Converting a counter-rotating tiller

[cswarth]

I have a Troy-Bilt counter-rotating, rear-tine Bronco tiller. I know some folks here swear by a counter-rotating tiller, but I only swear at mine.

In my experience, counter rotating tillers are a complete bust, and the pictures of people calmly walking beside their tiller while the machine does all the work are bunk. The tines pull the tiller backward with far more force than the tires can ever pull it forward. As a result, I have to constantly PUSH the tiller forward, and frequently lift the rear tines over a pile of debris that has accumulated between the tines and the tires. To prevent the tires from spinning, I have to till *very* shallowly. I would rather have forward-rotating tines and hold the tiller back than constantly manhandle the tiller foward.

Which brings me to my question - are there any mechanically inclined members who can suggest whether it would be to convert this tiller to *forward* rotating tines? I haven't taken it all apart yet, but I would assume there is a gear below the engine that connects to the drive shaft and redirects the power 90 degrees to the rear tines. I would naively hope that I could just remount that gear on the other side of the drive shaft to make the shaft turn the opposite direction. Has anyone ever tried such a modification, or have an opinion of the likelyhood of success?

Thanks in advance,

chris

[BlueRidge]

Hmmmm. I haven't tried such a modification, and I wouldn't. Given the problems you are describing, I don't think that the counter-rotation tines are NOT the source of the problem. I don't know WHAT is wrong, but they really do work as advertised, in my experience. Quite well, in fact. Same for anybody I've ever talked to about them.

As for the modification, I'd predict that you'll need some advanced fabrication equipment and skills to make such a thing happen. And if you DO, you'll have a tiller you cannot hold back.

[cswarth]

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As for the modification, I'd predict that you'll need some advanced fabrication equipment and skills to make such a thing happen.

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How right you are. I found this picture on the Troy Bilt web side. It shows that the transmission is a cast unit and the linkage looks non-trivial.
http://www.troybilt.com/wcsstore/pics/TroyBilt/transmission_castiron.jpg

I don't know what is wrong either, but my experience with this tiller has been miserable. It runs well, but maybe the wheels are undersized so it doesn't get enough traction? It is bad on unbroken ground, but much worse on loose dirt that has been tilled. In loose dirt the wheels turn but go nowhere and the tines dig a nice pit in-place.

[Bird]

I've used to have the biggest Craftsman counter-rotating rear tine tiller and I never had that problem. Without seeing yours, I'm only guessing, but it sounds as if it needs weight on the front end. The Craftsman came with some pretty hefty weights on the front. I doubt that there's any way you could convert yours.

[cswarth]

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Without seeing yours, I'm only guessing, but it sounds as if it needs weight on the front end.

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I was just out tilling the potato patch this morning, and I hate, hate, hate that tiller! I am amazed to hear that people have good experiences with CRT.

The 30'x50' area I am tilling was tilled once last fall, an then I planted a cover crop. When tilling there is a lot of organic debris (the cover crop) in the soil. That debris builds up between the tines and the wheels to such an extent that the tines can't make progress and the wheels just spin. The whole tiller is held up by the shaft which is balanced on this mini mound of debris and soil. The only way off is to rock the tiller foward so the wheels catch and the tines are completely out of the soil. I end up with all these little piles of debris all over. Feh. What a pain.

I'm going to try to remove the rear guard to see if I can avoid having so much debris built up between the tines and the wheels.

[Bird]

When you talk about a cover crop and it building up, I'm not sure, but that makes it sound as if you're tilling tall grass. That can be done, but with any tiller, I'd want to mow the vegetation as short as possible first. And of course, even if you mow it, but not with a mulching mower, you may have some longer stems that collect on the tines.