# BCS tiller review



## 066blaster

We bought a new BCS tiller. We have been using the heavy duty troy builts, so I thought I would compare them. Pros: it has electric start, bigger honda engine 13 horse, all controls are easily operated from a standing position, when you shift to reverse tines disengage automatically, handles swing easily to the side with the lever on the right handle. Handle height adjust real easy, you can unlock differential and turn on a dime. It has a hand clutch so it's stops on a dime and you can go super slow or just creep ahead if needed. Easy forward to reverse on handle, really smooth running machine the thing just purrs.

Cons: it has 3 forward speeds but third gear is faster than a human can run? So it's useless for tilling..it must be meant for a ride on attachment, lots of cables and linkages plus plastic parts. Also the bolts holding the tines on are really small might be an issue to get off. 

It does a good job. Just wondering if it's going to be as









bullet proof as the old troy builts.


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## Buckshot00

Looks really futuristic.


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## dor-moor hands

Any new updates on the BCS? I have been looking at them online but really want to hear from an owner how they like it. Did you get any other attachments besides the tiller?


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## 066blaster

dor-moor hands said:


> Any new updates on the BCS? I have been looking at them online but really want to hear from an owner how they like it. Did you get any other attachments besides the tiller?


We didn't get any other attachments. . We really like it, the only small complaint is the depth adjustment. It's a little deeper than we like on the highest setting. Probably not a big deal for most people. But we go through the strawberry rows several times a season, and on the new plants it's nice to just work a couple inches up each time. I think anyone would like these tillers. Not sure if it's worth the price tag for a home gardener. You could buy a few lighter duty tillers for the price of this. I would like to hear from someone that has used one for 5 or ten years and see how it's holding up


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## dor-moor hands

Thank you for that. I am large home gardener like 1/4 acre. In a few more years when I retire from the military I am looking at market garden in the 1 to 3 acre range plus maybe some hay. I have been trying to do a cost analysis of equipment and figure what will be the best bet for me. I am not sure if something like a two wheel tractor would work better for me all year for multiple tasks or not. I agree on hearing about longevity not much out there on them except from the distributors.


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## fordf150

some of the amish around me have them. bullet proof and hold their value really well. I have tried to buy a couple at auction and even at 10 yrs old they still command $1500 or more with just a tiller. They have just about any attachment you could want for one. Anyone been around one of these and the newer gravely 2 wheel tractors to make a comparison?


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## ChoppyChoppy

I have a tiller attachment and snowblower for sale if anyone is interested. They were basically demo units... shop used to be a BCS dealer.


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## dor-moor hands

Price and pics please.


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## 066blaster

That's the bad thing about these , they designed them to accept all the attachments. If they were strictly a tiller they would be less expensive. We don't have a use for the other attachments.


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## wampum

I have 2 of them.The first one I bought about 20 years ago and the other about 4 years ago.The second one I bought because a guy had it on Craigs List for $800 just before Xmas.He wanted extra cash for Xmas.I offered him $650 and he took it.It was a year old,could not pass it up.I use my older one for tilling the garden,leaving all the tines on.The other I took off as many tines as I could for cultivating rows after they are planted.

There really is no comparison between them and a troy built,The BCS turns the tines a lot faster and in my opinion easier to control.If you hit a rock hang on it might jump 3 or 4 feet ahead.Like was stated above the handles easily adjust to either side so you do not walk where you till.

The attachments are expensive,I think the baler is close to $5000.But if you watch the auctions you can get some attachments pretty reasonable.I like the snow blower,dozer blade and the mower.I also bought a transport wheel which makes it a lot easier to get from the garden to the barn.


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## dor-moor hands

Thank you for all the info. I was looking at attachment prices and I had some real sticker shock. Good to know they run well and have the longevity to back up the high cost. I am not sure what way I am going to go yet. Interested location I could get an older tractor with implements including a bailer for probably $10,000. But upkeep and maintenance would be high


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## Sawyer Rob

IF I had to go back to a hand tiller, BCS is what I'd buy!

They are miles better than the Troybilt "horse" tillers, we wore one of those out and I'm not impressed with them!

I have another "horse" model that hasn't been run too much, I plan to sell it...

DM


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## 066blaster

I put an hour on my Troy built tiller today, And than switch to the bcs. . What a difference, the Troy built is loud and bounces you around and you have to push down on the handles to get it to dig in. It also misses some weeds . The bcs turned the dirt to powder and destroys all the weeds. Only problem is like I mentioned earlier, even with the depth guide all the way down it goes really deep. I actually have to lift up slightly on the handles to prevent it from going 8 inches deep. Got a good work out on my biceps. I might have to weld something to the depth limiter. The engine doesn't bog at all ever. You would swear it's just idling. 





It needs a bath now . The birds craped all over it


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## 066blaster

Just thought i would update. The tiller still works great. The only problem we have had is some of the bolts came loose on the tines. We actually lost 1 or 2 tines It came with 2 extra and a few extra bolts so not a big deal. We have 2 troy builts that are still going strong as well. 
Issue with the troy builts is the muffler rusting out and the exhaust blowing in your face. I doubt i will get the bolts out to replace.


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## c5rulz

Howdy Shaun, great review, and that is quite a stand of strawberries.

I have seen BCS at the saw shop and wondered about them. I seldom use a tiller anymore and have had a 5hp Troy Bilt for 25 years.


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## milkman

I moved back to the homeplace in '86 and the first thing I needed was a tiller and a mower. I bought a BCS 735 with 26" tiller and 40" mower with sulky. I don't know which model it compares to today, but it is 5 speeds in tilling mode and 2 speeds reverse. In mowing mode, it is 2 speeds nice walking speed and a slower speed. 10 hp with differential and individual wheel brakes. I paid $2300 for all in 1987 and still have it. I used it to work the garden and mowed all my grass for about 5 yrs and then several more years just for the garden. Still has the original ACME engine and all the original cables. Even after setting over the winter, I can gas it up and usually starts on the second pull. Before I moved back, I worked my parent's garden for a couple of years with a Troybilt Horse and found it clumsy and awkward to handle, smaller wheels and no differential, nowhere near the same class as the BCS. They are pricy, but I have never regretted spending the money.


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## sawfun

I wonder how the BCS would compare to a Howard Rotovator? Those old orange Rotovarors were serious machines. Kinda the 090 or 125 of
the tiller world.


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## Stewardship

sawfun said:


> I wonder how the BCS would compare to a Howard Rotovator? Those old orange Rotovarors were serious machines. Kinda the 090 or 125 of
> the tiller world.


I have been using BCS products for 30 years, professionally. The machines are clunky, poorly built and very awkward to use. The company is so inept you would do best to avoid doing any business with them. They don't know their own parts. Their parts distribution is very limited and the cost of the parts is preposterous. I just paid $150 for a mower front caster wheel, and it didn’t even fit! I waited six months for the wheel to arrive. My experience with BCS has been a nightmare.


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## Stewardship

066blaster said:


> We bought a new BCS tiller. We have been using the heavy duty troy builts, so I thought I would compare them. Pros: it has electric start, bigger honda engine 13 horse, all controls are easily operated from a standing position, when you shift to reverse tines disengage automatically, handles swing easily to the side with the lever on the right handle. Handle height adjust real easy, you can unlock differential and turn on a dime. It has a hand clutch so it's stops on a dime and you can go super slow or just creep ahead if needed. Easy forward to reverse on handle, really smooth running machine the thing just purrs.
> 
> Cons: it has 3 forward speeds but third gear is faster than a human can run? So it's useless for tilling..it must be meant for a ride on attachment, lots of cables and linkages plus plastic parts. Also the bolts holding the tines on are really small might be an issue to get off.
> 
> It does a good job. Just wondering if it's going to be asView attachment 415235
> View attachment 415236
> View attachment 415237
> bullet proof as the old troy builts.


I have been using BCS products for 30 years, professionally. The machines are clunky, poorly built and very awkward to use. The company is so inept you would do best to avoid doing any business with them. They don't know their own parts. Their parts distribution is very limited and the cost of the parts is preposterous. I just paid $150 for a mower front caster wheel, and it didn’t even fit! I waited six months for the wheel to arrive. My experience with BCS has been a nightmare.


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## Del_

I am on year number 38. Bought it new in 1982.

If you can't grow a great garden using a troy bilt horse.

Don't blame the horse.


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## sawfun

Stewardship said:


> I have been using BCS products for 30 years, professionally. The machines are clunky, poorly built and very awkward to use. The company is so inept you would do best to avoid doing any business with them. They don't know their own parts. Their parts distribution is very limited and the cost of the parts is preposterous. I just paid $150 for a mower front caster wheel, and it didn’t even fit! I waited six months for the wheel to arrive. My experience with BCS has been a nightmare.


BCS are not all that tough as I went into a dealer about 7 or 8 years ago and one had the case shear where the gearbox is connected to it. I do like the diesel optioned model, but not the price. I guess i will stick with my seniority like new belt drive MTD for $300 like new. It has a swivel handle, and can rotate the tines forward or in reverse. Plus a nice transmission range. I think you this is fine for up to an acre easily prolly a good deal more depending on soil.


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## 066blaster

Ours is still going strong. plastic is getting faded thats all. I think it may need new tines. I think it actually spins to fast for its own good. The tines wear out prematurely.


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