Rotavator Question

not going to state my point i have done that already, just thought i would share this picture with you guys

just so ya know, rotovator and small machines don't neccessarily, go hand in hand

pudding

Years ago we ran a 6' Howard Select-A-Tilth on a 75 HP Leyland on the heavy orange clay-to-light sandy loam tobacco fields we have here in central NC - it took going slow to get a decent seed bed in the heavier soil, faster in the sandier areas - especially if it turned off dry at the end of the season.

I used this same 'vator on an abondoned hard pan field-turned front yard and had to make multiple passes with the 35 HP Kubota I had it hooked to that day. Like to killed that little tractor because the tines were bouncing off of the ground it was so hard and when it did bite good the PTO would bog. Overheated it a couple of times from the strain.

As an aside, we didn't have a stalk chopper so we bush-hogged the stalks then chopped them into confetti with the Rotavator - one pass with the tiller and all you had to do was run a leveling disk to smooth out the truck rows and then drill the cover crop.

A tiller is not a cure-all for preparing land. It will replace doing multiple passes over a field with a heavy cutting disk but you have to go slower with it so it may take as long. But when the tiller is done the seed bed is not clumpy and is a finer, more uniform consistency that will allow better seed-to-soil contact and better aeration.

For a garden or vegetable plot a tiller is the best one pass soil prep. It was the only thing we used on the tobacco plant beds (if you have ever worked tobacco plant beds you will understand the requirement for the seed bed).

As for breaking - in 12 years of my working on that tobacco farm we only changed out the blades twice - but I did completely wear them from about 50% down to spikes on that hard pan yard in one day. The chain drive got adjusted occasionally but I have yet to see the inside of the chain case. They are more than sturdy. But a new set of tines costs over $400 and you have to burn the bolts to change the blades.

My 6' Howard has 42 blades. They cost under 6 bucks each (Howard blades) even with the bolts and nuts. 6x42 is $252.00 but, i only change out the broken blades so it doesn't seem so bad to change a blade or two every once in a while. I've never had to torch a bolt off, but i do have a decent impact whench!! I never reuse a bolt PEROID!!, and i only use "quality" grade 8 fine thread bolts with C grade "loc-nuts" AND red "loc-tite"!!

To the above poster, i "have" seen my chain, because i inspect it ever year or so. I like to change my lubes every year too. So far, in "over 15 years" with my 6' Howard HA model, i've replaced a split power shaft (just did it a couple weeks ago, about 12 bucks) a set of drive line clutch plates, (i think about 15 bucks) and a few sealing washers (under 5 bucks i think?)that hold the chain case cover on!! That's it!!

A guess on how many acres i have on this machine, based on the fact i get between 300 and 400 acres on a set of rotor blades, would mean i have about 1,000 acres on this machine.

Hope this helps,

Robert

You've put 1000 acres on it in 15 years? Most farmers in my county would put that on in .5 - 2 years if they only rotovated their corn stubble.

DMI is the prefered implement, altho the plow has made a minor comeback & is holding at about 50% use. But the DMI rippers are really popular, they go 15" deep or so to loosen up the ground, blades to cut the stubble up. I think they go 15' or so with the big tractors. No-till is unheard of, too wet & cold in spring.

In the past I've sounded kinda hard on you - I really do enjoy hearing about implements that are not common here, and enjoy your messages.

--->Paul