A garden tiller is a manual or an engine powered, walk-behind cutting tool used for breaking or tilling the ground for planting and weeding. The best garden tiller comes with a powerful engine having a rating of 3-10 hp, typically four-stroke, with a horizontal crankshaft.
These machines have high torque that helps you easily cut through the topsoil. If your garden is an acre or more in size, you will do well to buy the best garden tiller that can till and weed wider. A high-quality garden tiller can help you easily weed a large garden in minutes.
It can also perform other tasks from lawn care to weeding to more, and can be easily used by senior people as well as people with physical limitations. In this guide, we will discuss 10 of the best garden tiller reviews so you can make an informed choice.
Comparison of 10 Best Garden Tillers in 2022
Top 10 Best Garden Tiller Reviews in 2022
1. Sun Joe TJ604E Electric Garden Tiller
- Color: Black
- Material: Steel
- Tilling Blades: 6 blades
- Include: 3-Position Wheel Adjustment, Folding Handle
The Sun Joe TJ604E is one tiller that is up to any task you put it to. The tiller is equipped with a quick-start switch as well as a safety switch both of which are located on the handles. This helps users access them quickly. The tillers collapsible handle also allows for easy storage. Its 3-position manual wheel allows convenient height adjustment.
Sun Joe is equipped with a powerful 13.5 A motor which cultivates topsoil 16 inches wide and 8 inches deep. Sun Joe tiller is equipped with 6 durable steel angle tines that cut wide and deep to help you finish all your tilling and weeding tasks quickly and easily.
- Power up reliably – no gas or fuel needed
- Easy to assemble and use
- Lightweight and maneuverable
- Easy to store
- Wet dirt cakes on the tines
- Difficult to weed out crabgrass
2. Earthwise TC70001 Corded Electric Tiller
- Weight: 27.4 lbs
- Power Supply: Corded electric
- Tilling Blades: 4 blades
Earthwise electric tiller comes with a cutting width of 11-inches which is perfect for most gardens. It 8.5A powerful motor rotates 4 heavy-duty, durable, steel tines which remove weeds and top soil to keep your garden in mint condition. Earthwise TC70001 comes with a convenient cord hook for securing extension cords on the electric tiller.
Large wheels on the rear end of the cultivator allow easy transport. The tiller is also lightweight making it easy for people with all kinds of ability levels to use it. Being completely manual, the tiller does not need any fuel or regular maintenance. Starting the tiller is also rather easy.
The safety switch and the cord retention hook make the startup and stoppage easy. The tiller weeds and cuts topsoil about 11” wide and 8” deep making it ideal for small, medium, and large gardens. No gardening task is difficult for this cultivator.
- Equipped with safety features
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver
- Easy to assemble
- Ideal for small to medium-size gardens
- Overheating and starting problems reported
Also Read: Best Corded Electric Lawn Mowers – Choose the Right One for You
3. BLACK+DECKER LGC120AM MAX Tiller
- Power Supply: Cordless-Battery
- Dimensions: 8.38 x 7.75 x 41.5 inch
- Include: Adjustable handle, Telescoping tube, Soft-grip handle
The best garden tiller to buy from Black+Decker consists of dual tines which are corrosion resistant and sturdy. They easily cut through to soil to help you easily remove weeds. The 20V tiller comes with a powerful lithium ion battery which lasts long per charge and works harder so you don’t have to.
You can easily cover 325 square feet per charge of the Black+Decker battery. Their counter-oscillating tines prevent stopping of the machine – a drawback of many tillers which stop working when they encounter stubborn weeds. As with all Black+Decker products, you also get a commitment towards more sustainable and eco-friendly operation without emissions.
The lightweight tilling machine weighs just 8.1 lbs. and has an ergonomically designed handle that reduces fatigue on the user’s hands. The handle also telescopes up and down so you can adjust the tiller’s height based on the user-height. Its soft grip helps you cultivate your garden beds without having to deal with blisters and soreness.
- Counter-oscillation prevents weeds from getting tangled in the tines
- Energy-star rated, eco friendly tool
- Lightweight, easy to maneuver, adjustable handle
- Not very good on hard soils
- More suited to light-duty weeding and tilling
4. Yard Butler Rotary Cultivator Garden Tiller
- Dimensions: 5 x 8 x 33 inch
- Include: Adjustable Handle, Removable Blade
The hand-held tiller from Yard Butler quickly removes the top soil and weeds to help you garden and plant without too much stress and hassles. It is equipped with removable blades that help you even customize your tilling work based on the depth you want. Moreover, the Yard Butler’s adjustable handle prevents too much bending as you can adjust it to your comfort level.
It also helps you reach farther into the corners to help you pull out roots and weeds. Yard Butler powder-coated hand-held tiller has a length between 32 and 52 inches. It covers a width of 8 inches and weighs less than 4 lbs.
- Lightweight
- Manual, easy to use operation
- Stretchable
- Sturdy and durable
- Does not work on dry soil or clay
Also Read: How to Install Dewalt Trimmer Line – Most Effective Tips
5. Earthwise Corded Electric Tiller
- Weight: 8.8 pounds
- Power Supply: Gas Powered
- Dimensions: 10 x 54 x 7.5 inche
Sick of trying to start your tiller and failing time after time? This eco-friendly tiller is electric so that it will start quickly every time. The 2.5-Amp motor offers superior power, run-time, and durability. It’s ideal for working on small to mid-sized gardens and light projects. It works on 120-volt power only. This lightweight machine can be assembled within as little as 10 minutes.
It starts effortlessly with the press of a single lever. The soft, ergonomic grip helps when you’re out in the garden for a long time. It’s equipped with durable steel tines, quite capable of tearing through moderately packed soil and turf. For moderate tilling, soil turning, and breaking up soft turf; this is an excellent choice at this price point.
It’s not durable enough for a big project or for using long hours every day. While using this machine, sometimes a rock might get jammed between the blades, but that’s only to be expected if your area has that kind of soil. Take the rock out and continue working. Similarly, stop and clean the wheels if the weeds get tangled in them.
- Lightweight and maneuverable
- Affordable
- Perfect for small projects
- Starts effortlessly
- It tends to short out where the handle enters the base
6. Earthquake MC440 Mini Cultivator
- Transmission: Gear Drive
- Fuel Type: Unleaded, No Mixing
- On/Off Switch: On Handle Bar
Powerful and clean, emission-free, gas-less, non-polluting tiller/cultivator from Earthquake is a top-rated tiller that needs no mixing of oil and gas. Its 40 cc, 4-cycle engine is powerfully built so you get the desired results within a short time. The 12802 MC440 mini tiller is built-to-last and comes with a high-quality air filter which is designed to leave dirt out of the engine.
You need not bend down to start and stop the engine as it has convenient buttons located right on the handlebars themselves. All in all; the Earthquake 12802 MC440 is genuine, powerful, innovative, rugged, tough, built-to-last, and also provides you complete value for money.
- Versatile machine: use it to weed, mulch, aerate, and mix in fertilizer
- Small, lightweight, compact, and easy to store and transport
- Maneuverable around delicate plants
- Oil leaks and stopping issues reported
7. Greenworks 27072 Corded Tiller
- Color: Green
- Weight: 29.3 Pounds
- Power Supply: Cordless
- Include: Folding Handle
The best garden tiller from Greenworks comes with an electric start up that eliminates harmful gas fumes. This is a forward-rotating tine with an adjustable coverage between 8.25 and 10 inches- which makes it suitable for tilling most small to mid-sized gardens. The versatile tiller from Greenworks also lets you adjust the tilling depth up to 5 inches so you can plant your seeds at the right planting depth.
Greenworks tiller is ergonomically designed and its compact folding design allows easy storage. The lightweight tiller weighs less than 30 lbs. You also get a limitless runtime with constant dependable power due to corded design. The tiller runs smoothly and noiselessly.
- Easy to maneuver and lightweight
- Easy storage and transport
- Gas-free, low emissions, eco friendly.
- Adjustable tilling depth
- Cord on some units gets unplugged and comes in the way
- Pins and washers come off from time to time
Also Read: Best Lawn Aerator – The Requirements of Your Lawn
8. Yard Butler Twist Tiller
- Weighs: 4.5 pounds
- Dimensions: 5 x 8 x 33 inch
This deceptively simple garden tool is superbly effective and offers a satisfactory performance for anyone looking to work in their garden of raised beds. It’s also quite useful for a small or mid-sized garden as long as you don’t mind a little workout.
This 38 inches tall tiller has an ergonomic, wide 12 inch T handle that’s easy on your hands as well as your back. The step plate is handy, and the six claw spikes are very suitable for garden soil. The claw is altogether 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide. The whole tool has a heavy-duty all-steel design.
For anything ranging from mixing fertilizer, compost, soil amendments to uprooting weeds and moderate tilling, turning, loosening, aerating, and breaking the soil- this tool performs admirably. If you put enough elbow grease into work, this tiller can break ground that even motorized tillers can’t make a dent in.
However, make sure not to use it in absolutely dry soil. Wet the ground for a few days and then go in with this twist tiller. It gunks up in sticky clay, but you can push or kick out the soil clods with your foot easily. It would help if you also didn’t use this on unbroken, hard-packed dirt. It’s suitable for reworking your garden every year.
- It doesn’t require any gas, electricity, or batteries
- Sturdy steel construction
- Ergonomic design
- Perfect for moderate tilling
- Rubber grips tend to slip off
9. TAZZ 35351 Garden Cultivator
- Color: Green
- Weighs: 33.8 pounds
- Engine Type: 2-Cycle
- Displacement: 33cc
This mini cultivator is powered by a 22 cc 2 cycle Viper engine and can quickly weed, mix, aerate, mulch your garden. Pros include adjustable onboard wheels and overhand controls. The lightweight design makes this machine easy to control. TAZZ mini cultivator has the added benefit of adjustable tilling width.
It’s effortless to change the blade’s width from 12 to 6 inches. It offers a maximum tilling depth of 8 inches. Altogether, the machine is easy to assemble and maneuver. It’s small and compact, and it runs on mixed gas. While it’s primarily suitable for small to medium-sized gardens and raised beds, using it on a large plot of land is probably unwise.
- Easy and quick to assemble
- Suitable for moderately loose soil
- Small and compact
- Offers adjustable tilling width
- Has issues with durability
10. Hattomen Electric Garden Tiller
- Weighs: 18.76 pounds
- Electric Power: 8.5 AMP
- Speed: 230RPMs
- Voltage/Frequency: 120V.60HZ
This versatile machine can be used in versatile ways to work in vegetable gardens, orchards, greenhouses, and dainty flower beds. The 8.5 Amp pure copper motor offers high torque grinding and muscular power, all without gas or oil. Not only is this tiller efficient, but it also offers adjustable cultivation sizes. The double safety switches keep the blades safe.
It has 4 steel tilling blades with a total of 16 tines. The simple yet effective structure prevents irritating winding and jamming. The machine works the soil up to 8 inches deep. While it does jump when it hits an obstruction, that’s only to be expected from such a lightweight machine.
- Lightweight yet powerful
- POwerful copper motor
- It doesn’t need any gas or oil
- Adjustable cultivation size
- The users complained that their fingers tend to slip on the trigger switch
Also Read: Best Lawn Mower Batteries – Reviews & Buying Guide
Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best Garden Tiller/Cultivator
Consider these factors when selecting the best garden tiller for your needs:
Your Garden/Land Size and Type of Soil
Consider the size of your garden. Typically, 8 to 16-inch wide cultivators/tillers get the task done for most mid-sized yards and gardens. Do consider the quality of your soil. For very hard soil or clay-soil, you will need a powerful machine.
Consider the tiller’s engine specifications: Select a unit that comes with a powerful engine having higher rpm, HP, and cc readings. This will help you cut through dry, clumpy soil with ease.
Versatile
Ideally, you want to choose a cultivator/tiller for versatile applications like cutting through clay or dry earth, weeding, dirt removal, digging, tilling, remaking garden beds, planting, seeding, and aerating.
Low Noise
The last thing you want is a tiller that hurts your ears! If you go for a gas-powered unit which boasts a high HP, CC-rating, and higher speed of the order of 5000+rpm, then check its dB rating as well. Good-quality tillers ensure noise reduction and are tested, certified, and checked against set safety standards.
Lightweight and Easy to Maneuver
Based on your physical capabilities, you may want to choose a tiller that is easy to maneuver. A lightweight unit can be turned with ease and also transported easily. Avoid a tiller that requires too much bending.
Compact for Easy Storage
Foldable tillers limit the space they occupy when not in use. They are also easier to carry around or transport in the car.
Durable and Easy-to-Replace Parts
Tiller tines get damaged over time. Select a sturdy and durable model which at least comes with replaceable parts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What Is the Ideal Power Source for a Garden Tiller?
A: If you will be using a heavy-duty garden tiller, your best bet would be to opt for a gas-powered model. The only downside that comes with using the gas-powered model is the noise it generates. However, it would not be a problem for people who live around you if you live alone.
Also, you can opt for battery-powered electric or the corded model. Unlike the gas-powered model, these operate noiselessly. Hence, you can go about your activities without being disturbed.
Q: What Are the Best Wheels for Garden Tillers?
A: Before you get the best garden tiller, you need to consider the wheels feature. Your garden tiller’s wheel needs to come with robust plastic construction and tread for the tiller to move smoothly. In addition to this, the wheels have to be large to help the machine coast smoothly on rocky terrains without any challenges.
Q: Is Counterweight Needed When Using a Garden Tiller?
A: Some garden tillers have counterweights that help to promote the machine’s digging depth. These counterweights impact the tiller with stability by supplying the wheels with weight. With this, it would be impossible for the machine to be unstable during use.
Conclusion
The best garden tiller is versatile, powerful, and cuts through hard soil with ease. It can be used for multiple tasks like aerating, weeding, tilling, and re-making beds. We recommend the Earthwise TC70001 tiller for its lightweight design, easy assembly and maneuverability, and long-lasting battery. Do check out our other recommendations as well.
Leave a Reply