Rear Tine Used Tillers
Used Tillers – Does A Rear Tine Seem To Fit Your Job?
The Rear Tine Tiller is probably the most publicized type of tiller but I have to admit it is not may favorite. However they are good heavy duty units and have a place in the market. I will now expound on a few of my experiences with rear tine tillers.
Most of the good things you hear about a rear tine tiller may only apply to the extreme heavy duty models and of course they are pretty accurate. However when shopping for used tillers we do not recommend you get caught up in all that hype about rear tine and wind up getting a heavy duty unit that would be good in a commercial job when you want one for a home garden. No they do not turn on a dime, especially when you are in a tight area next to a fence or building. Yes they are powerful and do a good job tilling in wide open spaces. They are too big to man handle so you have to let their power do all the maneuvering, turning and so forth.
While doing your research you will also discover light duty rear tine used tillers and even though some may disagree I include some of the much publicized units in this category. If this group seems to fit your job it is recommended you stick to a true transmission gear driven type and stay away from the cheaper worm gear types. In my 30 plus years in the equipment rental business and gardening on the side I had very few good experiences with worm gear driven tillers. They are usually the cheaper and lighter units; tend to bounce on tough soil and generally self destruct in a short period of time.
In the heavy duty line of used tillers the BCS brand with a Honda engine enjoys a good reputation of being reliable and doing a good job. It is equipped with lug type tires and driven by a full gear transmission and for the most part can take care of itself from a maintenance standpoint. Just a little gas and oil in the Honda engine, air in the tires and stored in a dry place plus an annual check up will generally keep one in top condition.
The Barretto all hydraulic has a reputation of being reliable and quite a work horse. As to actual weight it is probably one of the heaviest walk behind units available and may be a bit scarce in the used tillers market. I would recommend the Honda engine over other engines available. The hydraulic controls are pretty straight forward and easy to learn to operate and give fingertip control. You exert very little labor in operating one. It has a good feature you should look for in any heavy duty rear tine tiller and that is the tines and wheels are powered independently of each other. This allows for slow travel and fast tine rotation and the tines do not turn when tiller is in reverse gear. Look for the safety shields and be sure they are in place and workable on any used tiller.
The toughest and heaviest rear tine tillers I ever saw was an old style Mang with a Wisconsin engine. However I have not seen any of them around lately so it is doubtful you will locate one in the used tillers market. One of these would probably be worth installing a new engine if the transmission and all gears are in good condition. Factory color of these units was gray. Not sure but I believe the Mang has been redesigned and may even be built by a different company and painted red today. Still a good tiller but not nearly as heavy as the old style.
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