6 Best Rated Garden Tillers: Which One To Choose and Why?
We all love seeing a freshly tilled garden, don’t we? A vital prerequisite for starting your gardening at the right note is a garden tiller that crumbles and mixes the soil well to make it more aerated. This in turn helps provide well-balanced nutrients to your plants/flowers/fruits or veggies.
Thus, you must invest in a high-grade garden tiller for breaking new ground that lets you work through even the hard and rocky soil. Now, with so many options available, how do you even shortlist the best garden tillers?
Don’t worry! Our expert team of gardening enthusiasts and professionals at embracegardening brings you some of the top rated garden tillers based on their functionally, power, portability, price, and reviews etc.
Let’s have a look at the best picks for garden tillers we have this year!
A Quick Look At The Winners
- Best Garden Tillers (electric) – Sun Joe Electric Tiller – TJ603E
- Compact Garden Tiller – Black+Decker Max Tiller
- Budget Rototiller Pick – Earthwise Tiller – TC70001
- Best Tiller For Small Gardens – Earthquake 31635 MC33 Mini Tiller
- Cordless Garden Tiller – Greenworks Cordless Tiller
In This Article
- Cultivator Vs. Tiller Difference
- Rear Tine and Front Tine Tillers Explained
- Comparison Table for Selected Garden Tillers
- 6 Best Rated Garden Tillers To Buy
- How Do I Choose The Right Tiller?
- Garden Tillers Common Questions
- Best Rototiller – Our Verdict
Can I Use A Cultivator To Till My Garden?
Tilling as an activity is usually done before planting your garden and once after the blooming season ends. In contrast, you may regularly use a cultivator on your soil to keep the soil nourished and well mixed.
Typically, people use cultivators and garden tillers synonyms to one another. However, if we go to the base of the things, the two are slightly different. In a layman’s language, a cultivator is a smaller version of the tiller, which is less powerful and can be used on an existing plant-bed to loosen up the soil, mix compost in the upper layer soil or weeding. If you have a big garden, you need nothing but the best tiller for large gardens to ensure tilling is done correctly.
Tillers, on the other hand, are more powerful. They can work upon the hard soil and break it into loose soil ready for planting.
The two tools can also be utilized in combination to avail maximum benefits. Today you have multiple products that work 2 in 1 as a tiller & cultivator.
Which Is Better Rear Tine Or Front Tine Tiller?
Well, when narrowing down the top rated garden tillers,a prevalent choice that you may have to make is to decide between these two types. You might wonder – What is a rear tine and what’s front tine? Does it affect my tiller’s performance?
To pick between the two, you must know how do they differ. Rear tine tillers cut deeper into the soil and are mightier compared to the front tine. So, naturally, when dealing with heavy soil or breaking new ground, we recommend the best rear tine garden tillers for you.
Even though the best front tine tillers would not cut deep into the soil, they are ideal for dealing with loosened soil. Hence, they are a better pick for the gardeners who till multiple times in the season or the gardens that need no deeper tillage.
How Do These Best Tillers For Home Garden Compare To Each Other?
| Product | Power | Type | Max Cultivating (W)(D)inches | Check price on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sun Joe 16-inch Electric Tiller and Cultivator – Best Rototiller |
Electric | Rear | 16 in, 8 in | Check price on Amazon |
 Earthwise 11-Inch Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator |
Electric | Front | 11 in, 8 in | Check price on Amazon |
 Earthquake 31635 MC33 Mini Tiller Cultivator |
Gas | Mini | 10 in, 8 in | Check price on Amazon |
 Greenworks 10 inch Cordless Power Tiller |
Battery | Front | 10 in, 5 in | Check price on Amazon |
 Black+Decker Max Tiller |
Electric | Vertical | 7 in, 4 in | Check price on Amazon |
| Mantis Gas Powered Tiller/ Cultivator |
Gas | Vertical | 10 in depth | Check price on Amazon |
The Good and Bad Of 6 Best Garden Tillers 2023
1. Sun Joe TJ603E 16-Inch 12-Amp Electric Tiller and Cultivator
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Check price on Amazon |
Ranked at the top of our list is Sun Joe TJ603E Electric Tiller. It is one of the best garden tillers for the money that does a brilliant job at controlling the weeds. This garden tiller tames even the most challenging yard and simplifies the garden tasks. The only low that we see with this is that it operates at a single speed.
Key features
Six durable steel angled tines: These are the best electric tillers for your garden with six-angled tines that have durable built. They help you quickly cut into the soil.
12 AMP powerful motor: This tiller is equipped with a 12 AMP robust & powerful motor to assure proper aeration and ideal seedbed preparation. The motor functions at 340 RPM that can easily work up the soil to 16 inches wide and 8 inches deep in a jiffy.
Quick start technology: Since it is powered by electricity, it starts at the push of a button. You don’t even have to worry about its maintenance as it needs no tune-ups, oil, or gas.
Easy to store with foldable handles: Storage is effortless with this tiller.You can fold the handle and store it conveniently.
Lightweight and portable: It is one of out top picks as it is incredibly lightweight at just 27.1 lbs. So, carrying this from one section of the garden to another is quick and hassle-free.
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2. Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller – Best Front Tine Tillers
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Check price on Amazon |
Next, we have the Earthwise 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator. This tiller runs on electric power and isn’t very heavy on your pockets. With this small sized garden tiller,you can quickly prepare and loosen your soil for fresh plantation.
Key features
Suitable for small-medium-sized gardens: This is a versatile tiller that can be used on small to medium-sized gardens for mixing, stirring, aerating, and weeding the soil. However, this is not the best tiller for a large garden or working on a new garden with hard-packed soil.
4 Forward-rotating powerful tines: This garden tiller comes with four forward-rotating steel front tines and lets you modify the depth to about eight inches, and its width is eleven inches. Thus, it becomes one of the best rototillers for small to medium gardens.
8.5 AMP Powerful motor: It is a good pick if you want an electric tiller with a potent motor. This one is fitted with a powerful 8.5-Amp electric motor that delivers around 3 to 4 HP to the tines.
Corded tiller: You can even use it for mid-sized gardens with continuous access to a power source since it is corded.
Easy to start: If this garden tiller is connected to a power outlet, it will start easily and quickly with just a button push.
Planet-conscious design: This compact garden tiller runs on electricity. So, no gas is utilized in operation. Hence, it is an eco-friendly best tiller for home garden.
Ergonomic handle: This tiller comes with an ergonomic handle with comfortable padded grips. This V-shaped handle is comfortable for you to cultivate greater soil in the garden without experiencing any fatigue.
Easy to maneuver: Wouldn’t you want the best garden tillers to be easy to handle? Of course yes! You are in luck here because this one is extremely lightweight and weighs just 27 lbs. It is also portable and easy to maneuver in the desired direction since it has wheels that provide ample support to the front tines.
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3. Earthquake 31635 MC33 Mini Tiller Cultivator – Best Rototiller Mini
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Check price on Amazon |
Ranked at number three, we have the Earthquake 31635 MC33 Mini Tiller Cultivator. It is a small but incredibly helpful tool for your home garden.
Key features
Multipurpose: The next we have is the Earthquake 31635 MC33 Mini Tiller Cultivator. It is the best tiller for home gardens versatility-wise and can be used for aerating, mixing, and weeding. In addition, this tiller is capable of working on all kinds of pre-tilled earth.
Viper engine: What’s a garden tiller without a powerful engine? Well, loaded with a 33cc Viper engine, this is one the best rated garden tillers in its segment owing to its engine capabilities.
Easy operation: This garden tiller comes with overhand handlebars that assure hassle-free movement even through delicate plants. To move the tiller from the garden area to your garage, all you have to do is slide the wheels into transport mode.
Warranty: This one right here offers you a five-year warranty from our amazing picks of garden tillers. What more do we want!
Durable: With the industrial air filtration system and steel construction, this tiller is designed to last.
Gas-powered: It is a gas-powered tiller, so there is no burden of an extension cord or anything. Also, gas-powered tillers can be the ideal best tiller for large gardens since you don’t have to worry about the charging cord.
Pull cord for startup: To turn this tiller on, you will have to pull the cord, which is a bit more complicated compared to a push-button start.
DIY assembly: It will not come assembled, but the assembly is straightforward, and you can do it on your own.
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4. Greenworks 40V 10 inch Cordless Cultivator, 4.0 AH Battery Included 27062
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Check price on Amazon |
Ranked at number fourth on our list of top rated garden tillers is this beautiful machine by Greenworks with worthy performance and no memory loss after charging.
Key features
G-MAX 40V lithium-ion battery: This is a garden tiller comes with a 40-volt lithium-ion battery, which, once fully charged, can power the tiller for about forty minutes.
Easy to start: This garden tiller can be started effortlessly with just a push of a button. So, there is no pull-cord start operation, which is prevalently seen in the gas-powered tillers.
Wheels hold the weight: This tiller weighs around 40 pounds, which is certainly not lightweight. But the tiller is nestled on the wheels very well. Thus, the weight burden does not come on the user, and the wheels hold the machine.
Four front tines: The tiller comes with four front tines that can till to a depth of five inches, and the width of tilling can vary between 8.25-10 inches.
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5. Black+Decker 20v Max Tiller, Tool Only (Lgc120b)
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Check price on Amazon |
Black+Decker’s electric tiller is ranked at number fifth on our list for the best rototillers.The tiller releases absolutely no emissions into the yard. So, they are an environment-friendly pick for your home.
Key features
Multi-utility: These are the best garden tillers for the money as they are versatile. You can use it for landscape beds, cultivate garden beds, or for weeding. Alternatively, this garden tiller can also be used to prep and plant dead and dry spots in the lawn for seeding.
Lithium-ion battery: The lithium-ion battery of this tiller lasts long enough to work on around 325 sq ft. of land after a full charge which takes up to eight hours.
Lightweight: It weighs only a little more than eight pounds. The lightweight design of this tiller makes it easy to operate and does not cause any fatigue while you use it.
Ergonomic handle: Being a preferred choice for best rototillers these come with an ergonomic handle and a comfortable grip. It makes it easier to work with, even for long hours.
Vertical tines: This comes with four-inch counter-oscillating tines that enable you to cut through weeds hassle-free without intertwining. Further, it is equipped with a telescoping shaft, which makes it a back-friendly tool.
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6. Mantis 7940 4-Cycle Gas Powered Cultivator
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Check price on Amazon |
Last on our best garden tillers list we have the Mantis XP Tiller. It is one of the most vouched for s gas-powered tillers. With a tine speed 240 RPM this could be your go-to tiller for large gardens and tight spaces. It can till down 10-inches deep and has a cultivating width of 9 inches.
Key features
Easy to control: It is easier to control this tiller thanks to its low weight and compact size. It weighs just 24 pounds.
Gas-powered: The tiller is equipped with a gas-powered engine that requires no fuel mixing. The engine is positioned over the tines and assures great digging and tilling power. The good thing is its 25cc engine spins the engine two times as quickly as the other tillers.
Versatile: Adding feathers to its cap, this is the best rototiller you can buy, which can be put to multiple uses with the help of its attachments.
- Lawn aerator
- Lawn dethatcher
- Border edger
- Plow
Easy to store: It is one of the best rated garden tillers and comes with foldable handlebars. This makes it super easy to store.
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How Do I Choose A Tiller For My Garden?
There is a general prerequisite and a few factors that you must bear in mind when shopping for the best tiller for home garden. Let us address these factors one by one.
Purpose (re-tilling or working on fresh ground)
In order to grab the right tiller, be clear in your purpose as to why you want a tiller. Is it for breaking fresh ground or just reworking an old one? Breaking new ground will require a more powerful machine with a rear tine preferably gas-powered to cut through the hard rocky soil to make it usable.
Tine
As mentioned in the article’s starting, the positioning of the tines is a key consideration when shopping for the best rototillers. The tine positioning will determine the manner of soil tilling.
- The best rear tine garden tillers are suited for heavy soil and large spaces. They have tines in the rear and an engine in front.
- Front tine tillers have tines in front of their wheels and are suited for loosened soil and smaller spaces.
- Vertical-tine tillers are a mix of rear and front. The engine here is installed over the vertical tines that move in the opposite directions to dig in.
Gas Vs. Electric Power
In an ideal world the top rated garden tillers would be the ones that run on a hybrid source but for now we have tillers that are either gas-powered or run on electricity. If you are tilling the existing beds that need only moderate cultivation, the electric tillers can be a wise pick keeping in mind their environment friendly operation.
On the other hand, if you have to work in compacted soil or till new beds, we would recommend gas-powered tillers for you. Broadly, if it needs more power, your choice would be gas-powered tillers over electric tillers.
The gas-powered best rototillers are definitely mightier. They have unlimited strength and function on 2 or 4 cycle engines. The two-cycle ones are cheaper and will need a combination of gas and oil for functioning.
The four-cycle engines are costlier and function solely on gas. Hence, they are eco-friendly and cleaner than their two-cycle counterparts.
Wired or non-wired
The best garden tillers can be either corded or cordless. The former will run via an electrical cord, while the latter will employ battery power.
Having a garden tiller that needs a connection to the power outlet directly or via an extension cord doesn’t always come handy. But, then again, if your garden has convenient access to a power source, then the corded ones can be the perfect pick for you because they are more powerful.
For more extensive gardens, the best rototiller will be one with long extension power cord or one that is completely cordless. However, when shopping for cordless garden tillers, pick one with a good power backup. You can find cordless tillers with a backup between thirty minutes to two hours.
Budget
Though budget should not be the primary consideration when shopping for garden tillers, it is still vital. Firstly, decide your budget by comparing the market rates, then decide on the features that you want your garden tiller to have, and now make a choice. You can indeed find one of the best rototillers in your budget if you cut the extras and know what features you need.
Portability
You will have to move the tiller from one corner of the garden to another. So, pick an easily portable one; something that comes with folding handles and adjustable heights can be one of the best garden tillers in this regard. They are easier to move around and store.
Size
The size or the width will decide the number of passes you need to make to cover the garden. The wider it is, the lesser will be the number of passes required. However, the wider or bigger the tiller gets, the more relatively expensive it is.
For a small bed, these extensive tillers won’t serve the purpose. In a small bed, you need the best small garden tiller, which is compact and easier to maneuver around. You can also work well with some of the best manual hand tillers on very small areas.
Soil type
Your soil type will also define which the best rototiller is for you. For instance, rear tine tillers work well for hard compacted soil as compared to front tine tillers.
Warranty
Lastly, we expect the best rated garden tillers to be covered under warranty for some period. Warranty determines the brand’s trust in the product. So, pick one with the longest warranty available to keep you safe even if something amiss happens with the product.
Related: Best Pole Hedge Trimmers
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques 1. What is the best tiller for hard soil?
Ans. Sun Joe TJ603E 16-Inch 12-Amp Electric Tiller and Cultivator are the best garden tillers for hard soil.
Ques 2. Why is tilling bad for the soil?
Ans. Tilling has its benefits in gardening, but we cannot ignore its downsides. It has a direct impact on the soil structure, which gets disrupted. It also removes the residue weeds and crop leftovers that used to act as a barrier for new plants, protecting them from large raindrops. Unfortunately, tilling also causes disturbance in the soil microbes and loosens the soil making it more prone to erosion.
Ques 3. Which is the best small garden tiller?
Ans. Thetop rated garden tillers working on a front tine are best suited for small gardens. You could go for Earthwise 11-Inch Corded Electric tiller. It is easy to operate and gives you a good performance for its value.
Ques 4. Should I buy a gas or electric tiller?
Ans. If you have a small or mid-sized garden, an electric tiller will suffice. For larger gardens, you need the best rototillers powered by gas since they are more powerful.
Ques 5. When is it the best time to till your garden?
Ans. The new garden should be tilled in the spring season when the weather is warm, and the soil is dry.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, by reading this comprehensive article on the best garden tillers, you will not have to search elsewhere. If you are looking for other gardening tools other than tillers, we have got you covered with the best lawn mowers and the best watering cans.
Back to our top six best garden tillers! Out of these tillers, if we had to pick one, it will be Sun Joe 16-inch Electric Tiller on the basis of its unparallel max cultivating capacity.
If you don’t want a corded tiller and wish to go for a gas-powered item, we suggest Earthquake 31635 MC33 Mini Tiller with a robust 33cc viper engine and a great performance.
Apart from these two you could use our buying guide and decide for yourself. Pick on the features you want in your tiller and then make an informed choice.
Now, go ahead, take your pick for the best tiller for home garden and enjoy beautifully tilling your garden without tiring yourself.
