Gardeners - What are your go to power tools?

[teddy12b]

I'm debating on trying to find a used tiller over winter now that gardening is done and I'm wondering what people who are good at gardening consider to be their go to power tools. I'd like to get manure out to my place and till it in so it's settling over the winter and ready in the spring. Thoughts?

 

[hooky]

I used to have a DR rear tine tiller that was a beast. Gave it to my folks when we moved and now my brother has it. It was used when I bought it 20 years ago, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

I stopped tilling and went to raised beds where I just add compost to the top every spring, so I'm power tool free in the garden at the moment.

 

[teddy12b]

I used to have a DR rear tine tiller that was a beast. Gave it to my folks when we moved and now my brother has it. It was used when I bought it 20 years ago, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

I stopped tilling and went to raised beds where I just add compost to the top every spring, so I'm power tool free in the garden at the moment.

I've got a couple of acres, and I'd love to really make a big time garden next year. I'd also like to work some compost into the soil and do a better job on some food plots. Our raised beds were built years ago and have rotted away to the point where next spring I'll likely just have tear them all out.

 

[hooky]

I've got a couple of acres, and I'd love to really make a big time garden next year. I'd also like to work some compost into the soil and do a better job on some food plots. Our raised beds were built years ago and have rotted away to the point where next spring I'll likely just have tear them all out.

They make a tractor mounted tiller too.

Can't vouch for them now, but 20+ years ago the quality was great.

 

[teddy12b]

I'm going to look into those pull behind units. I'd love an option to pull behind a mower, or my jeep if I really want to hill billy it up.

 

[Expat]

If I was just starting out, I would learn to do the raised beds, no tilling, hippy methods of gardening. But I am the old dog that isn't going to learn new tricks at this point. I have a Troybilt Horse. 2 observations, Troybilts are not what they used to be. This one isn't near the quality as the one I bought 35 years ago. For my small garden plot (about 3500 sq ft), the pony was plenty big. The horse is really too big and heavy for how often I have to turn around when tilling the garden.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Depending on how big of an area I would look at garden tractor mounted or tractor mounted, especially since you mentioned food plots and having some ground.

I have been on the lookout for a garden tractor with tiller myself

 

[Cameramonkey]

I've got a couple of acres, and I'd love to really make a big time garden next year. I'd also like to work some compost into the soil and do a better job on some food plots. Our raised beds were built years ago and have rotted away to the point where next spring I'll likely just have tear them all out.

This is the way to do it. I do a raised bed. Its only a few inches above the rest of the yard. I know you can get MANY more years out of treated, but I dont want those chemicals leaching into my food bearing soil to be sucked up into the fruits. I get about 7 years out of my boards. The first time I needed to replace I looked into dimensional PVC. It was something like $18 per board foot for the 2" pvc. No thanks! The break even point for that was beyond my lifetime if I only have to replace my untreated lumber every 7 years or so.

 

[spencer rifle]

We have fireproof siding on the work building - that might do well for raised beds. No chemicals or asbestos, and quite durable.

 

[teddy12b]

Depending on how big of an area I would look at garden tractor mounted or tractor mounted, especially since you mentioned food plots and having some ground.

I have been on the lookout for a garden tractor with tiller myself

When we first moved out there I was really excited to buy a tractor until I realized I could rent one for half a day delivered and picked back up for $250 for a day and then I didn't have any repairs or maintenance to deal with and that was less than a monthly payment would have been for the tractor with attachments that I wanted.

Normally, I pile up a list of chores each year that would just be easier with a tractor and save them for a "tractor day" and then I'm set.

 

[Creedmoor]

I own a JD 790 Tractor, 30 hp I bought new.
I bought a used broken 3 pt Woods 5' shaft drive rototiller and rebuilt it over 20 yrs ago.
I also like above owned a cast iron Troy Built Horse. Years ago I gave the horse to my brother.
Roto-tilling a few acres is a piece of cake with good equipment.

Like above, with todays tractor and equipment pricing renting is probably a good option.

 

[Jaybird1980]

When we first moved out there I was really excited to buy a tractor until I realized I could rent one for half a day delivered and picked back up for $250 for a day and then I didn't have any repairs or maintenance to deal with and that was less than a monthly payment would have been for the tractor with attachments that I wanted.

Normally, I pile up a list of chores each year that would just be easier with a tractor and save them for a "tractor day" and then I'm set.

How big of an area are we talking about?

I was thinking older Garden Tractor.

You could always hire someone to come by and do the tilling. We have a few people advertise it.

 

[JettaKnight]

We have fireproof siding on the work building - that might do well for raised beds. No chemicals or asbestos, and quite durable.

Not sure if that's like hardie board, but that stuff rots quickly.

 

[teddy12b]

This is the way to do it. I do a raised bed. Its only a few inches above the rest of the yard. I know you can get MANY more years out of treated, but I dont want those chemicals leaching into my food bearing soil to be sucked up into the fruits. I get about 7 years out of my boards. The first time I needed to replace I looked into dimensional PVC. It was something like $18 per board foot for the 2" pvc. No thanks! The break even point for that was beyond my lifetime if I only have to replace my untreated lumber every 7 years or so.

When I originally built our raised beds I took 1'x12'x2" boards and turned them into 4'x12' beds. I went untreated for all the reasons you mentioned about not wanting any chemicals leaching into my soils, but they rotted out after a few years, and it's really at the point now where it's just a mess of rotting boards.

The more I look into those DR power pull behind units the more I like the idea of them. I'm kinda tired of getting beat up by equipment if I can avoid it and pulling it behind my zero turn seems like it'd make some pretty light work.

 

[teddy12b]

How big of an area are we talking about?

I was thinking older Garden Tractor.

You could always hire someone to come by and do the tilling. We have a few people advertise it.

Honestly it all depends on how much work it all takes to setup. If I can drag a tiller behind my mower to work up the soil and dump compost into that section then I'd be happy to do an acre. If I'm going to spend all day trying to break up soil that feels like concrete then I'd stop at 20'x20'. All the time is in the setup and then it's just pulling weeds after that.

 

[Cameramonkey]

To save yourself for a new lawn to garden plot:

Rent a power sod cutter. Set it to its deepest setting and cut the grass and as much of the root system you can. Remove the sod.

Work the top inch or two lightly with the tiller

Backfill the area with composted manure and topsoil.

Work that all in good .

Without the grass and it’s roots it should be a lot easier to work.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Honestly it all depends on how much work it all takes to setup. If I can drag a tiller behind my mower to work up the soil and dump compost into that section then I'd be happy to do an acre. If I'm going to spend all day trying to break up soil that feels like concrete then I'd stop at 20'x20'. All the time is in the setup and then it's just pulling weeds after that.

Yeah an acre would be to much for a garden tractor. The DR pull behind might work. If I was trying to turn over an acre of fresh ground I would use a plow. Rent or hire someone to get it turned over the first time, after that it would be much easier.

 

[bdybdall]

Has anyone tried rough-sawn oak boards for raised beds? I think I've read that white oak is somewhat resistant to decay.

 

[hooky]

Has anyone tried rough-sawn oak boards for raised beds? I think I've read that white oak is somewhat resistant to decay.

I just use treated lumber. The new stuff (post 2006?) doesn't leach arsenic like the old stuff. They've stopped using chromium copper arsenate to treat lumber.

 

[Dirty Steve]

I do raised beds with treated lumber. I use 3- 10' 2x12s and end up with 5' x 10' beds. That is easily managable. The chemicals used in treated lumber now are not harmful. As a precaution anyway, I staple plastic sheeting on the inside before filling the beds are filled and put a toprail on to secure the plastic edge so you can't see it. The plastic also insulates and warms the soil in the bed a little sooner in the spring. I was a till-up-the-soil guy for 30 years. The hippy raised bed method is so much easier now.

Dirty Steve