food plot implements- disc or tiller
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: 88van
19-Jan-23
Hello all I recently purchased a property in Kansas. I am looking for thoughts on what implements to buy to install and maintain food plots. I have a 30 HP JD tractor. should I purchase a 5/6ft disc or a tiller. I will be turning small grass pockets into food plots. Trying to decide if a disc is better or a tiller. or even a 'plotmaster' type implement. Thanks
From: Catscratch
19-Jan-23
What part of KS? Hilltop and rocks, or creek bottom black soil? Do you have a sprayer setup? What do you plan on planting? Have you done a soil test and will you need to admin the soil?
From: fdp
19-Jan-23
Kinda' what Catscratch is getting at. The 2 are completely different and do different jobs. You may want to end up with both. Use the disc to break up and turn the "new" ground and then use the tiller to groom the plot before you plant.
From: Missouribreaks
19-Jan-23
Depends on soil type, but if have to choose between one or the other and both may work, tough to beat a small tiller on a 30 hp tractor. 30 hp does not pull much of a meaningful disc. No matter what, you can use either for a small plot. Personally I like tillers.
From: KSBOW
19-Jan-23
Man I have hard time not going with tiller, plus you can look around and find a cheap older disk that will work. Tiller spray it and go, they are they are awesome in my opinion.
From: fuzzy
19-Jan-23
Both if possible. If you can't swing both go with disc
From: Cheesehead Mike
19-Jan-23
I have a two row disc that I usually pull with my ATV and occasionally with an old truck. I also have a small old Wheelhorse tractor with a 36" tiller. I use the disc more than the tiller.
From: MQQSE
19-Jan-23
Don’t ignore a no till system of managing your plots. Lots of good info out there on the subject. I own a tiller but often don’t even use it.
My main tools are brush hog, sprayer and a cultipacker.
From: Julius Koenig
19-Jan-23
I bought a rototiller last year for my 35 hp. I wished I had taken the money any put it toward a crimper. I like the rototiller and it’s handy for the garden, fixing ruts from the tractor or my truck. Had ok luck with it preparing seed beds for food plots.
I’m not anti spray, but certainly like to use it minimally or not at all if possible. It is amazing the results you can get just laying seed on the soil and ensuring it’s making soil contact.
From: Huntiam
20-Jan-23
U can plow with a disc Cant disc with a plow
From: Wildan2
20-Jan-23
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/threads/disking-up-an-old-field.462825/#post-6457863
From: Lewis
20-Jan-23
Disc Good Luck Lewis
From: t-roy
20-Jan-23
Catscratch’s ?s have a lot of bearing on what I’d recommend, especially the soil type. If it’s decent non-Rocky soil, I’d lean towards the tiller, especially if you’re breaking up virgin, grassy ground. I’ve never used a plotmaster type of implement, but what I’ve seen where others have used them, I wasn’t overly impressed, especially from the tillage aspect. This was in plots that hadn’t been broken up before. They would probably work much better in existing worked ground.
From: Ironbow
20-Jan-23
I have a small 20 hp John Deere with a tiller and it is a great tool to have. I filled up half an acre of grass, weeds and small trees and it worked great.
From: Grey Ghost
20-Jan-23
I chose a 6 foot rototiller to pull behind my 45 HP tractor, and it was the right choice for me. It chews thru 8" of native top soil easily, usually with one pass. But we have relatively soft sandy soils with not much rock.
Matt
From: fuzzy
20-Jan-23
Matt/Grey Ghost you nailed it there. Tillers are great in soils without rocks and roots. Soils with obstacles need a disc.
From: Buckdeer
20-Jan-23
I sold my disk and use a tiller only when I need to break up plots.I try to use the min till Kasco to keep weeds down as the marestail and pig weed or resistant to gly so I have to use a liberty seed and herbicide.
From: Grey Ghost
20-Jan-23
Fuzzy, the biggest obstacles we have in our native grasslands is yucca and cactus. Both have deep roots, but they don't present much problem for my rototiller. I can certainly see how a tiller could take a beating in rocky soils.
Matt
From: 88van
30-Jan-23
thanks for all the feedback. Think I will start w a disc
From: Lewis
30-Jan-23
Here in Tennessee we can’t grow corn soil is too rocky by far that’s why we get our corn ?? in a ?? jar lol if you have ever been to or watched a UT sporting event you have heard those lyrics and I do like a disc over a tiller most of the time and I have both.Good Luck Lewis
From: fuzzy
30-Jan-23
We have a lot of fist to volleyball rocks (as Lewis says) which will lock up a tiller and burn out the PTO shaft clutches. After several years of rock and root picking a garden area or small field you can start using a tiller. "New ground" a disk is best
From: Jeff.Thomp
30-Jan-23
Buy a disk to start and save up for a tiller later down the road. Welcome to the rabbit hole of food plotting!
From: Medicinemann
30-Jan-23
I love my tiller. There seems to be a lot of advantages to no-till (depending on who you ask), but there is something about the smell of fresh tilled dirt, not to mention the look of a "brown blanket" of freshly tilled soil that no Genesis can ever duplicate....call me old school....if you do go the disc route, I'd recommend getting one with hydraulics.
From: drycreek
31-Jan-23
Road plot, in wheat. First time to plant it. Test, lime, disc, and drag.
Road plot, in wheat. First time to plant it. Test, lime, disc, and drag.
If I had to start over, I’d probably have both, but I do all of mine with a soil test kit, a spray rig, a disc, and a drag. I’m with Troy on the Plotmaster types. I don’t think they bridge the gap between tiller/disc and a full blown (expensive) no till drill well enough to own one.
From: Cheesehead Mike
31-Jan-23
I do the vast majority of my dirt work with my disc and will till strips with my 36" tiller to plant turnips, etc within the plots.
