# Tractor to BIG?



## oldmanfarmer (Mar 24, 2016)

I have a 1969 Ford 4000 Diesel tractor that has 38" spin out rims which gives me a 6 to 7 foot width.
I want a rototiller but a seven foot tiller new cost over 2500 and a used 4 to 5 foot tiller run about 800.

What are your thoughts.
I am not looking to do acres and acres of tilling just a few garden lots here and there. One for wild life and one for the neighbors and one large one for my garden.

All input and questions needed.
I have a single 16" plow but no disk nor harrow.
Also I have NO farming experience just have had a small garden in the past, and now want to increase it to raising and storing my own food on a larger scale.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

OMF, 

Do you have access to normal rims to swap onto the Ford 4000? Then the rear PTO tiller costing would be about $800 to $1,200 for a good condition used one. 

Yes, a PTO driven tiller is a dream to making gardens from small plots to acres. Actually in eastern EU, that's how it's done today. Plenty of YT vids showing this with many of the gray market tractors. Yanmar, Kubota, Mitshubishi, Iseki, Satoh, JD, etc. 

My YM2610 is very close to a JD850. The JD850 is close to a Ford 3000 when looking at the gas to diesel Hp+torque together. Thus, your Ford 4000 is a step up and still can do the work of a compact tractor. 

I've seen tractor rims with tires on them for Ford's on CL and elsewhere at times. 

If you don't need the spin-out rim setup on the tractor, maybe you can work a trade with another Ford 4000 owner near you to swap and maybe $200 you get in cash. Then use the $200 towards the tiller.


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

oldmanfarmer said:


> I have a 1969 Ford 4000 Diesel tractor that has 38" spin out rims which gives me a 6 to 7 foot width.
> I want a rototiller but a seven foot tiller new cost over 2500 and a used 4 to 5 foot tiller run about 800.
> 
> What are your thoughts.
> ...


Old Man Farmer; Those 38" PAVT wheels are a prize and will fit quite a few different makes of tractors. Your tractor can run a 6ft. tiller with ease and if you do enough gardens and charge enough($50 hr.) and charge for half the travel time it won't hurt too much...paying for a tiller.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Does the tiller you have been looking at allow for you to offset it to at least till one tire track? If so till in one direction and make sure to till the tire track that you leave. Set your wheels at their narrowest for the tiller, but if you have the money, get the wider tiller.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

deerhide said:


> Old Man Farmer; Those 38" PAVT wheels are a prize and will fit quite a few different makes of tractors. Your tractor can run a 6ft. tiller with ease and if you do enough gardens and charge enough($50 hr.) and charge for half the travel time it won't hurt too much...paying for a tiller.


Up in our area, there are 3 folks who till gardens at $35 a pop. Garden size is 200x200. Outside the 25-miles, they charge an additional 50-cents a mile to get there. 

I did this as extra income, but with a Cub Cadet rear hand tiller. It just doesn't pay. Cheaper for folks to rent the same tiller from ACE Hardware rentals and do it themselves. 

A tiller has always been on my list to get. It's the one implement that takes the most work away from your back outside of square hay baling. My disc-harrow will never equal the quality of a good tiller. Even working it several times, the depth the tiller can reach and grind is amazing. 

The best gardens I've ever seen were ones that first had the ground sod cut, then composted over for a year, and finally tractor tiller-ed. The produce and the abundance is out right amazing. 

Winston has a few snap-shots of his machine in action with the tiller. And there are various ones on YT too. Some of the NEWER tillers now have rock sweeper removal and containment bins as you go along.


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 5, 2017)

A tiller that can cover your tire tracks is the way to go. Yes you can till with a 4 or 5 ft but I suspect you will rapidly get tired of dealing with the compacted tire tracks left. 

Pogobill has the right idea if you cannot get a wide enough one. Offset to whichever side is needed and you can get by pretty easily. The offset is a bit harder on the pto shaft u joints but if your using it a few times a year I suspect it will never be a issue.


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## oldmanfarmer (Mar 24, 2016)

I still have my old rims and center weights for them. the rims are shot but the weights alone are worth some thing? 
I assume $100 to $200 each. any ideas? cant find any on CL or equipment sites.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

oldmanfarmer said:


> I still have my old rims and center weights for them. the rims are shot but the weights alone are worth some thing?
> I assume $100 to $200 each. any ideas? cant find any on CL or equipment sites.


I had poked around the web and did find a set of used rear rims on CL, but it was a hike for you to get to MN. AND ITS COLD up here! 

Another place was in central IL in a place called Dixon. 

Maybe sell the weights to get new rims? You have about 2 or 3 months time.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

off-set mount your tiller, and you will till up 1 track and can till your remaining track with the next pass.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

Old Man Farmer,
What did you ever do with those spinout rims and weights? I have a 4000 with narrow front end and 38" rears.
My rims are the two piece type like you see on most Fords. I have to transport my tractor a bit and wish I could easily adjust them in to fit on my trailer then out for more stability when I got to my destination.


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

I bought a new 4 ft King Kutter all gear tiller for my NAA. I had borderline HP for the 5 ft tiller. The 4 ft model has an 18 inch offset to the right to cover the right side tire marks. You just have to watch which direction you are tilling, but it will produce a smooth surface with no tire marks. The NAA struggled a bit even with the 4 ft tiller due to the. Higher gearing of the older tractors. Wound up having to make 4-5 passes to get depth and texture of soil. Acquired a 1970 Ford 4000 last June. It has 13.6x38 rears and 7.5x16 fronts. With the offset and adjustable sway bars, the tiller still covers the right side tire tracks. The major difference is with the higher Hp, no oscillating governor, and 8 sp H/L tranny, I get better texture and depth with 1 pass of the tiller. The soil is fine geade and level, ready to plant.


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