Reader Reviews
I had talked myself into buying a small rear-tine tiller (my back cannot take the abuse from a large front-tine version) and then I saw this little gadget for ~$200 less. At first I didn't think there was anyway it would be up to the task, but after a fairly thorough literature and market review I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. It cut through the sod with no problems as well as a number of finger thick roots. It only bogged down briefly before it spit out a 1/4 of a brick that it dredged up from the soil. Pros: Extremely lightweight--I can carry it with one hand Very maneuverable--should make cultivating an easy chore Reasonable cost 4-cyle, no gas/oil to mix Doesn't take up a lot of storage room Fairly quiet EASY ON THE BACK Removeable tines--quick and easy cleaning Cons: Small tilling width--takes more time per square foot tillage Fast idle on running tank dry--SAFETY ISSUE (more on this below) I was allowing the tank to run dry while I finished the raking and planting. Suddenly the idle began to run up as the tank ran out; when it did the centrifugal clutch engaged and the tiller tried to take off. Admittedly it wouldn't have gone far because it ran out of gas almost immediately after I snagged the handle, but it is something to consider. Bottom line: I would not want to do a large garden with it. Mine is 5' x 15' and took me about 3 hours to till, rake and plant. At the end of that time I was still in pretty decent shape, pleasantly tired, but not beat up.