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Rototiller recommendation.

Sucks to hear Briggs got taken over by an investment company... same thing I believe happened to the old tecumseh company too.
 
I’m in the market for a rototiller. Hoping to stay under $1500. Not opposed to looking at a used one if an older model is better.

Our garden is 30’ x 50’ and is just regular dirt. Not clay or sand. Been looking at rear tine tillers but have no idea what’s good.

I don’t want a Chinese or other 3rd world country produced one. Self propelled and something with a neutral option so it can be moved around easily is what I’m looking for.

Anyone have any recommendations?
I do a lot of gardening and bought a used Troy Bilt about 13 years ago. It was well used when I bought it and it works great and is still going strong. My Mom has the same basic model that I have and we have been using it on her farm for the last 40 years. You can't beat these machines. Get the big one called the Troy Bilt Horse. You could search Fakebook or Craigslist for a used one.
 
Sucks to hear Briggs got taken over by an investment company... same thing I believe happened to the old tecumseh company too.
yes tecumseh products peerless gear, was sold out then that company I believe went under and was taken over by some other company in wisconsin. my dad and grand dad both worked there, they were tooled up in ww2 and made 50 caliber aircraft machine gun bullets. my dad had one he got from his dad that did some of the machining, the slug was about 4 inches long with a screw cap tip on the end and the slug was hollow, i assume for explosives. thought that was way cool when I was kid. The factory has been mostly torn down, another one gone.
 
I have a 1985 Troy Built rear tine 8 horse Briggs. Wouldn't sell it at all. After it sets two or three months I pull the rope twice and it starts. It is electric start but don't need it. The newer Troybuilt is not very good.
 
yes tecumseh products peerless gear, was sold out then that company I believe went under and was taken over by some other company in wisconsin. my dad and grand dad both worked there, they were tooled up in ww2 and made 50 caliber aircraft machine gun bullets. my dad had one he got from his dad that did some of the machining, the slug was about 4 inches long with a screw cap tip on the end and the slug was hollow, i assume for explosives. thought that was way cool when I was kid. The factory has been mostly torn down, another one gone.
Yep, Peerless was sold to Husqvarna and Tecumseh was shut down then sold to another company who entered into an agreement to build Tecumseh engines again.
You could usually tell when a Tecumseh shut down. It would make a final pop out the exhaust.
 
Appreciate all the info from everyone. I may just go the rental route this year.

Anyone used or have an older Craftsman tiller? There was one for sale local last fall that I missed out on. Just curious if they are any good?
I have a Craftsman that’s probably 20 years old, works great, use it every year. No going to break grass well with it though, for that I’ll use the Farmall, then break it up with the rototiller.
 
Don't get the front tine tiller, make sure you go for a rear tine. They work much better.
 
Don't know the ground is in Washington but here it is full of rocks. Rented a troybuilt to breakup some ground rocks and roots O'boy. It was like wrestling a 900 lb gorilla that didn't get tired. Ached for few days.
 
Don't know the ground is in Washington but here it is full of rocks. Rented a troybuilt to breakup some ground rocks and roots O'boy. It was like wrestling a 900 lb gorilla that didn't get tired. Ached for few days.

They are like running a packer. You want to hang on loosely, not manhandle them. With rocks, let it buck, as the tiller moves ahead leaving the rock a foot behind, get your toe under the rock and flick it out of the garden. It's amazing how a small rock can make them jump. Not much you can do for roots with a walk behind. Going down in steps is faster than taking big bites.
 
There is a fair amount of rocks around here in the soil. More so if you are in the bottom of a valley. I’m up on the hillside so hopefully won’t run into too many. Friend of mine has an older Troy Built, think he said it’s the Horse model. I’ll give it a try next weekend hopefully and go from there.

Appreciate all the feedback from everyone thus far. :thumbsup:
 
They are like running a packer. You want to hang on loosely, not manhandle them. With rocks, let it buck, as the tiller moves ahead leaving the rock a foot behind, get your toe under the rock and flick it out of the garden. It's amazing how a small rock can make them jump. Not much you can do for roots with a walk behind. Going down in steps is faster than taking big bites.
I'm not talking about rocks 3 or 4 inches. These you need to dig out. New England is famous for rock walls. Hundred years or more ago my area was farmed. Farmers made rock walls, we'd walk on them, they were breaking down, we didn't help.
 
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