Bernie's Garden

We are going for it. I have hired two contractors. First to remove a lot of dumb soil and bring in some good stuff for the garden. It is supposed to happen this coming Tuesday. I have asked to have about the first 10 inches of bad dirt removed and then replace with some good stuff. It will take three dump trucks loaded of the good stuff to be brought in. Not small dump trucks but the next size larger I am told. We will see what happens on Tuesday. I will try to get some photos before, during and after.

Thanks a lot Mike. You have helped me make the decision. It was not easy because of the bucks involved. I hate spending all that money. Now I will have to think very serious about a tiller. Because of my age I will want a rear tine one with counter rotating blades so that I can handle it. I am thinking about 850 bucks. That hurts, but Mike you talked me into this encounter.

Bernie You Will Love It Buddy As Far As A Tiller Bernie I Like Troy Built But This Year I Broke Down And Bought A Brand New ((Yard Man Tiller)) For 600.00 Bucks And I Love It Shop Around Buddy There Are Many Sizes Out There Just Remember Once The Ground Is Worked Up It Don't Take To Much To Keep It That Way.

Just some current information. My dirt contractor cannot get the dump trucks until tomorrow Wednesday so it sounds like it will occur tomorrow. I cannot hold back my enthusiam much longer. So I just ordered my tiller. I have been shoping for a week or two now and decided on a Polland (sp) or Huskvarna and it looks to me like the Sears best model is the same thing except for the handle. I imagine all three are made by the same manufacturer. All have the same specs and the same engine so I chose Sears as they are the cheepest with home dilivery and parts are always available. It is a rear tine model with counter rotating tines if in that gear.

You, Mike are partly responsible for my spending too much money too fast. May you rest in peace and I thank you.

Hows The Garden Going Bernie Is It All Falling Together For You.

No dump trucks today, Thursday. Weather really nasty except for lawns and gardens. My new tiller should arrive on Saturday and after I unpackage it and put it together it will be time to show it off.

But Saturday we are going to a neighbor hood party and starting Friday I will be smoking all night and into the next day. It will be that wild boar that I shot last fall. So I will be too tired or busy on Saturday to do much with the tiller. But it is coming along and we are excited.

Bernie From The Pictures That I Have Seen Buddy You Will Have A Great Garden There, And I Know You Will Be Very Pleased With The Out Come And Enjoy Everything You Eat From It Because You Grew It.

nothing like home grown veggies ....yummmmy

I thought I had put my new tiller on here earlier but now I do not see it. Here it is again and thanks for your support Mike.

Thats A Real Nice Tiller Bernie That Will Make The Gardening Much Easier, Space Your Rows So That You Can Cultivate Between Them And You Won't Have To Hoe As Much. I Will Get A Picture Of My New Tiller And Post It Up After We Get Done In The Garden This Evening, Things Are Looking Good For You Bernie Congrats.

Several years ago, I had planned a garden but had an old front tine tiller that wasn't much good. I came home from work one evening and my wife said my father had bought me a new tiller. I ran out to the garage and there was a brand new rear tine tiller sitting there. I put a little gas in it and cranked it up. I took it out to the garden spot and tilled for a few minutes and it quit. I assumed it was out of gas. I went into the house and Mrs. Grumpy said. "Grandpa said there was no oil in the tiller, so don't start it up". I went back out and checked and it was locked up tight. Man I was feeling bad. What was I gonna tell Daddy. He came over the next morning and I told him what I had done. We filled the cylinder full of WD-40 and put a big pipe wrench on the crank and wiggled it back and forth until the piston broke loose. I used it for about 5 or 6 years and it was still running good as new when I sold it.

I thought all dealers would put oil in them before they sold them. He bought it at a local hardware store. Not a big box store.

Nothing in the world like eating stuff that you grew yourself buddy.

Be sure to plant some okra.

I tried okra only once. The manual with my tiller said it already had oil in it. I checked it yesterday and it was really low so I added some. I have not started it yet.

That was quite a story Grumpy. And you saved the machine. I knew someone years ago that had a new truck and drained the oil himself and forgot to refill and then started it. Uggg. And that was not me by the way.

Hows The Garden Coming Along Bernie.

We are in a holding pattern right now. Sears is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday to repair the new tiller which is defective. I told them either to fix it, send me a new unit or give me my money back. So they are sending a technician. I could probably fix it with a lot of work and trouble shooting by why should I. It is new out of the box so I say let them fix it.

The engine runs fine until you put it under load by tilling. Then the governor cycles up and down from fast to slow and keeps doing that. I slows down so much it almost stops. Not a lot of adjustments on these carbruators and governor mechanism is benieth the gas tank and the tank will have to be removed to work on it. And the gas tank is full. So why should I have to mess around with it as it is not my problem.

You Are Right Bernie I Would Let Them Do It For Sure, Keep Us Up To Date Bernie On How Things Are Progressing For Ya.

The Sears technician came today. I showed him how the tiller operates in "hard or packed" soil. In soft soil the engine governor is good but when you load the tiller it surges. The technician did what he could and said that due to government restrictions the engine does not get enough fuel. He could get another carbruator but it would be the same. I could get another new unit from Sears but it would probably be the same.

He said that I can operate it with the choke lever about half closed and it will run fine. I suppose I could drill out the carbruator jet hole a little but he could not tell me to do that as it would void the warantee.

So now I do not know what I will do. Wife says to send it back and get a bigger one but so far I have not found any to my liking. I want a rear tine one with counter rotating blades. My present engine is a Briggs and is 203cc in size. Other tillers that I have looked at seem to have a smaller engine or close to this same size.

Looking for solutions!

Right now I have no decision on my part. Still searching for a tiller that I want.

I would return it and get another brand. I think the repair man is full of bull.

Look at the Troy-Bilt tillers at Lowes.com. They have counter rotating tines. You can even get them with a Honda engine on some models.

I did check Lowes around here. Two or three stores and they only sell a very few models and nothing to equal or better the one that I have. Not like their web site that shows many but down here there are not available.

Well I done it after deliberating with my Wife. I went to our local small engine place which does a big business here on lawn equipment. They will order their full Honda machine. It is a 20 incher instead of the 17 inch Sears machine. And it has a larger engine which is a Honda of course.

The problem is that it will cost me three times as much as the Sears machine. It may be close to 2300 bucks but I think I will be satisfied in spite of the price.

Thanks for your input Guys. Now I will contact Sears and tell them to come and get it; I am not satisfied.

I done it. Asked Sears to pick it up and return my money.

I surely did not want to do it but we want to get on with the garden and for many years thereafter. Still hate the price but a deal is a deal. So here is the new one coming soon I hope. I also hope there will not be a hassel with Sears taking back that sub-standard one.

I found this on the Briggs web site. For your information. I do not like it but anyway I am out of it now.

""Why is my new engine hunting and surging?

Answer
This can be normal for new overhead valve engines such as Inteks and Vanguards and should clear up after a couple of tanks of gas.

Due to the strict emissions standards affecting the design of small engines today, tolerances within the engine have tightened considerably. As a result, until the engine "breaks in" and the valves seat, the engine may run slightly lean. This condition can be lessened by operating the engine with the choke slightly on.

If hunting and surging continues after 4-6 tanks of gas, consult your local Briggs & Stratton Authorized Dealer concerning the problem. To find the nearest Service Dealers near you, please use our Service Center Locator""

I would think that when they manufacture an engine the valves would me made to seat correctly. The above is similar to what the technician said but I still do not agree with the principle. Just a word to the wise about buying any future Briggs engines. And they have been sort of the standard for many years. Perhaps it is time to shy away from them.

Bernie I Feel Real Bad That This Tiller Is Setting You Back, I Have Never Heard Of Such A Thing Going On With A Motor Like That Hope Things Work Out Bernie.

My garden tractor has a Briggs Vanguard engine. It's over 11 years old and never gave me a minute of trouble, but it was bought before all these new emission standards came out. The vanguards are known to be some of the toughest engines Briggs ever produced.