Disc vs Tillers for Compact Tractors

[olderguy]

In my area where farmers grow wheat, soy beans, rice, corn, milo and such, i have yet to see a tiller behind one of their tractors, and I'm wondering about the advantages / disadvantages of a disc for an individual using a compact tractor gardening 1 to 2 acres.

Please advise regarding a disc vs tiller

[slkpk]

The majority of farmers use no till equipment today compared to years ago. For a 1-2 acre garden I would use whatever I had around. If you've got the plow and disc use it. If your going to need to buy one or the other I would get the largest tiller available for the size tractor you've got. slkpk

[bcampbe7]

I would say that one could disc much faster than they could till. Time is money for farmers.

For a garden, tilling is best, IMHO.

[dmay]

Originally Posted by olderguy

In my area where farmers grow wheat, soy beans, rice, corn, milo and such, i have yet to see a tiller behind one of their tractors, and I'm wondering about the advantages / disadvantages of a disc for an individual using a compact tractor gardening 1 to 2 acres.

Please advise regarding a disc vs tiller

Farmers need to work large acreages. They use non PTO powered heavy discs that are very wide. A large heavy tractor has the weight and power to pull these. Usually a two step process of pulling a disc, then pulling a harrow. A farmer does not have a choice to use a tiller as they just dont make one big enough and then the power requirement if they did would be immense.

A compact tractor can only pull a small light disc. This often is the weakness of where this combination fails. Disc is too light and/or tractor is too light. A PTO powered tiller works great on a small tractor. You can really do a good job with a tiller. You can go as slow as needed to break up the soil. The only benefit to a small compact tractor disc over a tiller is lower cost. A tiller will do a better job overall.

[olderguy]

Wow - great explanations!

Many Thanks

[Clint in KY]

Another dis-advantage of a disc - you must first break up the soil with a plow before you disc it. Breaking up the ground (two or three passes) and then discing (two or three passes) actually takes longer than running a Tiller.

The main advantage of a plow and disc is $$$ . I got a Subsoiler for $169 and a disc given to me. Tillers are about $1500 or so.

[ncron1985]

Ive got the nice reverse till land pride and I still run a subsoiler to break up the deep packed dirt really seems to help with drainage Ive got some weeds and crops to till in here tomorrow if the ground isnt too wet and the plan is to use the middle buster to hopefuly try and burry the weeds so they die then Ill till

[Volfandt]

Agree, great explainations
I can only add my experiences w/a plow & disc setup (somebody has to swim against the current ).
My garden used to be about an acre in size and I'd turn it w/a bottom plow just before the 1st frost then work it up nice and fine w/a disc in early spring. I could really work that dirt up real fine w/this combination and do it pretty quick w/an old TE20 as the power plant. My disc was a modified single row former horse drawn model w/a 3ph adapter welded on. I'd have maybe a 1/2 day to plow and another 1/2 day to disc. A dual gang disc would have cut down on the disc'ing time quite a bit.

I've down sized the garden to basicall a 30 x 50 plot which is really too small for a plow & disc so I just follow a walk behind tiller around it come early spring. A nice 3ph mounted tiller would be great but I'd have to hit the lottery or similar 1st

IMHO, it's more economical to use a plow/disc on large acreage plots and a 3ph tiller on smaller. A tiller is also great for between row weed control too.

Dave
Dave