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3PH Tillers (Rentals)

DAP

New member
I've got a brandy spankin new 1.5 - 2 acres of cleared stump land waiting to become a horse paddock. Time is NOW for tilling it.

The PHD Dillema: (PHD = post hole digger)

Pay from 1.5k to 3k for a new tiller used for 2 acres and no needed use for it later (like a post hole digger) OR

Try and find a used one that hasn't been churned into scrap which could take months! (So far, i've not seen any local tillers turn up in the usual search venues) OR

Rent one. This is the best option except for one thing: NO ONE SEEMS TO RENT TILLERS (they get beat up too bad to make it economical I suspect). Sometimes ya have ta call 20 outfits - I've only called 13 of em.

I could hire my large equipment man to do this, but it will cost about what it would cost to buy a GOOD used device perhaps more and deprive me of some seat time and a large piece of personal satisfaction. I know if I asked him, he would lend me his tiller, but his tiller is a Class III unit and much too large for my paltry Kubota.

I ruled out a box blade as it does not yield anywhere near the same result.


Wish Skurka was my neighbor .. he'd go havzeees on it with me - which could make the pain of ownership perhaps tolerable.

HELP!

:pat:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
What would it cost to buy a new, cheap, fairly small tiller? I'm out of touch with the prices, but you might be able to get a KK 50" for a bit over $1000, use it and then resell it for $750?
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Doug,

Know anyone with a skidsteer with attachments?

Something like the things on this page will do wonders.
Strapped on to a decent size skidsteer, it would be done very quickly.

The guy would probably have a PHD as well.

Brian
 

DAP

New member
B_Skurka said:
What would it cost to buy a new, cheap, fairly small tiller? I'm out of touch with the prices, but you might be able to get a KK 50" for a bit over $1000, use it and then resell it for $750?

Then I would become exactly what I'm looking for! Which I'm not. So it can't be. We call this a Mobius Strip.

Cheapest unit I've found is around fourteen hunerd ducats.

:fart2:
 

DAP

New member
bczoom said:
Doug,

Know anyone with a skidsteer with attachments?

Something like the things on this page will do wonders.
Strapped on to a decent size skidsteer, it would be done very quickly.

The guy would probably have a PHD as well.

Brian

I'm the new kid on the block ... so .. no Bobcat friends yet.

Where's Rico? Maybe he knows sumpin ... ???

:tiphat:
 

DaveNay

Klaatu barada nikto
SUPER Site Supporter
Call the FBI and tell them you think Hoffa is burried somewere in that field. They have been diggin up lots of horse property lately. :yum:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
For this area, how deep were you going to go with the tilling? Are you planting afterwards or leaving it dirt?

I don't know where you are exactly but pulled up this page which has rental rates to give you an idea.

A Harley rake on a skidsteer could probably do the project in less than a day. It looks like the combo would be right around $400 to rent it. They also rent tillers for $165/day.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
bczoom said:
For this area, how deep were you going to go with the tilling? Are you planting afterwards or leaving it dirt?

I don't know where you are exactly but pulled up this page which has rental rates to give you an idea.

A Harley rake on a skidsteer could probably do the project in less than a day. It looks like the combo would be right around $400 to rent it. They also rent tillers for $165/day.

What he said. I had the same dilemna and bought the tiller. It's not getting used as much now but it's nice to keep in the stable. It earned me a few cases of beer from the neighbors this year.

Most rental places have skidsteers. The local Bobcat dealer may rent a "soil conditioner" which is the Bobcat equivalent of the Harley Rake.

If you are just going to make lawn then rent the skidsteer and have some fun.

PB
 

DAP

New member
I will be limeing and planting pasture grasses (fescue, hay and timothy mix most likely). This paddock will rest through the winter hopefully. I'm figuring a depth of about 8 to 10 inches will suffice.

Have to check out the skidsteer rental notion ... in these parts, a skidsteer with that type of implement might be even more exotic than renting a 3ph tiller.
 

Junkman

Extra Super Moderator
Don't underestimate the amount of rocks that you will encounter. I had a company come in and prepare and seed an area. Seems that they couldn't get all the rocks out with the Harley Rake, no matter how hard they tried. Sometimes I wonder how the farmers ever tilled the fields and planted them. Every year, I have to dig out last winters crop of rocks that have come to the surface, and it never surprises me to find so very large ones that were not there last year. Junk.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I can spell horses and on a good day can recognize one (basically saying I don't know a lot about them...)

DAP said:
I'm figuring a depth of about 8 to 10 inches will suffice.
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Why so deep? Even if you do let it settle over the winter, I would expect/think that if you tilled 8"+ that the first time the horses are in there on a wet day next spring they'll destroy it.

Again, I don't know about building a paddock but I would think that you would want it as hard/compacted as possible and only loosen up enough at the top for getting your lime & grass in place.

If you do want to go 8" and use a skidsteer, you'll probably want a true tiller instead of the Harley Rake or other power rake options.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Why not disk 4-5 inches then use a rake, thats what I did and it worked great!
 

rico304

New member
Hey DAP! Bob S yelled at me for not paying attention to this thread. (anyone else notice how touchy he can be?):yum:
What part of Maine are you from DAP?
Close to Cumberland County??????
 

DAP

New member
rico304 said:
Hey DAP! Bob S yelled at me for not paying attention to this thread. (anyone else notice how touchy he can be?):yum:
What part of Maine are you from DAP?
Close to Cumberland County??????

Rico .. Cumberland is Portland, no? I can throw a whistle there in 63 minutes, 66 minutes by pick-up truck.

Now that you're paying attention .. Skurka said you had a tiller collecting lobster droppings somewhere ....

:eek:
 

DAP

New member
bczoom said:
I can spell horses and on a good day can recognize one (basically saying I don't know a lot about them...)


:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Why so deep? Even if you do let it settle over the winter, I would expect/think that if you tilled 8"+ that the first time the horses are in there on a wet day next spring they'll destroy it.

Again, I don't know about building a paddock but I would think that you would want it as hard/compacted as possible and only loosen up enough at the top for getting your lime & grass in place.

If you do want to go 8" and use a skidsteer, you'll probably want a true tiller instead of the Harley Rake or other power rake options.

Zoom ... its the fescue .. this is a deep rooted hay/grass that you want to firmly establish .. if given the proper chance, it will take a good beating from my 2 hay burners ....
 

DAP

New member
Junkman said:
Don't underestimate the amount of rocks that you will encounter. I had a company come in and prepare and seed an area. Seems that they couldn't get all the rocks out with the Harley Rake, no matter how hard they tried. Sometimes I wonder how the farmers ever tilled the fields and planted them. Every year, I have to dig out last winters crop of rocks that have come to the surface, and it never surprises me to find so very large ones that were not there last year. Junk.
Junk, just had a BIG JD excavator remove 5 tons of cherry root balls, way too large for 30hp kubota and many many rocks ... there is a bout 12 inches of loam on this acreage with clay mix just below ... to have that guy come back with his case tractor and 72 inch tiller would cost perhaps as much as a used tiller ... so ... trying to mix practicality with having some fun ..

Why not, it's gotten me into trouble before ... !:thumb:
 
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