Best Tillers for Gardening

Gardening is not just about putting nourishing soil to the base of the garden and watering it. You also need to take care of the soil from other angles. Case in point: you need to till the garden by any of the best tillers for gardening available in the market. Tilling is the process where you break the hard pieces of soil into a plump planting platform.

In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices

The main idea of tilling is to “aerate” the soil for better watering and nutritional provision and to shake up the unwanted weed growth. You can also use rake, shovels, and spaces to till a garden. However, they consume a lot of time and energy and still may not give the required tilling results.

The 5 Best Tillers for Gardening

A top-quality standalone tiller helps you in tilling every inch of your garden to the right extent. If you’re struggling to keep the soil of the garden in the right consistency, read on. We’re going to discuss fives of the best tillers for gardening available in the market right now.

1. Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller

Sun Joe is probably the best gardening tiller on the block at the moment. It is an electric tiller featuring six angled steel tines. The angled construction of the tines increases its surface area that adds more depth to any tilling job.

Sun Joe TJ604E Electric Garden Tiller provides 16-inch wide and 8-inch deep coverage. This impressive coverage allows you to take care of even big gardening spaces in lesser time. We also like the wheel adjustment of this tiller. You can adjust it on three different heights in line with the surface you’re working on.

The electrical mechanism of this Sun Joe makes it a virtually maintenance-free gardening tool. Unlike gas-powered tillers, you don’t encounter smoke, fume, and doesn’t need to spend on regular tune-ups and parts replacement.

Pros

• Features a collapsible handle for easy storage
• Handles feature handgrips— hassle-free maneuvering
• Easy to start

Cons

• Requires strong grip and hold to prevent jumping

2. BLACK & DECKER 20V MAX Tiller

If you are looking for a garden tiller that boasts ergonomic footprint, then consider this option by Black & Decker. It is a powerful electrical tiller with a telescoping handle and soft-grip horizontal and vertical handles. This lightweight and upright design allows you to use the trailer without bending your back and straining your arm.

BLACK & DECKER 20V MAX Tiller features a pair of counter-oscillating tines. On one hand, they dig deep to break up the soil. On the other hand, their counter oscillation ensures you don’t have to deal with tangled weed separately. The powerful 20-volt lithium-ion battery of this tiller is also worth mentioning.

It has a longer lifespan than regular NiCad batteries. Also, the charge retention of this battery is quite impressive. You can till up to 325 square feet of land within a single charge.

Pros

• Lightweight and space-efficient— easy to use, easy to store
• Energy-star rated— eco-friendly use
• Backed by a 2-year limited warranty

Cons

• Might not be suitable for large garden spaces

3. Schiller Grounds Care Mantis 4-Cycle 7940 Tiller

Schiller Ground Care has combined the power of a commercial tiller and the size, weight, and ease-of-use of a non-commercial tiller in its 7940 model. It is a gas-powered tiller but doesn’t require fuel mix. The 25cc engine of the tiller moves the tines faster than any diesel tiller of the same configuration.

The dual-purpose tillers of Schiller Grounds Care Mantis 4-Cycle 7940 Tiller are worth mentioning. You can use them to till as deep as 10 inches. You can also turn them around towards the shallow side to have 2-3 inch deep tilling.

Despite featuring a gas engine, this tiller has a compact footprint. It is just 9-inch wide so that you can till every nook and corner of your garden or yard without a hassle. The handle of the tiller is foldable so you can easily transport and store it.

Pros

• Impressive tine speed— 240 rpm
• Lightweight for a gas-powered tiller— weighs only 24 pounds
• Suitable for all lawn and yard sizes

Cons

• A bit noisy

4. Earthwise TC70020 20-Volt 7.5-Inch Cordless Electric Tiller

This tiller is another cordless electric option to aerate your garden soil for water and nutritions. The tiller features a telescopic steel pole. On one end of the pole, you have a powerful battery with 4 steel tines. On the other end of the pool, an ergonomic handle with rubber grip is given. This handle also features the start button and a safety switch.

Earthwise TC70020 Cordless Electric Tiller also features an adjustable support handle in the middle. You can slide it across the telescopic pole in line with your convenience. The 4 steel tines make a tilling platform that tills 7.5 inches wide and 6 inches deep.

In short, you can till every small and medium-sized garden patch within a couple of minutes. The tiles of this Earthwise tiller are sharp enough to take care of the unwanted weed growth as well.

Pros

• Perfect for small spaces
• Doesn’t produce noise and environmental pollution
• Features flip-down rear wheels— easy to maneuver

Cons

• Bumps off on relatively loose soil

5. Yard Butler All-Steel Terra Tiller

If you’re looking for a tiller that doesn’t use any external power and also let you have some meaningful physical activity, then consider buying this manual tiller by yard butler. It is a no-nonsense manual tool that could be a great addition to your gardening toolbox.

The first striking bit about Yard Butler All-Steel Terra Tillers is its dual-action head. On one side, you have three tines to till and plow through the soil. On the other side, you get a sharpened beveled edge suitable for chopping and cutting unwanted weeds and roots.

The all-steel construction makes this manual tiller a virtually indestructible gardening tool. Its dual-action steel head is properly welded into the steel handle that further progresses into a comfortable exterior grip.

Pros

• Requires no maintenance
• A great bang for the buck
• Offers multiple uses

Cons

• Needs a lot of manual force

What to Consider When Buying a Tiller

Take these factors into account if you’re going to buy a gardening tiller outside of this list.

Mode of Power

If you need a tiller for a large garden, then heavy-duty gas-powered tillers are the right options. For home gardens and yards, electric tillers are better choices. They’re lightweight, easy to use. Their use also remains friendly to the environment.

Size

Regular non-commercial tillers feature two to six tines and offer tilling coverage up to 16 inches. They’re suitable for tilling small and medium-sized gardens and lawns.

Type of Tines

You can also choose a tiller-based on the shape of its tines. The linear tines offer one type of deep tilling. Curved tines, on the other hand, let you have both deep and shallow tilling. We suggest you pick the latter.

Budget

From $20 to north of $100, you can find gardening tillers at various price points. For a top-quality electrical tiller, expect to pay anything around $100. Gas-powered tillers are slightly cheaper than their electrical counterparts. Meanwhile, any top-of-the-line manual tiller can be brought within a $30 price tag.

Our Final Thoughts

If you want to make your gardening activities relatively easy and more yielding, get any of the best tillers for gardening that we have discussed here. Electrical, manual, and gas-powered— we have covered all types of gardening tillers lying at various price points. Any of these tiller models will let you aerate your garden soil for optimal watering and nutritional provision.