My Wife Wants a Vegetable Garden

[timflury 1]

So I told her, "You can have a garden if I can get a tiller for my tractor." She said "OK"

So, all I'm lacking to actually get the tines to turn is the drive pulley. My local dealer actually had all the belt stops in his "archives". I made some spacers to raise the fender two inches as I had some clearance issues with the lifting of the tiller and the small idler pulley. I've been working on the lift arm and the idler pulley bracket to get them to lift and fit properly. I use the snowblower lift arm and I extended it with a 1/2" rod that I cut threads on and used jam nuts to hold everything together. I machined a small piece of 3/8" pipe and welded on a machined 1/2" bolt to fit on the lift arm per the parts manual. I have rims from a donor Yeoman that are in primer right now, and hopefully at tax refund time, I'm going to buy three ribs for the front and bar lug tires for the rear. I'm going to use the snowblower hitch as a starting point for a weight box/bracket that I'm going to build if the tiller is too heavy for my Serf when it is lifted up. My only other concern is that the 5 horse engine would have enough power to break up the soil. I guess that remains to be seen. More to come during the winter.....

[cojo92 1]

nice setup. i like the little serfs and yeonmans :D

[CDeHeer 0]

Looks like you have the complete set up now.. Going to break ground and get some compost in yet this year? I'm yet to till last years garden under. Still using the TB Horse myself.

[timflury 1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CDeHeer
Looks like you have the complete set up now.. Going to break ground and get some compost in yet this year? I'm yet to till last years garden under. Still using the TB Horse myself.

---

I have to remove a pine tree stump and move the tractor shed to where the stump was because the shed right now is located where my garden is going to be. So, I'll take soil samples and everything come the spring thaw. I'm guessing that I'll need to spread some lime and maybe some 10-10-10?? I'm not sure being my first garden. But for sure, I will be starting a compost pile next summer. Define complete setup??? I do have the 27" snow blower and the 28" mower for the tractor. I'm still lacking a revitalizer, and a Hi-Lo pulley. But I'm in no hurry for these.

[ToddM 0]

I had a 525 Serf that I bought for the 5hp engine for my 515 Serf which was in better shape. I needed an engine for the 525, so I installed a 12.5hp Briggs I found and after raising the engine 1" and grinding a little material off of the draglink it fit. I welded a battery box to the front of the tractor, wired it up, installed a gas tank and it was ready to go. I could mow very tall grass at a little above an idle, needless to say the hood no longer fit and it looked kind of goofy. I sold both of the Serfs a couple of years ago, sorry I don't think I have any pictures left but I'll check.

[bud119195 108]

Talk to Bob (BLT) he had a Hi-Lo at Sussex that he had a good price on. If you need a drive pulley I got mine at Fleet Farm, it a 4" diamater pulley.

[timflury 1]

I thought there was a difference between a hi-lo on a large frame vs. the small frame tractors?? I'll have to check Farm & Fleet down here, otherwise, the closest Fleet Farm is in the Falls. Thanks for the info on the pulley.

[bud119195 108]

quote:

---

Originally posted by timflury
I thought there was a difference between a hi-lo on a large frame vs. the small frame tractors?? I'll have to check Farm & Fleet down here, otherwise, the closest Fleet Farm is in the Falls. Thanks for the info on the pulley.

---

The one Bob had was for a 3 speed like the one on the Serf Yeoman adnd Broadmoors

[timflury 1]

I found a pulley, Todd. Tractor Supply Co. had one. Ace Hardware has them as well. It's a standard 4" Die Cast pulley with a 5/8" shaft and a 3/16" key slot. Tractor supply had a steel pulley, but it was for a 5/8" wide beltC I'm sure the original pulleys were either cast iron or stamped steel.

[bud119195 108]

Mine is also die cast aluminum ,Not had a problem with it in the 6 yrs I have used it

[timflury 1]

HAHA!!! I found out that the belt was too short after buying the correct one and comparing them!!!! Member tomschmit has been in contact with me as far as looking to see if the drive pulley was the correct size. I'll remount the tiller soon and post updates... The only thing left is the big spring that goes from the lift bracket to the transaxle. Ace Hardware has a quite a selection. Could anyone snap a picture of theirs next to a tape measure???