where the equipment is made with all three dealers. Almost all riding mowers with hydrostatic transmissions whether they're el-cheapos at big box retailers or commercial quality products use Tuff Torq transmissions. None make their own engines either. B&S, Kohler, and Kawasaki are the most common. Briggs and Stratton owns Simplicity now so technically they do make their own engines. What the manufactures do make is their own decks and frames and they assemble them. Same for products sold at big box retailers as well as at dealers proper. The difference in price is the thickness of the metal the frames and desks are made from and the expected longevity (quality) of the engines and transmissions bolted to them.

All the Stihl equipment was made and assembled in Germany. The push mower, I'm not sure where it was made. I bought it because of the thick cast aluminum deck. I'm not a fan of the Kawasaki engine bolted to it, but it hasn't given me any problems either other than having to take the recoil apart every few years to clean and lube it when it starts to stick.

Anyway, after all that rambling and big box retailer bashing, my money is on Yardmax makes and assembles their own tillers with purchased engines and gearboxes.

[Michael Trew]

I picked up an old 70's Gilson front tine tiller from the original owner a few years ago. For the $40 or $50 I paid for it, it was well worth it, but I do wish it was a larger rear-tine unit. With the front tine ones, you have to do a lot more picking at the ground before tilling... especially with the heavy clay soils around here. I don't have enough property at the moment to justify a bigger unit.