first i must qualify that i started with and am still using my original troy bilt tiller (second engine) and have gone as till free as resonable.
if you get the tiller your getting the top of the line serious tool with all the bells and whistles.
if you get the riding mower your getting a riding mower.
another option is to get a good used real tractor with a good tool bar.

if u want to ride and till it takes a lot of hourse power andreally low gears so is costly even if used. My troybilt hourse is on its second engine too and yes one can spend a lot of time behind it. I use it less and less as i convert to a minimum amount of tilling. i have looked at the bcs line, the bigger models till 30 inches wide and even have right and left wheel brakes and thus turn on a dime. but tillers eat dirt for a living and as u know the tines really wear down i get saw dust from a pallet company and mulch heavy with it , it breaks down slowly and really cuts the weeds and makes nice soil long term. the pallet company does not get much for the dust and chips from the paper makers so i get 100 cu yd loads very cheeap and there truck is self unoading.

i would think if the blue berries are 10 feet apart you would only have 30 inches wide u could use for growing , blue berries have shallow roots and like acid soil so the tiller would work well. a used troybilt would do even if u had to replace the engine and buy new tines, once tilled turning it under at end of season would be easy just a few passes.

i have limited land and thus grow under cover only for the most part so have less sq ft than others and things are tight in th e green house. in th efuture as i age ihope to have 3 ft wide beds in the gh and 4 ft paths and ride a gaden tractor about not space efficient but will allow me to gadren for a long time
know i have strayed from your topic but there are a lot of things to consider, heavy mulch and limited tilling would be a good way to go and the mulch would aid the blue berries too

Some good points are offered so lets review your setup. You have 400' long blueberry rows planted 10' apart (I have the same layout). How are you planning to mulch this "primary crop" of blueberry plants? As Dirtdigging mentioned you need to leave at least 30" width undisturbed for each row in the first few years, more as your blueberries grow. What are you planning to grow between the rows? I hope whatever crop it is likes acid soil because you better not lime between rows.Are you planning to spray the blueberry crop? What about bird netting?

I'd concentrate on taking care of the blueberries and plant another garden elsewhere. A small tractor with a bucket loader would help to get the annual mulching and general tasks like pruned brush cleanup. A brush hog mower (5') would facilitate mowing between rows.

With your size setup you will eventually want a small tractor sooner or later to save your back. You don't need to buy a new one to get quality. Look on ebay or local auctions for a quality brand name like Kubota. Less costly attachments will become available in much the same way if you keep looking.

I'm not trying to direct you to Kubota but their small tractors have a good reputation. I permanately leave a rear tiller on my B6100(14HP diesel tractor that thinks its much bigger) as a counter-weight for the front bucket and to work soil in and around my greenhouses. With three power take-off (PTO) speeds It can prepare the soil for any crop. But The tractor is used almost daily for hundreds of other tasks. It is a little small to pull a row mulcher (I don't have one yet) or larger implements but as you grow you can look for the larger #2 tractor.

Thanks all...you have all made good points. Bmoser, here in East Texas, the soil is naturally acid..to bother with lime ect. is just not worth the trouble- for me anyway. Most crops do just fine with out P.H. adjustments. As for the blueberries themselves, no, I never spray them. One very good thing about Rabbiteye Blueberries (at least here in Texas) is that they have few, if any pest/problems. Birds are about the biggest headache, but, when you grow enough of them, there is more than enough to share. As for mulch...that is another issue on my mind big time. My first field of B.Berries, I never mulched and it was a real pain in the early years. Weed-o-rama. Now, with these new ones I do want to mulch. Oh, one other thing...I do not have the option of moving the garden to another field- this was my last one, lol. Short of cutting down my few acres of woods, I am out of space. My plan is (hopefuly) to buy a few more acres from the rancher who owns the thousand acres that surrounds my place. I want to postpone this for a couple of years (I mean to say...when I can afford to buy the land IF it is for sale) by intercropping with the blueberries.

Dirtdiggin, here in this part of Texas, logging is a huge industry and sawdust is a real possibility though how I would go about getting it is something that perplexes me. I do not have any contacts in that biz....
The one thing I wonder about with sawdust is the fact that fresh shavings/dust will bind up nitrogen for several years. Being that Blueberries are so touchy about fertilization I am not sure what rate I would use to counteract this with out frying them. The other thing I am thinking about is perhaps seeing if I can find a supply of spoiled hay...those big round bales are everywhere here. I assume that from time to time, some MUST be mouldy and can not be feed to livestock. It would seem to be a good thing, cut down on irrigation/weeds and also add organic matter to the soil. Our soil here in E.Texas tends to be low in organic matter. I dunno...maybe sawdust IS the way to go- it will surely create a better barrier against weeds.
Bmoser, what I really want IS a tractor like a Kubota...you have sorta' steered me back in that direction. The reason I did not go further with that idea is that I assume the price is out of my reach. I can afford only about 3,000 bucks which ever way I go. I never priced a used on before...do you think that I might be able to find something like you mention in my price range? I like the idea of a PTO rather than the self powered drag behind tillers you buy for the big mower type tractors. Just one more thing to break down and to say that I am not a handy kinda' guy would be a major understatement.
Just wondering but...about how much does a rear tiller cost (used) for a B6100?
Maybe I need to accept the fact that I am going to need both... a tractor and a tiller. Tractor for the "big" stuff and a tiller (though smaller than I figured, if I have a tractor) for the inbetween type stuff. Stan, how long have you been using your Troy Built tiller? How long did the first engine last?

Today I was in Lowes and I ALMOST pluncked down 2,000 bucks for a Troybuilt mower-tractor. The sales guy assured me this was what I needed. I am so glad I did not and came home and read this. Moser, like you said, I am going to need something for the hundred other tasks around the farm..at 43, I ain't gettin' any younger and the back will one day give out...sigh....

timh if u want sawdust just get on the phone and start calling likely they are shipping it to a paper mill but not getting much for it. i do not find it ties up nitrogen for years, if u till it in yes but sitting on top not much effect. to unload a entire tractor trailer by hand is a task but here or there there are programs for recovering drugies and drinkers and the like or different organizations too and cost would not be bad

considering your lack of money, know that well look for a good used troy bilt horse or one u cn rebuild, i would be a lot mor concerned too with my blue berry ph in the soil i would want to know what it is and what it needs to be and get it there for optomal groth

maybe the chain saw needs to come out for the woods or a bull dozer

Get something with a pto. Either a BCS walking tractor (many call this a tiuller but tilling is just one of the 100's of attachments thisd baby will take) or a small real tractor bought from a place the sells farm implements (which is not Lowe's or Home depot, these places do not understand what youare doing, despite what they may tell you).

We have a 14hp BCS which has been a good machine for the 3 acre market garden we have plus we use it to mow the other 6 acres. like you my husband and I are in our mid 40's and not getting any younger.

We have seriously considered getting a 4 wheeled tractor but the gasoline/diesel use puts us off (the BCS uses about $15 a yaer in fuel). Though having something with a loader sure would be nice

New PTO powered tillers can be fairly expensive. But that's why you need to watch the auction listings and classifieds for deals. I won't tell you the prices I paid for the pto tillers I have because that infomation won't help you but I rarely buy new and I'd advise you to seek good used equipment too. Sometimes the best bargain is a odd PTO spline shaft on a unit that you can retrofit to your tractor for a few $.

The most problematic part of any PTO attachment is the gearbox. That is a blessing over buying any piece of equipment with an engine (even when you can hear it running).

Perhaps you can develop a market for your blueberry crop that will bring in enough income to permit you to expand your assets in the future. Fruit crops are typically high return investments so you are on the right path.

I bought a 60 inch Bush Hog tiller which I use behind the Massey 35, works super. I use a small Troy Bilt for the veggie narrow row cultivating and the large tiller between the berry rows which I spaced at 12 feet. A friend uses a Wheel Horse raden tractor with a pull behind tiller with its own power unit(gas engine). He likes it, I dont?

i just picked up a new/used troy bilt from craig's list for $300 . i needed tines for the old one and at over $100 a set i figured i'd get a whole tiller for $300.
nice machine. runs good. you can disengage the pto now and disattatch the tines. it also has the dozer blade.
these machines were made to last and alot of them have seen more abuse (rust, old gas) than use. this ones tines are barely worn.

We started off with a Sears Garden Tractor with all the tilling attachments. Big mistake! For heavy tilling and lots of it the unit was the wrong tool. 10 years later we use it to mow pasture and spread fertilizer. It's a good unit but the wrong tool for us. We bought a Goldoni 14hp unit with the tiller and a separate furrower. It was pricy, $7000 or so, but it hasn't missed a beat since '98. The attachements are pto driven and the number of attachements is almost endless. Another company making similar units is Ferrari and their dealer in California is knowledgeable and helpful. I know that discussing what's the best tiller is like discussing who's kid is better looking. I just know that for what we've needed to do the Troy Builts, which we rented, were not up to the job. Tom

My neighbor is selling his Woods GTO40 rototiller. It is about 40" wide and my tractor is an L2900 Kubota that is about 60" wide. I'd like to use it for tilling berries and a pasture full of buttercups, but I'm not sure if my wheels will compact the soil too much after it has been tilled. Any thoughts?

There are a few options you might consider. The first one I would try is to ofset the tiller mount to one side by 6-8 " if that will accomplish your needs. Another ioption is to switch wheels to narrow the tractor base width. This option is not recommended for hilly areas.

That tractor will probably handle a 5 foot tiller. I've only used a 4' tiller on my 2550 Kubota and it doesn't work the tractor. I have a 4' tiller on a B6100 and it will work the tractor in the upper two pto speeds but I only use them for final bed preparation. If you can tradeup your tiller at some time you'll appreciate the coverage.

Doesn't sound like you'll be using it that often, no? How about renting the machinery? No upkeep, no storage. You could also test both tiller and mini tractor and see what you like best.

Hi - would appreciate comments on whether the BSC 948 walking tractor with its snowblower attachment would be able to handle a 30 metre driveway with 1 in 4 slope?
Julie

I feal your pain. I have a garden tractor and it's not good for much more than mowing the lawn. I also have a big rototiller and altho it is a beast, I love it. I have a garden area similar to yours and this year we are building a chicken tractor that I can run between the rows, I am hoping it will keep the weeds down and add some free fertalizer.

As the topic is rotor-tillers, I have some questions and little advice. I have a couple of tillers, one of which is a BCS 14HP(I think the model # is 850) which I have been using the past two days to till the garden. It works great on the old garden but where I am putting in an additional garden, it is tough going. The ground here is grass and very compacted. It appears that I will have to go over it two or three or maybe four times to get it tilled.

Last week I bought a new Kubota M7040 mainly for cutting and baling hay, but I am now thinking of getting a tiller for it. We are planning on putting two acres of ground into asparagus and I cannot see myself doing this with a walk behind tiller. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good tiller for my tractor?

ps. My zone is indicated as Newfoundland, but we are now in Nova Scotia as last year we bought this farm near Truro.

Jake - I have a King Kutter II tiller, but they don't make one big enough for your Kubota. I know there are quite a few brands out there, and I suppose a lot depends on what a nearby dealer sells. I have heard that Howard Rotavators are good, and CCM sells a line of tillers that seem to be heavy duty enough to stand up to your tractor.
http://www.solexcorp.com/productfiles/howard/hr16.html

http://www.ccmachinery.com/tillers.htm

Not an expert, by any means,
ThinMan

We started off with a Sears garden tractor and a tiller attachment. That was a mistake. It's just not a good tiller set up nor is the Sears tiller attachment a good one, IMHO. But it does haul carts and mow well. We bought a Goldoni walking tractor with the tiller and furrower attachments. It is great after 10 years. It really does a great job and its size and weight makes using it easy. But back in '98 it ran about $7K and with the dollar's decline probably much more now. Tom

google garden tractor gardening. good info at endtimesreport.com with pics of small tractors doing all necessary tilling, discing, harrowing, cultivating, etc.

Where did you buy blueberry plants as such a large amount? Did you propagate from older existing plants? I thought blueberry plants were grown in cooler climates such as Seattle Washington are very popular here...what varieties are you growing...I know there are highbush wild varieties for higher climates....is that the type you are growing~kindly~carrie~cjcottage

I have Owned and used Most every type, make and size of tiller made. We truck farm about 150 acres and have a great opportunity to try many different things. For years we farmed with 8N ford tractors (No tiller! just plow and disk) and troy built tillers. About 8 years ago and friend brought me a BCS tiller to try. After that I was hooked. The fact that I would no longer have to replace the belts twice a year was a big selling point for me. Plus if you want to change engines it is very simple and you do not have to buy special engines to fit it like with troy built. We like Honda engines (5hp-18hp) and I have 5 BCS tiller/tractors to replace the 21 Troy built tillers we had before. It took 21 because they were broke down most of the time and we always had to wait on parts that were hard to get. Plus the fact that Troy built tiller were a big seller in the Midwest till people started using them and found they were hard to turn, like to take off on hard ground, belts went bad fast and were heavy. This allowed me to buy them cheap when they come up for sale. $50-$250 I have never been so lucky buying a BCS tiller. I looked for sometime till I found a guy on eBay selling one and I could see 2 more in the back ground and when I contacted him he had 5 830's and we made a deal.
For Tractor tillers the very best is a Howard. These are made to till rocks, roots and hard ground. I have a 48", 60" and 72". The 60" will till about 14" deep in tilled soil or 8" in hard sod. I love my Howard's but they are not cheap! I also have a Land pride and for the money they work well. I have a 33HP and 90hp new Holland tractors.

Here is a link that might be useful: My weblink

I will have to agree with several of you on the quality of the BCS tractors. I have several of them and most of the attachments. Last year I bought the Rotary Plow that is available from the dealer in KY and it is the greatest tool ever! Since then I have used the tiller attachment very little. It will plow sod and rocky land with very little trouble. This summer I plowed what had been pasture and hay for the last 40 years or so and it walked right through it. The other attachment that I now have is a power harrow for it. It makes a perfect seedbed in one pass after the rotary plow. As a market gardener, I would hate to do without it now.

I also have a small tractor and a 40" Howard Rotavator. It is a wonderful tool and I use it a lot. The big advantage of the walk behind tractor is that it does not compact the soil like the rider.

Used Howards are hard to find but when you do find one, it can be a bargain.

i have a L-4400dt 45 hp kabota tractor and am thinking about buying a king kutter 72in tiller. is that too much tiller for my tractor and am going to have clutch trouble in the future with it.

We rented a L3010 and used a 5' tiller, with it I wouldn't go any wider in basic clay-loam. It will depend on your soil texture.

Really do you need wider than 5' swathes. I've tilled acres 5' at a time.

Put me in the BCS fan club. I rent or hire when I need tractor work, and the BCS does about everything once the big jobs are done. Tractors are best for bringing new ground into production, but that is a lot of equipment to have sitting around loosing value every day you don't use it. The BCS walking tractor, especially the larger models, have multiple uses that can adapt to a variety of crop systems, and that means you can use it more often. I also do contract work with mine, at $40/hr, so you can get payback pretty regularly as you build your kit of accessories. They aren't too hard to find used. I've even used mine to drag saw logs out of the woods.

You might consider a small band of baby doll sheep... they are small, mow and fertilize at the same time. Plant some short grass with German clover (good time to look into bee hives) and you should be good...could make money on blue berries, wool, mutton, and honey.... your doubled crop...