January 2008
Types: Match the machine to your tilling needs and your budget
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GAS MINI-TILLERS |
ELECTRIC MINI-TILLERS |
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Best for planting shrubs, reseeding lawn patches, and tending areas smaller than 300 square feet. Most four-stroke models are easier to start and handle. Most have a swath 9 to 10 inches wide. But gas models require maintenance and tend to be louder and heavier than electrics. Two-stroke models require mixing gas and oil. Price: $190 to $400 |
Best for lighter-duty tasks near an outlet. Most are lighter and quieter than gas tillers. All free you from fueling, pull-starting, and engine tune-ups, and produce no exhaust emissions. Most have a swath 9 to 10 inches wide. But most don’t perform as well as gas models. All add a power cord that can get caught in the tines or damage plants. Price: $160 to $300. |
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TRIMMER-BASED TILLERS |
LARGE TILLERS |
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Best for those who own a string trimmer and care mostly about light-duty weeding. These replace the line head on trimmers that take attachments. Most are 9 to 10 inches wide. But this combo tends to be heavy, poorly balanced, and short on performance. Dedicated tillers are a better bet. Price: about $90 for the tiller; $80 to $200 for the trimmer. |
Best for reseeding a large lawn, deeper tilling jobs in harder or rockier soil, and tending areas that are larger than 300 square feet. Most have a swath 14 to 21 inches wide. But they’re heavy, bulky, and pricey. The largest can also be hard to handle. Renting is an option for occasional use. Price: $600 to $2,000; about $60 per day to rent one. |
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