Sharpening tiller tines

[crunch1224]

Broke out the old tiller and got it ready to break up some new ground. I took off the tiller blades and broke out the 4inch grinder and got to work. Took about 20 minutes to sharpen up those old blades. This was the first time they were ever sharpened. The blades were basically blunt clubs just beating the ground to death

The 4inch grinder I used was a WEN off of amazon. It only cost me 25 bucks and came with a grinding wheel, extra set of engine brushes, and a tool to change out the grinding wheel, not to bad if you ask me.

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[Paulf]

My forty year old tiller has never had a blade sharpened but one tine cracked and was replaced about fifteen years ago. All the blades are fairly blunt. Never have noticed it didn't work as it always did. Let us know if sharpening blades makes a difference.

[crunch1224]

My forty year old tiller has never had a blade sharpened but one tine cracked and was replaced about fifteen years ago. All the blades are fairly blunt. Never have noticed it didn't work as it always did. Let us know if sharpening blades makes a difference.

I know most people dont sharpen their blades on their tillers, but I was breaking new ground through thick sod and needed all the help I could get I did notice that it did help. The blades cut right through that sod like butter and chopped it up pretty well. Now I know that the blades will dull up after awhile and thats ok the hard parts over. If your soil is loose and sod free you wont really notice dull blades, it will just smash right through it.

[Cole_Robbie]

Nothing comes sharp. I think it is legal liability. Shovels and garden hoes are blunt, too.

[crunch1224]

Nothing comes sharp. I think it is legal liability. Shovels and garden hoes are blunt, too.

Just a thought popped into my head from this thread and another I posted in. I used to be a concrete finisher before my carrier as a welder and my trowels were so sharp you could shave with them. I would have to file them dull and clean up the edges from time to time.

[JRinPA]

Don't change the brushes, even if it says to change yearly, they take forever to wear out for home use...

I have, I think, five 4-1/2" angle grinders; my "good one" was from advance or something, I used to use that for everything and change the heads. That was the one brushes went bad after scheduled maintenance changing, and luckily I kept the old ones, and just put them back in. I use that one for cutoff wheel. Two HF blue ones I got on closeout, for flap disk and wire wheel. And the 4.3 amp I use for grinding wheel. One or two extra for when one dies, the 4.3A ones used to be $8 or sale?

That orange one looks basically like the 4.3A HF ones, but they are 4-1/2" I think.

[crunch1224]

Don't change the brushes, even if it says to change yearly, they take forever to wear out for home use...

I have, I think, five 4-1/2" angle grinders; my "good one" was from advance or something, I used to use that for everything and change the heads. That was the one brushes went bad after scheduled maintenance changing, and luckily I kept the old ones, and just put them back in. I use that one for cutoff wheel. Two HF blue ones I got on closeout, for flap disk and wire wheel. And the 4.3 amp I use for grinding wheel. One or two extra for when one dies, the 4.3A ones used to be $8 or sale?

That orange one looks basically like the 4.3A HF ones, but they are 4-1/2" I think.

The one I bought is a 4-1/2 inch. I tend to call them 4 inch out of habit from working in shops for so long. This grinder is definitely for home use, not full time shop use. Its well worth the 25 bucks. Sharpening blades and little stuff puts hardly any stress on a grinder, but for shop use I would probably break the damn thing in no time.

[worth1]

One could always hard surface the times.
Many of these tools have sintered gears in them.
They are what they are.

[JRinPA]

What is the old tiller anyway? Pics of tiller and tines requested.

I'm not saying it doesn't cut better, just trying to think how it would help. I don't have my own tiller, I've used a few models. Passed on that deal last year for the 6.5hp for $179 was it? Still kind of mad at myself about that, bad timing though last year. If I bought it might still be in the crate, unassembled, 1 year "warranty" over.

Using a troybilt pony (5hp) last year on a fresh plot in very dry conditions was really tough last May. Then the new gardener's didn't hardly touch their plot all year. Still haven't showed up this year. Maybe sharpened blades would have helped, but, not sure, I wouldn't want to weaken them. As it was with the hard/dry soil they would really bite into the ground and want to tine-drive the whole tiller - shoot it all forward. So maybe sharper blades would decrease that tendency? By cutting more easily instead of trying to vault forward?

[crunch1224]

What is the old tiller anyway? Pics of tiller and tines requested.

I'm not saying it doesn't cut better, just trying to think how it would help. I don't have my own tiller, I've used a few models. Passed on that deal last year for the 6.5hp for $179 was it? Still kind of mad at myself about that, bad timing though last year. If I bought it might still be in the crate, unassembled, 1 year "warranty" over.

Using a troybilt pony (5hp) last year on a fresh plot in very dry conditions was really tough last May. Then the new gardener's didn't hardly touch their plot all year. Still haven't showed up this year. Maybe sharpened blades would have helped, but, not sure, I wouldn't want to weaken them. As it was with the hard/dry soil they would really bite into the ground and want to tine-drive the whole tiller - shoot it all forward. So maybe sharper blades would decrease that tendency? By cutting more easily instead of trying to vault forward?

I dont have pics of my tiller, but I did find it on the web.

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I have a 2012 Craftsman 208cc counter rotating rear tine tiller. Shes old to me but maybe not for some people using 30 year old tillers. The tines are all made into one unit per side, so you cant take off individual tines you have to take off the entire side at a time. Its no big deal to take off one side its only one pin and a cotter key. Tines come sharpened from the factory, over time they get worn down. You dont really notice dull blades in loose soil that been tilled before, but in new ground with sod sharp tines do help. If the tines arent sharp it tears out the sod in clumps and doesnt cut them up to well. After I sharpened mine and went through sod, it cut that sod up into much smaller clumps. I also noticed that I used less gas as well. I was able to go further on one tank of gas then before.

[JRinPA]

One of the guys at comm garden brought his tractor with PTO tiller to break some new ground today. Took 2-3 passes at each new spot, it is dry and hard right now. Saved a lot of work with the 5hp. Nice doing 5 or 6 foot wide at once, but it would not work for me as I like keeping the walking rows intact.

What is the counter rotating? I have seen that term, and also read absolutely contradictory definitions.

Here is the thread from last summer, the reports on the quality are still all over the place on those. I like the "received upside down in box and leaked all over my garage floor" but the guy with the hole in his hand, that makes me cringe. They were $199 last summer on clearance, $699 now.
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[zeuspaul]

Ignore this post

Counter rotating blades, half go clockwise and the other half counter clockwise. Designed so the tool doesn't pull one way or the other.

[worth1]

((((((Counter rotating tines.))))))
The tines rotate backwards while the drive wheels go forward.
There should be a depth rod going down to the soil to keep them from digging way too deep.
If that's possible on hard soil.
Some tillers have forward and counter rotating tines.
Those have two rods going down.
One rod works as a drag to keep the tiller from running off in the forward rotation mode.

[worth1]

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[crunch1224]

As @worth1 pointed out perfectly hehe the tires go forward the tines rotate backwards. Counter rotating tines work better when you are breaking up new ground with sod or just plain new ground, it digs deeper. Standard rotating tines work best with soil that is already been tilled and you are just doing light clean up on some weeds and what not and you can fly through it faster. Dual direction tines you can do both, but man your going to pay for that option hehe.

I would have to say if you want to see what a tiller can really do, a top of the line one, take a look at BCS tractors. A lot of market growers/homestead growers use them. Basically its my dream set up that I hope to get one day. There are multiple attachments you can get, its pretty amazing, and expensive hehe.

[JRinPA]

Where is that fancy chart from Worth?

Like said, I've read a few definitions, hence the query.

But I thought counter rotating would generally mean, motion reverse of the wheels (CRT). So the leading edge of the till is hit with an upward force. This will automatically dig deeper, and won't allow the tiller to kick forward.

With a simple belt driven you are pretty locked into tines and wheels, same direction. So the tines hit the new ground going down, which lifts/vaults the tiller as it pushes. And if it is really hard ground, you get tine drive (whole machine kicks forward FAST). But I seem to think I read where run a belt drive in reverse to break new ground. And then I also read "don't do that or you will run yourself over with it!" Which has some logic to it...

[loulac]

I have worked with several tillers but I never had to sharpen the tines, I sometimes found they were too sharp when I had to take out roots stuck on them by hand without wearing gloves. The more they work the sharper they get.
I hope nobody uses the grinding wheels sold with angle grinders. They eat too much metal and will quickly ruin tines and the blade of a lawn-mower. I always use flap disks with a fine grade.
Entirely off topic: a US television series shows competing blacksmiths always using angle grinders without the protection of the grinding wheel. French viewers wonder if they are reckless or crazy.

[worth1]

I've used a big sanding disk on a big right angle variable speed buffer.
Many grits to choose from as well as speeds.
If anyone has had a right angle grinder wheel blow up they'll know what the guard is for.

[JRinPA]

Hey these chinese grinding wheels, I trust them, great stuff.

The guards are very clumsy though for certain positions.

I had a chance to try the belt driven Pony today to break new ground a better way, but of course I forgot. I just did three normal passes and it worked fine. Broadforked first, then one pass at 1/3 max depth, 2nd pass at 2/3 depth, 3rd pass at max depth. There were two spots along the row that were tough that I should rebroadforked after the first pass. Each successive pass at those spots, the tiller wanted to tine-run.

But, what I should have tried, broadfork, then tie the rear guard UP, run the tiller in forward but disengage the drive wheels, and work the row backwards, pulling toward me, so the tines would attack it "counter rotating" style, from the bottom up. I don't how it would be any more dangerous, the tines are still turning forward, so it won't jump back and run you over...

One of these times I will remember to try that.

[loulac]

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I've used a big sanding disk on a big right angle variable speed buffer.

If you do not have at your disposal the equipment that Worth1 uses as well as his mastery of all kinds of manual work you can use that kind of flap disk, choosing the finest grit available at your shopping place.