OT - Tillers

If you're using the tiller for bed prep and NOT for weed control the choice is a large tractor mounted unit. The one I use will do a better prep than ANY other method. Leaves you with a nice planting area.

BUT if you plan on using it for weed control as well then the rows need to be apart far enough for the tractor which can be a problem. In my case I use both.Tractor mounted for initial prep and a Troy-Bilt for the weed control.

If you only want one unit I would only recommend one unit. A Troy-Bilt Horse. I have two Horse models, one is a '70 and the other is an '82. Both of mine have cast iron Kohlers on them. They are not cheap BUT they are real investments. They LAST a long time. Other than one drive gear and a rebuild on the engine that is all they have had done.

Depends... a tractor mounted tiller will last nearly forever for a gardener. Well, unless you suck up a concrete form stake or two, wrap them around the axle, and damage a seal. Um, I wouldn't know that of course. LOL.

Find a local guy and pay him to do it for you for a lot less money. Group together with your neighbors and save more, hiring one guy to do all the plots in the neighborhood in a day for even less money per.

There are many, many people who no longer do any tilling, allowing the anaerobic flora and fauna to increase their yield instead. I'm moving into that mindset myself after taking the Master Gardener course a couple years ago. I pick out the weeds and put a nice, thick layer of mulch on top. Organic compost works well to both feed/replenish and cover the soil.

-- Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. -- Peter Minard

as youve tractors, my thought was to get an implement for either, which ever you prefer to drive, then offer to do other folks rotovating for a fee to offset the implement cost. Weve a Ferguson diesel TE 20, I bought for my son for his 10th birthday, its a 1948 model , we use it all the time, needs a bit of work now weve had it 17 yrs!!. go for the tractor way. good luck, Ted in Dorset UK.

Today I went shopping around and ended up with a Troy Built Super Bronco from Lowes on sale for $699. My plan is to try it out this year and perhaps get a tractor mounted tiller next year if I need to. I figure the 16" tiller will be useful for weeding between rows.

I tried the tiller out when I got it home, I've never used one before, sure beats the shovel! I tilled the area of last years garden in a few minutes, this year I plan to make a much larger garden. Looking forward to some good healthy vegetables later this year.

RogerN

Nothing quite as satisfying as a new machine that works well.

Milady has 150 tomato plants growing (inside a high tunnel greenhouse). I tilled it with my VERY old gravely tiller. It uses a quart of oil to every tank of gas. Got to breath blue smoke even with the doors open. Still really looks nice when first completed.

Karl

This morning has been bright and sunny. We cut a weeks wood for half an hour, some beech flooring put by from last year. Took off the cord wood saw and pto pulley, and put on the 3 point linkage. Hitched up the 1 ton tipping trailer. Then we fired up the T 35 tractor which has a 180 Deg slew back actor on it, and lifted a turf area say 5 yds by 15 yds. put into trailer and tipped in a spare hole in the bottom field. used the digger to break up the top soil, put on 10 barrowloads of dung, then covered the lot with 6in of best matured top soil. so when my ladyship came back at 12.30, it was all ready for her tomatoes, peas and runner beans. I might get a steak with chips!! for dinner tonight!! Lif'es great Ted Dorset UK. .

I know that UK chips aren't USA chips - USA chips are called "crisps," right?

But I wonder about chips - are they closer to steak fries:

In this one travelogue I saw, the fish & chips didn't look deep-fried at all - the fish was white and the "chips" were white; great big chunks of potato, all swimming in grease, delivered in a cone of newspaper. It looked absolutely delicious! (I've also heard that they sprinkle vinegar on them. YUM!!!!!)

Thanks, Rich

I "deep fry" "chips" in about 5/8 inch of oil in a #8 Griswold cast iron killet--preheat the oil to just below the smoke point...

For "salt and vinegar", suggest use 5% acidity white vinegar in an equal part water, along with appx 1 tbs salt per cup

--Spritz a little bit of it INTO the hot oil WHILE frying the chips, several times during the frying process...the oil will foam up each time, so BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT let oil boil over because likely you will then have a fire on your hands.

--a dutch oven might provide for a bit more safety....

Not to get all technical here but the signature "salt and vinegar" flavor profile that is produced by following the above process is due to the formation of sodium acetate.