This reciprocating spader, manufactured by Tortella, is designed to work the soil with minimal soil layer inversion and no noticeable formation of hardpan. It is 25 inches wide, and it has a maximum working depth of 8 inches.
Although the housing looks very similar to that of a rotary tiller, rather than use a rotary action, it works by thrusting spades into the soil at an angle, then throwing the soil upwards against the inside of the hood to break up clods and clumps of soil.
The vigorous action of the spades can cause considerable shaking of the two-wheeled tractor, particularly in hard soils, so we only recommend using the spader with our largest tractor, the Model 750 Powersafe.