Heavy Duty NARROW tiller?

17 years ago

Hello, I'm looking to till a large plot (~ 1000 feet of row). The soil has been turned once and I wish to till in fertilizer/ammendments. It will require some breaking up of large dirt clods, but no clay or rocks. I'm looking for a heavy-duty tiller, but one that is narrow. The rows were turned only 12 inches wide so I need a tiller no wider than 12 inches.

Most of the heavy-duty tillers I've seen are more like 20 inches wide, and anything that I've found that is narrow, is also quite lite duty.

Is there anything heavy-duty AND narrow, or adjustable-width? Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

berrypatch
17 years ago
I'm not aware of any walk behind tiller that narrow. You could remove the outer tines on a tiller such as a Troy Bilt but you would still have the width of the wheels to contend with. Something like a Mantis wouldn't suffice? Light duty, but I have heard good things about them.
kompressor
17 years ago
OK, I'm confused.

It sounds to me that either you are doing this backward or this area is planted with something that is permanent instead of being seasonal.

Most people plow, disc or rototill their gardens well in advance of planting anything. Any amendments are added at that time and then the planting is done. Once the planting has taken place, then the only task is weed control. I don't know of anyone that has ever tried to amend their soil during the growing season because the risk of root damage is just too high.

Other than the Mantis and the copy-cat tillers made by Echo, Honda and a couple others, you are not going to find a walk-behind heavy-duty tiller to fit your needs. There are tractors out there that are specially designed for "row crop" farming with either three wheels or four wheels on adjustable spacings that have very high clearances so they can pass over the planted rows while using harrow tines to look after pesky weeds but that's about it.

The Mantis is your only other option.
Related Professionals
Jacksonville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Rock Hill Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Houston Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Shreveport Landscape Contractors · Nashville Landscape Contractors · Plainfield Landscape Contractors · Superior Landscape Contractors · Augusta Tile and Stone Contractors · Elizabethtown Tile and Stone Contractors · Richmond Tile and Stone Contractors · Fort Wayne Tile and Stone Contractors · Rutland Tile and Stone Contractors · Marinette Tile and Stone Contractors · Merced Tile and Stone Contractors · Reno Tile and Stone Contractors
farmerboybill
17 years ago
Hey killadoonjen,

BCS machines are super heavy duty and adjustable. With special steel nursery tires and special tiller shroud, you can go down as narrow as 10 inches wide. Normally, you can get 18, 20/26, 26/30, and 27/34 inch wide tillers, depending on the machine.

Price is gonna be a concern, though, so a Mantis for under 400 bucks is your beast bet. A BCS 722 with 20/26 inch tiller would be 2800 bucks, not including the special tires and tiller shroud.
kompressor
17 years ago
fbb,
I wasn't aware that a BCS could be altered to be that narrow. Thanks for the info.
davefr
17 years ago
Look for a used Troy Bilt Jr. or Pony. (ie the old Gardenway version vs. the MTD junk).

I'm guessing they're right around 12" or so.
berrypatch
17 years ago
I have a Troy Bilt Tuffy. Tilling width is 14". Wheel base about 16". I think the tilling width for the Pony is the same.
tommyw
17 years ago
I have an older Sears tiller. By taking off the two of four outside tines, you can till a 7 inch row. I use it this way for trenching to lay irigation pipe. The rear wheels are about the same width but could be removed if necessary.
yungman
17 years ago
If the soil has been tilled, Mantis will do a great job. 1000sqft is not too big, Just take your time. Mantis in general is a lot more useful than those big tillers. It worth the money.