Anyone use a Troy built tiller

[pastorp]

I want to put in a few food plots & flower bed. ( hard to tell the difference sometimes ) anyway they have a Troy built at lowes for $400. Looks about the right size. Any opinions?

[Ranger99]

tiller is a tiller from what i've used.
if you've never used one, they absolutely
will kick your butt in the dirt when breaking new
ground. pace yourself, or you'll be laid
up a day or two.


good luck

[Larry L]

I wouldn't want a Troy Bilt anything even for free especially if it has a Briggs & Stratton engine. They are very cheaply made tools. The B&S engine will have a floating plastic intake manifold that has the carb whipping around on the end of it. The carb is actually bolted to a metal frame that's suppose to seal at the plastic manifold but vibration causes the plastic manifold to break as the metal frame isn't strong enough to hold it. We've had their equipment given to the church I attend and none of it ever makes it the first year. I'd strongly suggest another brand. Honda engines are among the best on the small tools like this.

[Mxpe78a]

Todays Troy built equipment is junk. I bought a mower and the front axle broke the first time I used it. Buy a Honda.

[hillbill]

if its the 5hp one with the backwards rotateing tines you may not like it.i have one and its kind of a pain in the back to use for anything but really small jobs.you basically have to push it along to get it to go.if your ground has many rocks its about worthless.as far as tearing up sod, forget it..the cable that shifts it into reverse will break right away also.if you do have rocks the tines will bend also.the tires are junk on mine and always leaked around the bead until i tore them down and smeared silicon gasket stuff around the beads.
 
mine runs fine after a couple years but i would not buy another one.however if you have flour like soil with no rocks it mite be ok.

[FPH]

If you can find an old one, they are built like a tank and have torque to spare.

[Bugflipper]

The old ones are probably one of the best tillers made. The horse and big red models are the biggest. You can walk slightly behind/beside them and run with one hand. The smaller the tiller the more it will whoop you. Craigslist usually has a poor running bigger model troybuilt for a little bit of nothing. If you can work on them or have it fixed, fine. If not a new motor isn't to bad. Often times they run good, just need a new drive belt because they won't pull. The little counter rotating ones will beat you to death. It's more work fighting them than they are worth. If it's newer built one I'd just look for a used craftsman model returned to sears. They are still made pretty good. Not half as good as the old troybuilts but better than the junk they sell since MTD took them over. With used ones the Poulan pro's aren't to bad either but they will make you work a little more than  the other two trying to keep them straight.

[superd]

As with a lot of equipment available at lowes,home depot,wal-mart and other box stores is junk. This also pertains to power tools also. Equipment sold to them has plastic parts, bushings instead of bearings and other cost reducing items.  When it comes to power tools units from box stores vs local tool suppliers has the same model number but the type number is different, one has bearings and one has bushings.

[gypsyman]

Had the B&S engine on my Troy built go out after 7-8 years. Still have it. Might end up just buying a new engine for it someday. The mechanic I use for small engines called me up about a month ago, and said he was selling his personal tiller, as he went to all raised bed. It's about 25 years old, a John Deere 820. This thing is built like a tank!! Has a 8-9 hp. B&S on it. I believe it to be a commercial tiller. Paid $300 for it. Used it today for 4-5 hours, and chewed up some pretty tough ground. I've got 3-4 inch's of top soil, and clay under that. Don't think I'd buy another Troy built, as they were bought out years back by MTD. They really cheapened them up. gypsyman

[FPH]

Had the B&S engine on my Troy built go out after 7-8 years. Still have it. Might end up just buying a new engine for it someday. The mechanic I use for small engines called me up about a month ago, and said he was selling his personal tiller, as he went to all raised bed. It's about 25 years old, a John Deere 820. This thing is built like a tank!! Has a 8-9 hp. B&S on it. I believe it to be a commercial tiller. Paid $300 for it. Used it today for 4-5 hours, and chewed up some pretty tough ground. I've got 3-4 inch's of top soil, and clay under that. Don't think I'd buy another Troy built, as they were bought out years back by MTD. They really cheapened them up. gypsyman

If you can find an old Troybuilt like your JD....buy it.  I bought mine used about 15 years ago....12 hp engine......built like a tank......chews through my clay...........tons of attachments......tractor type tires.......beast.

[hillbill]

the older ones are really built well and do a good job.the newer ones not so much.