wheel horse tiller attachment vs troybilt horse tiller

[bean 85]

a friend of mine has a troy bilt horse tiller. it has a k161 kohler engine.  I am in the process of replacing all the seals in my 36" wh tiller, but can buy this tiller at a good price.

just curious about how the 2 compare?  the troy bilt is put together like a wh tractor.  it's built like a tank. and weighs about as much

[SousaKerry 501]

A Troy-built with a Kohler?  I think every one I ever saw had a Tecumseh on it.  I would say that the Troy-builts may be a bit more nimble in small spaces and if you are trying to till between rows for weed control they can't be beat.  But if you are doing an entire garden for spring tillage then the Wheel Horse is the way to go, as the old add said "Why walk when you can sit and enjoy the ride?"

 

I used Troy-builts quite a bit on the old berry farm and the were great in the truck patches when you did not have a lot to do.  Any jobs that were bigger we got out the tractors.

[Kelly 1,029]

My neighbor has a troy built tiller, and loves it, his has  a 8hp Kohler on it, most do have tuckeys, I have seen them with twin briggs on them, I bet that is a hand full, if you don't mind walking the troy built is a great machine, and you can get other attachments for them depending on the model, I know around me they bring good money, well used still bring hundreds of $$ 

[sdwyer41 8]

God, I remember using the old front tine tillers when I was a kid.  My dad had an old Cast iron beast that when you engaged the tines, the engine moved to tighten the belts.  Hated using them in this hard packed Indiana Clay.  They would beat you half to death sometimes. 

[leeave96 487]

I don't have a Wheelhorse tiller, but do have a Troybilt Horse tiller with an 8 hp Kohler Magnum engine.  It is a GREAT tiller.

 

I've came close to buying a Wheelhorse tiller a couple of times, but really for the amount of garden I have - the Troybilt easily gets the job done.  Having said that - I'll say this.  I recently traded a log splitter for a 520H with a loader.  I REALLY don't need a loader and REALLY need the log splitter more than the loader or another tractor.  But...  I view the loader in two ways.  One is - from a enthusiast/collector standpoint, it's a nice attachment to have.  Two - I can buy a log splitter all day long, not so on the loader.  I view these Wheelhorse tractors as a good - but very thick book - many chapters to read.  Some of my machines might wait months or years for repairs.  I have deadlines for family and work - NONE for the Wheelhorse.  While they are workers, they are good fun and I want to keep it that way.

 

The Troybilt tiller is a great machine and a piece of OLD iron design - regardless of the year made - not sure how readily available they are in your area.  You'd enjoy it.  If you buy the Troybilt tiller, like a good book yet to be read, you can set your Wheelhorse tiller aside for another day.  If anything else, like my loader, it's a nice piece to have in the collection.

 

Good luck!

Bill

 

[bean 85]

the troy bilt is a rear tine / self propelled tiller. it weighs 300lbs+.  people that have them, swear by them. I've just never used one.   i've only used the front tine type that was mentioned.  those things are widow-makers

[bean 85]

I don't have a Wheelhorse tiller, but do have a Troybilt Horse tiller with an 8 hp Kohler Magnum engine.  It is a GREAT tiller.

 

I've came close to buying a Wheelhorse tiller a couple of times, but really for the amount of garden I have - the Troybilt easily gets the job done.  Having said that - I'll say this.  I recently traded a log splitter for a 520H with a loader.  I REALLY don't need a loader and REALLY need the log splitter more than the loader or another tractor.  But...  I view the loader in two ways.  One is - from a enthusiast/collector standpoint, it's a nice attachment to have.  Two - I can buy a log splitter all day long, not so on the loader.  I view these Wheelhorse tractors as a good - but very thick book - many chapters to read.  Some of my machines might wait months or years for repairs.  I have deadlines for family and work - NONE for the Wheelhorse.  While they are workers, they are good fun and I want to keep it that way.

 

The Troybilt tiller is a great machine and a piece of OLD iron design - regardless of the year made - not sure how readily available they are in your area.  You'd enjoy it.  If you buy the Troybilt tiller, like a good book yet to be read, you can set your Wheelhorse tiller aside for another day.  If anything else, like my loader, it's a nice piece to have in the collection.

 

Good luck!

Bill

they are pretty easy to come by. lots of people garden around me. I usually see a one or two a year at garage sales.  one thing I like about it is the 7hp kohler. I am a big fan of the 6/7/8 hp k series.

speaking of log splitters, I saw a troy bilt log splitter attachment for the horse tiller on ebay. unfortunately,  it's to far away

[bean 85]

 and you can get other attachments for them depending on the model,

that is the only drawback that I see with the troy bilt horse. the attachments are very expensive.

[Lagersolut 648]

Troy bilt horse is a good tiller - I've been doing garden with one for almost 20 years - plow in the fall with Wheel horse - make planting ground in the spring with Troy - about 1/8th acre patch

 

Great for in between row weeding .  the Kohler engines are better than the Briggs in my opinion .

 

 

The old Garden Way Troys are the ones to shoot for ( before MTD bought them out and ruined it )

 

 

When and if you need parts for an  old tiller ( not the engine ) you'll need to go to MTD's website to get your spec drawings for part #'s - parts are still readily available .  finding your tiller on their site can be a bear.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Golds-Red

[wh500special 2,160]

Until I used a TB tiller I was a big fan of the 36" WH tiller.  After using the TB I'm not sure I'd go back to the WH.

 

At my last house I had a pretty big garden.  My soil was very heavy and hard.  Unless I lashed a couple of bundles of asphalt shingles to the tiller's shroud, the 36" WH tiller would just bounce and scratch the surface.  If it did get a good bite, it would push the tractor.  Eventually, I'd get it opened up and then would stay on it through the growing season to keep it loose.

 

The fist time I used a TB on the same garden in the same conditions I would have bet that it took me half the time to till everything in.  The more I used it (TB) the more I liked it.  If you keep the depth bar positioned so that you don't over do things it will churn the ground, in my opinion, better than the WH tiller.  Faster too.

 

I don't think the WH tiller is heavy enough for the width it's trying to cut.  I know you can remove the outer tines, but I can't remember bothering with that.  Unless our TB blows up, I won't be using the WH tiller any more than just for a collectable item.

 

The large TB tillers are known as "Horse" models.  They used a variety of engines over the years but it seems like most of the older ones have Tecumseh HH60's on them.  Ours is a newer one with a M8 Kohler electric start.  The most recent versions had Briggs engines on them.  A select few were sold to rental stores and have Wisconsin/Robins on them.

 

There were essentially two versions of the Horse.  The original version up into the early 1980's (guessing) was simple the Horse.  The newer versions were called the "PTO Horse" and the PTO can be engaged/disengaged independently from the transmission.  These later models accept a log splitter, generator, and chipper/shredder PTO attachments.  Also available was a hitch for pulling carts, hiller attachments, cultivators, and a snow blade that mounts on the optional bumper.

 

The PTO models are a little more valuable and user friendly.  But they're all as tough as nails and MTD never really did cheapen them down even through the most recent models.

 

Get the TB.  I doubt you'll be sorry.

 

Steve

[squonk 41,017]

W e got a TB pony about 23 yrs ago. 5 HP Briggs, It can sit for 4-5 yrs in the shed now and still start on a couple of tugs. We have a small garden now and a vintage Husqvarna mini tiller with a 2 cycle Tecky that still runs like a champ!

[buckrancher 2,679]

I have two one with a 8hp kohler and one with a 5hp briggs

the troy bilt will till deeper and you can do more with attachments but it sure is nice too ride a tractor than manhandling the walk beside

 

Brian

[bean 85]

here's a pic. it is an older one. probably from the 70s. everything works fine. it doesn't have the lever operated pto.

Edited September 18, 2013 by bean

[Lagersolut 648]

The designer of the Troy bilt tiller - D ick  Raymond

 

 

 

his book

 

 

 

 

The DR trimmer mower is also his  - the DR are  his initials

Edited September 18, 2013 by Golds-Red

[swarfeater 49]

I have owned troybuilts (3 or 4) over the past 30 years, they are great,once the ground is tilled up and soft that is.  up until then they are a bear, only extremely shallow cuts in new soil or they run right out of your hands, or  break your wrists bucking. shallow shallow passes and many of them. and then you get to do it all over at right angles to the first ones to get that completely  untouched hard strip down the middle of each first pass. i still have my last one though, it sits in the barn while my 3 point 48" one on the back of the ford sinks down to 10" in two passes with no crosshatch tilling pattern, and i can watch it do it while drinking a mug of coffee while in the seat.

[Butch 194]

I've got a Troy-Bilt Pony made at the old plant in Troy, NY by Garden Way. Not sure right off but I'm pretty sure it's a Briggs and Stratton engine.

I love the machine.

[Rboski 114]

Awhile back I picked up a well cared for TB Econo-Horse with an HH60 on it.  I was surprised at how strong it was.  It dug right in, techy idled up and I just had to walk besides it until it was time to turn it around. Cleared some old planting beds to make way for some new lawn. It's electric start, but never took more than a pull to start it.  It's a beast.

 

I was thinking more about that day and I remembered that my neighbor seemed impressed with the machine and watched me working with it. When I was done he drove it around the corner to do his garden.  

Edited September 19, 2013 by Rboski

[jaebo74 7]

TB tillers with the Kohler engine are hard to beat, even in hard Georgia clay. I've used mine since I was 10 years old, it was originally my grandfathers. It's still a haus. The tiller attachment sounds a lot better to me though. I'm lazy as hell.

[rick 233]

In my experience, the Horse tiller will go deeper than the Wheel Horse tiller will. Now I may not have had my WH tiller set up properly, so I won't let it go yet.

I have 4 TB Horse tillers, two rollers, a runner and a soon to be runner. I bought my first in 1977, a Kohler powered Horse I. I still use it every year.

[HorseWhisperer 243]

I have both and wouldn't do without either!!!!! I have a Horse with a ten horse tucky and 12v battery key start.This thing is a monster in the trench!!!!!!!!!It doesn't throw belts or my 417 With the tiller and all hardware.