Tiller Burned Up First Day

[k alton]

Bought a 6-foot Tayor Way tiller over a year go for a couple of food plots and large garden. Usually use disk but got a wild hair. Just got around to using it today and it worked terrific on the first food plot of around an acre. This plot had been planted previously by a hunting club. Then I start plot #2, which has not been planted previously and has a lot of 1-2" stumps in it, but it has been cut close to the ground. It appeared to be doing fine, but before I even finished the first round I noticed the tiller was not turning. So I turned the PTO "off" then back "on" and it appeared to till for a few seconds then stopped again. The gear box then started smoking. Upon investigation, there appeared to be oil leaking (or I should say "boiling" out the front of the gear box. The gear box is nearly out of oil. I was running the tractor in the lowest gear, but at around 1700rpms.

What have I done?

 

[MikeC]

Tillers aren't made to till hard packed soil that hasn't been plowed. Especially if it has stumps in it. :roll:

 

[bigbull338]

sounds like you blew the gaskets in the gearbox.an the oil leaked out.an burned the gearbox up.or like was said you was tilling hard packed ground.an that burned the tiller up.theres only one thing you can do an thats try an replace the gearbox.

 

[k alton]

That is what I was afearin. Thank you for the confirmation.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Organic guys often use tillers to incorporate green manure crops and control weeds. They may make a pass in the fall, seed winter rye or another plow down crop, and then make another pass in the spring before seeding a little later than the chemical farmers. You should have clean mellow soil to have tillers work well.