What Type of Tiller Do You Need For Your Garden?

Last Updated on July 30, 2021 by woodcutter

Choosing the right tiller for your garden can be a pain in the neck for many gardeners. There are many factors you need to consider when getting a tiller for your garden. It’s important that you consider your garden size, soil type, and factors like the cost of the tiller before getting a tiller.

If you aren’t sure what to consider when picking the best tiller for your backyard, then you are at the right place. Here we show you the type of tiller you need for your garden.

Common types of tillers

There are several types of tillers available on the market. Some are small in size and less powerful while some are bigger as well as more powerful. Tillers can also be categorized according to their source of power. Some are electrically powered while some are powered by gas.

Each type of tiller is best suited for specific garden tasks.  It’s important therefore to choose the type of tiller that meets your garden needs. Below we look at the different types of tillers and their uses.

1. Cultivators

Cultivators are lightweight machines that are ideal for stirring soil. The good thing about cultivators is that they are a lot cheaper as compared to other types of tillers. Cultivators are pretty useful if your garden is already existing. If you want to break new ground a cultivator is probably not the right choice of the tiller.

They are electric-powered and that makes them a lot easy to maintain. They are also easy to use and are a perfect choice if the needs of your garden aren’t too extensive.

2. Manual or Hand tillers

This type of tiller is powered by the gardener and is made of a handle, bladed wheel, and spikes. The spikes are responsible for digging up the soil in your garden. As this happens the soil is churned and mixed by the wheel. The tiller has a long handle which makes it cushy to till the garden without you having to bend over.

This tiller is ideal if you want to get fertilizer, mulch as well as peat moss mixed into the soil. It’s also used to loosen as well as aerate the soil. If you want to get rid of weeds between rows this type of tiller is a great choice.

3. Front-tine tiller

A front-tine tiller is another type of tiller that offers many advantages. With this type of tiller, you can easily adjust the tine width. The wheels of a front-tine tiller are located at the back which makes it cushy to turn as well as reverse the machine. Front-tine tillers comprise forward or standard rotating tines. This implies that the rotation happens in the same direction as the wheels.

A front-tine tiller is ideal if you want to dig a garden of small to medium size. It can also be used to loosen soil, dig firm soil as well as weeding. More so, this tiller is the real deal when it comes to the general maintenance of your garden. Because the tiller doesn’t dig deeply into the soil, a front-tine tiller is perfect for aerating as well as getting rid of weeds.

4. Mid-tine Tiller

Mid-tine tillers are almost similar to front-tine tillers but the difference is in the design. Mid-tine tillers are often placed in the same category as front-tine tillers, but their design is slightly different.

Since the tines of a mid-tine tiller are located underneath the engine this gives stability to the machine. You can use a mid-tine tiller to loosen soil and for general garden maintenance. The other use of a mid-tine tiller is to do shallow weeding. The good thing about mid-tine tillers is that they are more maneuverable as compared to other types of tillers.

5. Rear-tine tiller

A rear-tine tiller has a size bigger than a front-tine tiller. If you have a big-sized garden or small plot a rear-tine tiller is ideal. However, unlike a mid-tine tiller, a rear-tine tiller is not easy to maneuver.  Regardless of this, mid-tine tillers are difficult to maneuver and pretty cushy to use. This is because they have tines that work independently.

You can use this type of tiller for digging large gardens or small plots. If you want to break firm ground or loosen hard soil, a rear-tine tiller is a perfect choice. The machine tills at depths that are consistent. The drive wheels of a rear-tine tiller are responsible for keeping the tiller in place. This is good since it helps the tiller to dig to the length you desire.

6. Vertical-tine Tiller

Vertical-tine tillers are not that popular. Unlike the front and rear-tine tillers, they don’t cut through the ground downward. Instead, they cut forward. They are ideal if you are looking for a fast and easy-to-use tiller model.

If you have a new garden this type of tiller can easily break the ground. If your garden is not new you can use the vertical-tine tiller to plow as well as stir soil. A vertical-tine tiller is also ideal for loosening soil.

What factors should I consider when buying a tiller?

When getting a tiller for your garden, there are some things you need to consider. This will ensure that you buy the type and model of a tiller that meets your garden needs. Choosing a tiller wisely will prevent you from encountering problems with your tiller.

You don’t want to buy a tiller that strains your budget or one that’s not durable. Below we look at the different factors you should consider when getting a tiller in more detail.

The use of a tiller

When buying a tiller you should choose a type and model that has a use that benefits you. If you want a tiller to use for your garden at home you might want to consider picking a cultivator or vertical-tine tiller whereas if you want to use a tiller for commercial purposes you’ll need a more powerful tiller. For home use, you may also want to buy an affordable tiller.

Type of soil

The type of soil in your garden determines the type of tiller you need. For soft and loose soil a less powerful tiller will do just fine since this type of soil is easy to dig up and plow. If the soil in your garden has clay, you will need a more powerful tiller since clay is difficult to dig up or plow. For hard and rocky soil you may need a powerful tine tiller and one that won’t get damaged by flying rocks.

Perhaps you aren’t sure if a tiller is suitable for the type of soil you have, you must consult an expert who will help you get the right tiller.

The size of garden

When buying a tiller you must consider the size of your garden. The size of your garden will determine the size of a job you do. Small and less powerful tillers tend to work great in smaller gardens while bigger and more powerful tillers are ideal for bigger gardens. An example is cultivators which are suitable for smaller gardens. If you use them in a large garden you may regret it because they are pretty slow. On the other hand, a rear tine tiller is suitable for a large garden, and using it on a smaller garden won’t yield great results.

Power source

Tillers can be powered by electricity or gas.  Tillers that are powered by electricity are usually smaller in size as compared to those powered by gas. Usually, electric-powered tillers are lightweight and a lot cushy to use. More so, they are easy to maintain.

Electric-powered tillers usually come in cordless battery-powered models and also models that require plugging in. If you want a more powerful tiller, a gas-powered tiller is better than an electric-powered one. It will do the job pretty quickly. The downside of a gas-powered tiller is that it’s pretty expensive.

Tine Rotation

When choosing a tiller we recommend you to choose one with a time rotation that’s suitable for your needs. Rear tine tillers only offer a few options for how the tines rotate. There are Standard Rotating Tines (SRT) that rotate in the same direction as the wheels of the tiller. This type of rotation is ideal for soil that’s five inches deep. Next is Counter Rotating Tines which does rotation away from the wheels. That is what makes these tines a bit more powerful.

If you have clay soil in your garden, Counter Rotating Tines are a great choice. Next is Dual Rotating Tines which are advantageous since they offer both options. Popular are Vertical Dual Rotating Tines which point downward then turn. They are quiet and pretty powerful. If you want rotating tines that do a good job you might want to consider buying Vertical Dual Rotating Tines.

The cost of the tiller

When getting a tiller you must choose one that suits your budget as well as needs. Cultivators are the cheapest while rear-tine and vertical-tine tillers are more expensive. There are many factors that influence the cost of a tiller and these include how powerful the tiller is, its model as well as the brand. More so, if a tiller has multiple tine rotation options then it becomes more expensive.

Depending on your needs you can buy a tiller at a high cost for example if you want a tiller for commercial purposes. If you have a pretty small-sized garden a cheap cultivator works just fine.

Final Verdict

Although picking the perfect tiller isn’t easy, the right information makes the chore a lot easier. Now that we shared with you the different types of tillers, their uses, and factors you should consider when picking a tiller, you can now get the tiller type that tickles your fancy. Good luck!