Troybilt 8hp tiller tines keep turning?

[dart451]

Hello all,
Don't work on Troybilt tillers often...I was wondering if the tines stop when going forward or do they spin always in gear? Seems they spin anytime the tranny is in gear... Sorry, I do not have the numbers on the Troybilt tiller but it's one of the bigger 8 hp models...all the plates are long gone....

[bluemower]

you probably have the larger "HORSE". The models built in the early 1980's had a large control lever to engage the drive belt. When this is engaged, the tines will always turn. A smaller lever would engage the drive wheels. The smaller lever has three positions (1) high speed, (2) neutral and (3) low speed. The large lever needed to be engaged to drive the wheels. These were offered with a 7 or 8 hp Kohler cast iron engine. Also offered with the 8 hp Briggs cast iron sleeve and a 6 HP tecumseh cast iron engine. The numbers were stamped into the cast iron gear case where the top cover is attached.

Later models had a small dis-engage lever. On these, the back end of the tiller could be disconnected to allow a different accessory to be used. These were very solid machines. Garden Way went out of business about 20 years ago and MTD bought the rights to the tiller.

[bgsengine]

Hello all,
all the plates are long gone....

check the engine for date codes.. 8 HP is usually the Horse model, and before MTD bought them , Garden way (and before them, Troy-Bilt company itself) only went by serial number on the Horse model - Serial numbers are engraved or stamped on a flat spot on the cast iron gear housing on the right top side surface (between the handle mount and the right wheel) serial number can be used to get a model year range, and there are other means to identify between Horse 1, Horse II, Horse III, Horse IV, and so on they varied in engine HP so you could have anywhere from 6 HP to 10 HP on an older Horse model, typically would be a cast iron tecumseh of Kohler K series originally equipped.. I've re-powered them easily with the Harbor Freight Predator engines There's variations in the drive bets and pulleys, some later models had reverse, earlier models did not, some were 1 speed, some were 2 speed (or 4 speed, if you count Hi-Lo ranges) and later on they did have a means to de-clutch the tines (and as mentioned, you could add other implements to those, much like the gravely walking tractor or BCS machines) but for the most part, the more commonly found ones, the tines turn at the same time as the wheels (Since they mostly had 1-piece solid worm shaft that drove both wheel drive gear and tiller drive gear) Word of advice, if you want to really preserve these older ones with Bronze worm gears, make sure you use older NLGI GL-3 (or 2 or 1) in the gearboxes - later Gear lube specs (I think NLGI GL-4 and later) had additives to them that would eat the bronze gears over time.

[KE4AVB]

Also on those late versions of the Horse from the late 80's the tiller disengagement clutch can stick up and the disengage lever will break if enough pressure is applied. I know personally on this as I failed to grease the clutch nor did Garden Way and mine stuck. And yes the bronze worn gear will wear out if ran without oil as I have change few on customer machines.

One other thing about these tillers is that if they sit for long you must engage the drive in forward position for a few minutes before using the reverse. If you don't you will snap the engine to transmission belt as rust on the pulleys will cause the belt to stick. I learn this the hard way too with my own Horse tiller.

If you have never use the Horse tiller be careful when first learning as the 8 hp Kohler power one will get up on the rear tines and take off extremely fast in hard ground. The Horse will need to work the ground a inch or so in depth at each pass until you get to the full working depth. When I first got mine it face planted myself and only shutdown due to the safeties. It wasn't something I expected or warn of.

[bobodu]

LOL....took me quite a while to be halfway comfortable with mine.
Bought one to smooth out a dirt pile.Sold it when the job was done....

[KE4AVB]

Once I got pass the initial learning phase I use mine for nearly 20+ years tilling 1/2+ acre gardens before things family wise went South. It was so much nicer using the Horse when compared to the front tine tillers. My hand were so cramped one time using a front tine I had to get someone to shut down the tiller and pry my fingers loose. I never had that problem the rear tine tiller.

I still got the Horse and finally should be getting around to repairing it for my future gardening.Should be too much wrong with it as I had service it for the next garden season when my mother got sick, never even put fuel back in it. Being by myself now and running a business I simply haven't had the time to break new ground. Beside I got to get the area fenced off to limit the two and four leggers from raiding the garden. But I am getting the garden fever again.

[Arkie]

Here is a link where you can nose around and find all kinds of owners and service manuals for the Gateway/Troybuilt models. (how to id yours etc) Lots of overpriced parts on flea bay using the name vintage so as to add some $$'s to the description.
The owners manuals for those tillers has several pages of good useful info that was printed when safety warning did not consume most of the pages.
Also they have a tiller forum for questions and lots of Troy built/Gardenway info.
If you can find a guy by the name of chzuck (Dirt digger) he is a specialist on those type tillers. in the forums.


https://www.mytractorforum.com/291-troy ... r-manuals/