Tillermania

Just don't know how it happened. But, one day, I realized I owned seven tillers! My wife was asked how many tillers I owned to which she responded, "Too many. Two or three." hee hee

1. Unneeded tiller: This tiller was bought for tilling or cultivating weeds between rows of plants. However, if one uses mulch or chip one does not need to weed so this tiller has become a cute, quaint and picturesque prop for garden placement. Please consider that any cultivating between plants destroys the roots of the plants. Seems counterproductive.
   
   

2. Pretty useless tiller: This attachment for a multi-use engine is not of very much use. Unless one sits on it or puts a lot of backstrain into it, it just bounces on top the ground. (If one visits Craigslist.com#Tillers, one sees a lot of "Mantis" tillers for sale from owners. A priori, they are advertised in glowing terms with a person tilling down a long row. Do the math. Draw your conclusion. They are advertised as the last tiller you will ever buy. For many new purchasers, that is probably true as they throw in the towel on gardening as being too hard or a hobby for masochists.)
   
   
   

3. Old faithful--This was the used tiller bought for $150 in 2005 which has been used by this gardener and many neighbors over the years. In 2012, a cracked transmission was replaced with a funny, interesting story.
   
   
   In the early 2000's, a new auto-repair shop was sought for my hybrid pickup. If you know anything about mechanics, you realize that after a few years your car repair service starts fudging to increase the repair bill. B&L near the McGuire V.A. was tested. (Note: This is a gratis plug in appreciation for great, honest and fair service.)

   1. More than once, I suggested a repair which was met with, "You don't need it. You'll be wasting your money."

   2. Once, a repair failed near the warranty date with replacement at no cost.

   3. Once, I took my car in with a sudden transmission problem consuming a pint a week expecting a several hundred dollar charge: "$24 to tighten the pan bolts!"

   4. After a few years, I said, "If the cost is less than $400, just fix it and let me know when it is ready. No need to call to confirm my authorization."

   5. Perhaps it helped that I often took in some jars of produced that I canned--pickles and peppers were popular.

   Now where was I? Oh, yeh, the tiller transmission. In June, 2012, the lead mechanic, Robert, told me that he had put in a garden and was enjoying the success. Said he had heard me talk so much about gardening that he would give it a try. Also, he said he was not going to tell me unless it was a success. So, when "Old Faithful"'s transmission cracked, Robert stepped into the breach. Gardening has many unexpected joys and rewards.
   

4. Big Red and Big Dog: Big Red is a 1965 8hp Yardman "Earthbird" which was purchased for $150 when I realized that "Old Faithful" needed a replacement if I was going to lend a tiller to my neighbors. Unfortunately, Big Red is too big for my 4000 sqft plot let alone the more modest neighbor plots. So I found a earlier version of "Old Faithful"--Big Dog.
   
   
   

5. Big Dog is a beauty but again too much of a brute. Look, it not only has an 8hp motor but a real two-speed stick transmission with reverse! Googling Big Dog, I found why it is a think of the past--litigation when fools operated it improperly.
   

   A beauty in being ugly and powerful!
   

6. Little Dog: In the litigious progression from muscle to wimps, one can find emasculated Big Dogs with 6hp engines. This will be the one I lend to neighbors. This is the one I would encourage others to buy.
   

7. A Freebie: Another good ole tiller bought at Monkey Ward was a free gift from a neighbor. Works good. No longer made.
   
   

So, an overview of tillers, large to small. Buy a used one that is 15 or 20 years old. You will need to be a mechanic whether you buy new or used--new stuff is wimpish plastic-infected junk designed by MBA's (Masters of Bankrupty America) for a quick dollar, stock option or IPO. At least with old, it will keep running longer and harder.

'Links From' Pages linking to this page: ( )No IndexDir ... Refs General ... !RefsRvu ... !Dir.nts) InfoLinks (05-22-2015@07:28) Linkstat:LinksFrom2Table

	Link In From	Uploaded	Webpage Title of Link In file
<	#1 IndexText	130507	Cave Gardens
<	#2 TocIndex	130407	Table of Contents
<	#3 ToolsIndex	130501	Tools of Garden Index

Flotillas

To Do List	Whole Scheme * Signup * Recruit * ISPs * Help * UPS * TTD? * BDC * Global Dying * MHC * Morality * 24in4 * Retiming
Navigate	ABCIndex * Image Bibs * IndexDir * Indexes * Rags * Reference Bibs * RefsMajor RefsYMD * Slideshows *
WebLinks	Timism.com * Timism.Net (F L) ... GlobalDying * Letters * Essays * MiniIndx * Writings
ManHeaven	Index * IndexDir * D2D * CO2 Sins * Forms * GOOHF * Ltrs * Oath * Index * Summary Tipping Pts * TTD-MH
Armadas	FlotillasLinks 6576, flObj, flObj$
Are You:	Ill-Employed ... WorkHog ... Rioter ... Moral ... Immigrant ... Habitual Politician ... Medical Staff ... Military ... ManHell Letters
Survival	SurfWisely * Timism vs. Habituals * Contract * Credo * Jack and Jill * Hope * What We Need * Leave Me Alone I hate you ... Ttd4U ... Modus Operandi
Tables	temp 091226-0724 ntvd error

Created by Linkstat.bas\Program
CMD:G: BBS
05-22-2015 @ 07:32:35
(Len=11k)