You'll need an excellent tiller to professionally till your garden or farm. Choosing between the Tarter tiller and King Kutter needs some considerable thought. After going through the tillers, we found what experts had to say on their pros, cons, and differences.
King Kutters are ideal for cultivating seed beds and renovating pastures. On the other hand, the Tarter tiller (rebranded County Line) has self-sharpening tines that quickly lose up hard soil. Their pros, cons, and differences come into play with what the users expect from the tiller.
To choose what you need and what works in the long run, you should know what each tiller has. So, continue reading as we describe each in detail.
Tractor Rotary Tillers: Tarter Tillers, King Kutters & County Line
When you own machinery and use it daily, it becomes most familiar to you and you depend on it. Therefore, landscapers, expert gardeners, and farmers tend to choose their preferred brand based on experience. It influences their preferences and choices when upgrading or buying new machinery.
However, newbies might need help picking the right tillers for their tractors. So, the short reviews of these brands should help guide them.
Tarter Tillers
Landscapers, large-scale gardeners, and farmers might know the Tarter tiller as it's ideal for cultivating and laying sod. Tarter tillers are manufactured in the United States; therefore, they are well suited to the American landscape and soil component. The most prominent quality of them is their self-sharpening tines.
King Kutters
If you are looking for machinery with an array of uses, King Kutter is what you need. King Kutter cultivates the soil with a uniform depth. The ground is thoroughly aerated and uniformly mixed, which reduces erosion.
County Line
Compact or rocky soils are no match for County line tillers. Moreover, County line tillers are rebranded to Tarter and have maintained their robustness with all gear drivelines. They even have better performance and durability because of a bath lubrication option.
Tarter Tiller Vs. King Kutter: Pros, Cons & Differences
Before discussing machinery's pros and cons, you should compare and contrast them. More importantly, how you plan to use it and if its parts are interchangeable with others in case the series runs out. Remember, these brands are compatible with most compact tractors.
The categories experts use to differentiate these two are:
Blades
The blades of the Tarter tiller aren't in box shape like King Kutter's. The Tarter tiller is the rebranded County Line; they have the same tillers.
Tap here to see these tines on Amazon.
Price
If you don't mind spending a little more money, you can purchase King Kutter. The Tarter tiller comes at more affordable prices for its customers.
Area Of Usage
King Kutter is suitable for most soil types, and it grinds the soil to loosen it. However, the Tarter tiller slackens the soil and is only suitable for specific soil types.
Diversity
When searching for flexible machinery, go for King Kutter, as the Tarter tiller is more linear-oriented. While working on seedbeds, King Kutter grinds and digs the soil simultaneously. The Tarter tiller only grinds the soil, which might not be enough for the intended use.
Tiller Width
The Tarter brand has tillers available in several widths suitable for most compact tractors. King Kutter does not fall behind in this category, with a working width of 60 inches.
Specifications Of A 5-Foot Tiller
For a clear picture, experts advise scrutinizing the specifications of tillers of both manufacturers before you settle for any brand.
For instance, let's take the five-foot tiller of King Kutter and the Tarter brands and compare them. The stipulated specifications to be considered are:
- Weight: The Tarter weighs approximately 680 pounds, while the King Kutter a little over 630 pounds.
- Flanges and tines per flange: Tarter has seven flanges with six tines per flange. The number of flanges on King Kutter is six, and the tines total is 42.
- Hitch: They both use a category one hitch.
- Working width: King Kutter has 60 inches, while the Tarter has 58.75 inches. The difference might be slight, but it's crucial in the tiller's implementation.
- Horsepower: To pull the Tarter tiller, you need a tractor with a horsepower of 25 to 50. But King Kutter tillers require 25 to 40 tractors.
- Rotary implementation: They both have a rotary tiller implementation, with King Kutter being a three-pointer.
Which Tractors Work With Tarter & King Kutter Tillers?
To get the right tiller for a compact or a subcompact tractor, you need to consider some pointers to get what you are looking for. You can use these pointers to pick a Tarter or King Kutter tiller.
Before picking a tiller, you should already have a tractor, not vice versa. So, assuming you already have a tractor, choose a tiller using the following:
- Weight because a heavier tiller doesn't bounce around.
- Quick hitch compatibility is ideal for attaching three-point attachments.
- Width; as a tiller with appropriate width that works for your tractor is a must.
- Decide whether you'll use a roller chain drive or a gear drive.
- Use an offset tiller for older tractors.
- Tiller rotation speed will determine how fast you finish the job.
- Ensure the tiller has damage protection in the form of a shear bolt or slipped clutch. They help turn off the tiller if it hits a rock or something hard by breaking.
For a better understanding of these pointers, watch the following video.
How Much Do Tillers Cost?
After deciding which tiller you want to purchase based on its specifications, you should now look at the price range of the brands.
King Kutter
The price tag depends on the size of the King Kutter tiller you want. The prices start at $1,499 to $4,199. Farm machinery supplies sometimes include accessories in the cost of the tillers making the purchase worthwhile.
Tarter Tiller
You can find Tater tillers for as low as $900, and up to $4,500 on the higher-end. The cost is lower than King Kutter, but the tillers are of high quality.
Are Tillers Easy To Maintain?
Tarter and King Kutter tillers are easier to maintain when equipped with a slip clutch. Tillers that are PTO powered are protected against unexpected damage, and all the user has to repair or replace is the shear bolt or slip clutch.
The maintenance cost becomes higher when you buy a new shear bolt every time it breaks. Therefore, users prefer a tiller with a slip clutch because it's adjustable and averts any damage to the tiller or tractor.
Click here to see this slip clutch on Amazon.
For more information, read the following post: "My Tiller Won't Start running-Why? What To Do?"
Which Tillers Are Better? Forward Or Reverse
To decide whether you want a forward or reverse tiller, you should know how they perform. Mechanically, reverse rotary tillers work opposite the tractor and forward in the tractor's direction.
However, forward tines don't dig far into the ground and leave a fine soil texture. The reverse tines do the complete opposite and use more horsepower. King Kutters have ready-made reverse tillers available on the market.
Surprisingly Tarter forward tillers can be reversed. It isn't a complicated process; you can reverse the tines while the tiller is still attached to the tractor. You must also reverse the gearbox to reverse the direction of the tines.
Here's a short tutorial on reversing them quickly for handy Tarter tiller users.
Can You Till Dry Soil?
Even when machinery is powerful, don't misuse it. Using tillers on dry soil will damage the tiller. Tilling your garden or farm is not a decision you make overnight. Therefore, ensure that you wet the area that needs to be tilled if there has been a long dry spell.
Tillers get damaged by overheating when tilling dry soil. It's easy to wet small to extensive gardens. However, wetting farms or vineyards is not an easy task to accomplish. Thus tilling is ideal in the spring when the soil isn't freezing and not too wet.
Click on the following for more information on tilling: "Tilling: The Ultimate Guide For Your Home Garden Success."
Which Last Longer: King Kutter Or Tarter Tillers?
Whether or not King Kutter lasts longer than Tarter tillers depends on the implementation and maintenance measures owners or users take when using the equipment. Generally, Tarter tillers last for years, and you could resell them if you need an upgrade.
King Kutter is not left behind when it comes to providing long-lasting equipment. The company has been on the market for more than 40 years, and its equipment has the highest buying rate. Both companies use high-quality steel to attain first-class performance and longevity of their equipment.
Wrapping Up
The County Line has been rebranded to Tarter and still manufactures excellent far machinery. King Kutter is a brand with similar machinery, which costs a bit more than the Tarter company. These two brands have their benefits and drawbacks, as seen in the post. However, the choice is yours to make.