DIY Tiller

Hey all, I am interested in making the following project, so I am keen to know your opinions on it. I want to build a DIY tiller from an old washing machine motor. I am searching to learn how to convert the speed of the motor to power with the help of gear grinds and use a bicycle chain to transfer it on the rotor, i.e. the blades, the rotor will be mounted on the legs of a wheel cart with bearings and I will place a guard on the back side.
So ... doable? Any opinions? Or should I just buy some cheap, mini tiller?
Thanks in advance, cheers

Sideways thought here...
Tilling the soil kills the worms and microbes. I use a tiller only to break up the soil enough to turn in the first bit of amendments, after that, I don't till, I layer on amendments. I get much better soil that way.

So my comment would be what do you need it do?
If it's the initial break only you want high torque, low speed.
If it's regular tilling, it's a LOT easier to learn how to not have to do it at all.
Permaculture is good for not having to do a lot of excess work!
:D

I have a very hard clay soil ... I am planting cover crops, adding manure, adding compost, you name it and still, HEAVY CLAY-isch soil, so, I really need to till, like, deep tilling

Before you start throwing time and energy to this project, take a look and see what is available second hand. I picked up a second hand mantis tiller for £50 a few years ago. It is a fantastic machine.

I suspect you would find it incredibly difficult to do this project for less than the cost of second hand machine.

Some key considerations:

1) Tilling is brutal on the machine. High vibrational load. High shock loading (eg when you hit a rock). The mechanical strength needed for you machine will likely be more challenging than figuring out how to gear the motor.
2) How do you intend to power it? Is your plot sufficiently close to the house that you can run a standard cable to it? If not, you will likely need some heavy duty cabling to run power out to it. Again, added expense. Having used my tiller a fair bit, I would certainly prefer not to have a cable trailing. Feels like a recipe for lots of sparks.

Following up on Michael's comment, garden tillers are one of those machines that gets used a couple times of year and then sits for the rest. As a result, they are often really hard to get started after a few years so people will sell them dirt cheap. If you have the mechanical know-how to build a DIY tiller I am confident that you also have the ability to get an old one working again.

Have a look at this article at Low<-Tech Magazine, and at first skip down to the section labeled, "Pedal Powered Winch: Substituting a Farm Horse or Tractor." When you mentioned bicycle chain, I immediately thought of this example. If you're poor on cash (and can't buy a used tiller) and long on time and tinkering ability, then this might be a solution worth investigating.

https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/05/pedal-powered-farms-and-factories.html

To sum up the idea: a stationary bicycle powers a winch that pulls a cable across a field, with a plow on the end of it.

Vase Angjeleski wrote:I have a very hard clay soil ... I am planting cover crops, adding manure, adding compost, you name it and still, HEAVY CLAY-isch soil, so, I really need to till, like, deep tilling

I agree that heavy clay is a problem, and deep tilling a lot of organic matter into it helps.

A rototiller has limited depth, so it isn't always the solution. It tends to create a hardpan underneath which reduces drainage. This has to be broken up on a regular basis using a cultivator on a tractor or, in smaller areas, a broadfork.

How large is the area you want to till? Would a double-dig method be an option?

I’d consider deep contour keyline ripping, but I’d never till if I could avoid it.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Vase Angjeleski wrote:I have a very hard clay soil ... I am planting cover crops, adding manure, adding compost, you name it and still, HEAVY CLAY-isch soil, so, I really need to till, like, deep tilling

I agree that heavy clay is a problem, and deep tilling a lot of organic matter into it helps.

A rototiller has limited depth, so it isn't always the solution. It tends to create a hardpan underneath which reduces drainage. This has to be broken up on a regular basis using a cultivator on a tractor or, in smaller areas, a broadfork.

How large is the area you want to till? Would a double-dig method be an option?

About 8000 sq. foot

To deep till 8000 sq. ft. of heavy clay, you'll need some sort of mechanical cultivator.

You can probably hire someone with a small tractor at a small cost. I think the best kind of cultivator for deep tilling is like the picture below. They go deep but don't destroy the soil layers. Have them go over it at several different angles.

I'd suggest renting a tiller, most likely to be the least expensive option to get it done, over a purchase, even used, unless you get a great deal... or... get one with a blown engine, which you could try your hand a re-powering with an electric motor. I have a friend who did just that, and it worked great for him, his garden was close to the house so the length of the cable wasn't a problem.

Running a walk-behind tiller over an 8000 sq.ft. area is a lot of physical work. So is distributing the amendments you are adding to all that area. Hiring someone to do the tilling, by tractor, or even with a walk-behind tiller, saves you the hassle of maintaining the tiller, and the labor! It could be the sort of thing where you distribute compost while the hired hand tills it in.

Broad forking 8000 sq.ft. is also a lot of work, and it will take you longer. Maybe only 3 or 4 times longer. However, you can enjoy the fresh air and hear the birds or your own thoughts, and it's safe to let your mind wander... when you aren't operating a machine.
And you don't need to fork the pathways!, maybe that saves some time/effort
Layering compost and leaves on top, and letting the earthworms do the tilling is another option.

How about this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBBQ9NLFy7U&ab_channel=%D0%90%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%94%D0%9E%D0%9322