Reverse rotation garden tiller

Listen to this radio story (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Bob Buzzard, product manager, Woods Equipment Co.

We have an attachment for our tractor that makes quick work of tilling the garden. It's a standard forward rotation tiller. We work the soil in both the spring and fall, so the soil is easy to cut through. However, if we decide to tear up the rock-hard soil and ground cover in the pasture sometime, it might be more effective to go backwards.

Reverse rotation tillers eliminate the tendency to "walk" over a compact surface and will chomp it up like a coffee grinder. They work by pulling ground cover over the rotor top, then putting it back into the ground beneath a layer of dirt. Product manager Bob Buzzard says they create a more finished seedbed with fewer passes.

"The soil will actually fluff and there will be a thicker bed of tilled soil above the ground than you'd find on a regular tiller," Buzzard says. "And it also turns any weeds or grass or anything that is in the soil that you're tilling. It'll turn that under and chop it up more than a forward rotation tiller will, so you get some added benefits and a nicer seed bed."

It can be used in any soil, but won't perform well in muddy conditions. The floating tailgate also protects against flying dirt and debris. Rocks aren't a problem unless they're huge. The tiller will either pull the rock out of the ground, or glide over it. The slip clutch will allow the tines to stop and not cause any damage.

However, it's still safer to mount a reverse tine rotation tiller on the back of sub-compact and compact tractors.

"Those tractors are in the range of possibly 17 horsepower up to 40 horsepower," Buzzard explains. "The smaller series comes in widths of 40, 52 and 60 inches, and the larger series comes in widths of 52, 60, and 72 inches."

Many models have adjustable skid shoes so you can change the digging depth, which ranges from 6-1/2 to almost 8 inches.

Size and features determine price, but expect to pay $2,000 or more for a new tiller attachment.

Learn more:

Woods Equipment: Browse all the reverse rotation tiller attachments from Woods.

Implement ideas for your new tractor: See what other handy attachments you can get for your tractor.