Rototiller

[Jewels]

I need to break ground to prepare for lawn seed.
Soil is Fluvial clay , sand. Fine grain.

Would this machine bust crabgrass and dandelions ?

My left fore-arm is kinda fucky.
I could turn the 600 sq feet in three days, by (one)hand - with no recovery time.

The tiller would do it in less than an hour. Will it wreck me ?
Not experienced here, this Machine is available to me. I was imagining back tine-tiller. Is this machine large enough to operate smoothly ? Looks like two hand clutches- self propelled ?
Ima skinny ‘righty’- I wont ride anything over 300.
Can I operate this machine ?

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

Have fun riding it, especially if the ground is virgin. The 2 levers are throttle and till.
A rear tine is a lot less work to run.
We have a Husqavarna with Honda motor and it rips. The wife runs it too.

 

[coste]

Being clay, I'd be concerned about even that thing jumping around. I have a tiny little two stroke tiller that is about useless for anything beyond dense garden soil. That being said, how much does that weigh? It might not be that bad if it's got some weight to it.

 

[DopeDaniel]

Being clay, I'd be concerned about even that thing jumping around. I have a tiny little two stroke tiller that is about useless for anything beyond dense garden soil. That being said, how much does that weigh? It might not be that bad if it's got some weight to it.

IMO It's going to be more about how much @Jewels weighs and how close to vertical he can get the thing. It's going to pull forward, there will be a happy spot where its not pulling too much, from there it will be a matter of running over it multiple times, you'll need to work the bunny poo in anyway. Bigger question is are your kids gonn take care of this lawn?

 

[Jewels]

You guys rock. Thanks, for pointing out the angles.
The soil does not clod, but dries to concrete. I spent the afternoon turning the perimeter along the sidewalks by hand. I flipped a good seem perpendicular to the front walk.
I am 6 2", but never over 155lbs.
I have been soaking the turf up; hopefully I can just lean back and nibble my way to success.
I know my son would do it for me, however he is delivering that thing from out of town where he has been roofing, for 12 days straight.
I will just help him unload it, and send him on his way, with a bag of epsom and a pail of turkey stew.
We will see who is more sore by Thursday morning.

are your kids gonn take care of this lawn?

Yes. The princesses will jump through the sprinkler, decorate it with bicycles, insist I put the trampoline over it, and sound the alarm if a stray cat drops a deux anywhere in their manicured kingdom.

 

[Fr3nzy]

Work some gypsum into your ground when you till, break that clay down. Not sure your financial situation. But most rental company's have a ride on for a couple hundred a day. I prefer the skid steer attachment, but I had to till a whole yard.

 

[Jewels]

I ended up renting a front tine machine. It had a drop pin on the back. Eventually, I figured out how to balance the weight on the pin and let the tines do the work. Letting more weight off the handles would allow the unit to chew itself forward on its own accord.
Basically like balancing an appliance cart, on a washboard road. Was slow going, however the deadman’s lever keeping the PTO engaged , luckily- was on the right hand side.
I am afraid of gypsum, because of my hard water. I did buy a half-Ton of compost to fluff things up a bit. U-load , 28 dollars a ton.
I had just emptied my dump trailer at the landfill, halfton was all I felt like shoveling, the day before I tilled the crabgrass.

I think my next step is to relax and enjoy this rare rain we have had since I got done. Let the weeds germinate, round them up and till more compost into it.

This compost is collected by the municipality and churned at the landfill. Judging by there supply berms, I would say it is 60 softwood branches and pallets , 40 lawn clippings.

Should I be shopping for beef manure ( feedlot steers or milk production available, free , locally)
Or compost ?
On this sandy / clay is there such thing as to much of either?

 

[Fr3nzy]

Getting it done!

 

[Bruno8437]

Should I be shopping for beef manure ( feedlot steers or milk production available, free , locally)
Or compost ?
On this sandy / clay is there such thing as to much of either?

Nope, work in as much as you can. Free is good. Thats the going rate for composted horse manure around here. Just remember the weeds come for free also.