Oh dear me dear me , the free tiller won't start ... again this year . Always been difficult and I'm tired of throwing money - and more importantly , time - at a Briggs that's at least 20 years old and finicky . So I get on eBay , and there's a guy selling 6 hp Honda "OHC" motors for around a hundred bucks . Most likely it's an OHV motor , but still it's probably twice what that B&S put out when new . The reviews I saw all said "like brand new" , these are supposed to be from power washers that had bad pumps and all have just a few hours so I bought one . We'll see on Monday , it's supposed to be coming on the FedEx truck . The rest of this unit is in pretty good shape , the gearbox at the bottom end runs cool and turns smooth , the only real wear item is the drive belt - it uses a v-belt for drive from the motor to the shaft down to the foot . Gotta get 'er fixed , the season is fast approaching when I'll need it . Just got back the results of soil tests , and got some amendments to make to the soil .
About 15 years ago I bought a 7 HP Simplicity tiller. What a horrid beast, very difficult to control and being belt driven made it a pain as it constantly wore out the belt and required a major mechanic's tool box to change the belt. Once an area is tilled it doesn't need a big cumbersome beast. So I decided to try a Mantis tiller, 2 cycle. Works beautifully, so easy to control a seven year old can use it. Had I known I would have bought the Mantis to begin with and for virgin untilled soil I'd rent a giant tiller for a day. I sold the $700 Simplicity and only took a $100 loss. Actually the Mantis can handle virgin soil but takes longer as you need to first go shallow and then deeper. I've been using the Mantis for more than ten seasons and it's needed no maintenence other than a new air and fuel filter that I changed only because I figured it was time. Don't let this 20 pound machine fool you, it's quite a powerhouse.... easily handles my 50' X 50' veggie garden.
I had one of those little 2-stroker tillers , might even have been a Mantis . I also have a lot of rocks in my soil , they call this Stone County for a reason . End result is that it stripped the worm gear down in the bottom end , no reasonably priced replacements available . Other than an occasional oil change , one new belt , and last year a new coil (around 8-10 bucks IIRC) I've never spent anything on this tiller . The new motor is costing me less than a third the cost of one of those Mantis units , and rocks don't faze it . I try not to over till , and don't till all areas every year - but this year I need to incorporate some amendments recommended by my county extension agent to correct some deficiencies in my soil . Didn't expect to see you here , you didn't strike me as the gardening type from your posts in RFC .
I do a lot of gardening, pretty soon there'll be no let up on the gardening chores, it's almost spring. Depending the size of the area you till it may pay to add about a foot of good clean topsoil to bury all those rocks.... that's what I did with my vegetable garden, and each spring I add another three cu yds to compensate for losses from rain and melting snow.
I planted a bunch of seeds yesterday for the garden ... Hauling in topsoil isn't an option here , there just ain't that much available and it is costly . I have been adding organic to it every year by mulching with straw , but it was poor soil to begin with . The soil reports I just got back tell me I'm almost there . I'll be taking in a sample from the orchard , it's not doing well - the whole clearing we live in was until fairly recently mixed hardwood - mostly oak - forest . The rock problem is not as bad as it was , down to the occasional large stone and a few smaller ones now and then . Except the north end - the newest addition to the garden - and future expansions ...
I can buy decent top soil blended with composted mushroom mulch for $30/sq yd, when I buy three yards delivery is free. But then I have to shovel and hump that mountain into my garden a wheelbarrow at a time. I tried hiring a high school student but he gave up after an hour... the hardest work youngsters do nowadays is lift a cell phone... this kid was a 16 year old on the wrestling team, I could be his grandfather, I out worked him easily.
Motor came today , we be tillin' . This is a fixed-speed motor , which I can change easily . And it's like brand new . Bolted it on , added oil and gas , started on the 3rd pull . I need to see if I can find that other pair of tines (got 2 each side now , as stock) , I'm betting this motor will pull the load . More power , ar ar ar .
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