----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 9:43 AM
Subject: RE: (ET) tiller motor
temperature
Steve,
Neil, John;
I
till. Lots. 1/2 acre of raspberries, 1.5 acres strawberries, 1/2
acre garden. Sandy soil.
When the
hitch is RAISED at the drawbar, the tilling is "aggressive", when down it is
"cultivating". Use the chain to set the lowest depth; don't make the
tiller bounce too much. Untwist and remove weeds at the end of each
row. The motor WILL run hot. It has a thermal shut off; if it
overheats (rare for me) let it cool for 10 minutes, then depress HARD the
interlock. I till deep as slow as the tractor goes; I cultivate slow in
L. That's the main reason I'm going to an E-15; slow is slower.
The current may go into the yellow, but not as often as with the snow
blower. I never see yellow unless I'm over 4.5" deep and have weeds
collected on the blades. I have worked with other tillers (Troy-Built,
Sears, Ariens, Siemens) for years, and the bolts on the tiller blades are
wrong. They should have used carriage bolts and short, low-profile nuts
or better yet; dedicated plow-bolts. The blade design is good but there
is too much bolt drag and weed collection area on their bolts. I intend
to come up with better bolts later this season.
Larry
Elie
John and others,
The GE motors aren't labeled, but I'd assume they
have a temperature rating the same as industrial motors. Most industrial
motors are rated for a 40 deg C (72 deg F) temperature rise. Industrial
motors can frequently be much too hot to touch when heavily
loaded.
I believe that tillers when performing
normal tilling are expected to move the power meter well into the yellow zone,
unlike the mower deck where you should stay in the green. I don't have a
tiller, but my snow blower manual specifically states that the power meter
should be in the yellow zone.
Hope this helps,
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2002 9:48
PM
Subject: (ET) tiller
Just finished using a tiller for 1-1/2 hours in
hard packed sod. Motor is too hot to touch. Is this normal?
I am thinking about tilling up close to an acre
with this. Is that insane?
John
Briese