Troy Built Tillers

[Star1pup]

I have a 35 year old Troy that is showing its age.  While looking at websites I see them advertised in stores such as Lowe's for under $700.  The same size on the Troy Built website is about $1,500.  Anyone know the difference?

[Graybeard]

I bought mine at Farm Town and paid less than $600 it. Lowe's had a similar one for a bit more. I think I've had it a couple years now. They definitely do make two pretty different lines these days. One has forward rotating tines and the other reverse rotating tines. I got the one with forward rotating tines as my old Sears tiller had reverse and I came to hate it for that feature. One thing I don't like about mine is that if the wheels move so do the tines, there is no neutral non rotating position for the tines like on my Sears and that I do not like. They expect you to pull the pins from the wheels and put it just in the axle not the wheel and axle to move it. Way more trouble than I'm willing to put up with so I just lift the rear to keep the tines up and go with it.

If I had it to do over I'd not buy this same tiller again.

[Star1pup]

The tines & wheels also turn together in my old Troy.  Back in 1973 I did a 16mm film for them as a tradeout for this tiller.  I doubt any of the new ones are as heavy as this baby, but it's got some problems.  I'm open to suggestions as to any other brands.

[Graybeard]

I think mine is called a Pro Line or some such and has 6.75 hp. It's a good tiller but I sure don't like it not having a neutral for the tines with just wheels turning like I've been used to for so many years. Otherwise does a good enough job of tilling and I defitely prefer the forward rotating tines as opposed to reverse rotation tines.

[Star1pup]

I also heard that there are some with counter-rotating tines.

[jvs]

I bought my Craftsman 7hp 19" Tiller at a yard sale in the late spring of 2006.  The guy who originally bought it was moving to North Carolina and didn't want to take it along.  He said he used it once before putting it up for sale, and I believe it because there wasn't a scratch on it any where, including the Tines.  He said he paid over $900 for it.

I asked what he wanted for it...  He said $400.  When I asked him how low he would go, he said $350.

I almost ripped my pants getting the money out before he changed his mind.

IMO Troy Built makes the best Tiller, but for $350, I like mine just as well.

I read somewhere that the size of your Garden dictates the size of the tiller you should be looking for.  The bigger the Garden, the bigger the tiller. 

If money is no object, the Troy 8hp Horse is the one to get.  It is a real workhorse and it has counter rotating tines. 

One day I will own a Troy 8hp Horse...

[Star1pup]

I was told that one called BCS was great.  I googled them and they are not cheap.  They're also made in Italy and parts might be hard to get.

[jvs]

How big of an area are you tilling Pup?

[Star1pup]

How big of an area are you tilling Pup?

Not that much these days.  The garden is just 24'x40', but I might break up some sod that was once a garden and plant something in it too.  At the most that would double the size I till.  Any bigger and I'll hitch up the old Ford & a plow.

[jvs]

24x40=960.  Double that and you are in the 8hp Horse range.   Get a Horse now and you can expand as you see fit.  If I had a Troy Horse, I wouldnt have any grass to mow.

They aren't cheap, but they last a  L O N G  time.

I know a guy who bought a Horse, which was way too big for what he needed, but he made 10 cents a sq ft tilling other peoples gardens.  Once in the Spring, and once in the Fall.  That rate has probably gone up by now.

I think more people would have a back yard garden if they had someone to till it for them.  Especially older people.

If there is a Troy dealer in your area, look into one.  Or seek a tiller that has local ties...  just for the parts & maintenance aspect.

[Star1pup]

I've already had 34 years out of my horse, but it's time to put it out to pasture.  I'll check the dealer and weigh the difference between fixing mine up and buying a new one.

[gypsyman]

Bought my Troy built 4 years ago at a Lowe's. Deal was, put it on a Lowe's credit card, and not pay any interest, for 6 months. So went and applied, took one home the same day, and cut up the credit card, when I got it in the mail. Paid off the tiller in 3 month's, have never been back to a Lowe's. I got the 5.5hp Bronco model Excellent tiller, blade's turn the same way as the wheels, so easy to walk behind. And with the hard clay we have just inch's under black dirt, it does a fine job of breaking it up. Now, here is what I've found out about Troy built, and a few other brands of outdoor equipment. If you go to the MTD website, you'll find out, they own/build alot of this type of equipment.(John Deere mowers, CubCadet, YardMan, etc.,etc.) I'm not saying this is a bad thing, as I think, MTD is a Japanesse company. And they might build this equipment to different specs. I would highly recommend a Troy built, as mine has worked out great. The Briggs engine has never missed a beat. We keep trying peace, it usually doesn't work!!Remember(12/7/41)(9/11/01) gypsyman

[Star1pup]

Sure is hard to find anything built in the good old USA.  My family had a pottery when they started to bring ware in from Japan back in the early 50s. They shipped it in and sold it cheaper than we could make it.   Ike said that sometimes you had to sacrifice one group of companies to help the whole.  My grandad said, "Wait until it hits the auto makers and steel mills".  They laughed at him, but I'll bet they wouldn't laugh today.  He wouldn't eat in a restaurant unless it had USA on the plates.  Believe me, he checked too!  I still turn cups, etc. over to see where they are made, even though I know it won't be in the USA.

[Odinbreaker]

Had troy built with front rotating tine and wheels had is the optimum word I traded for a rear rotating and front moving tires also has reverse twice as good as previous model