What is a Garden Tiller
A garden tiller is a type of gardening tool used to break up hard, compact soil in preparation for planting. Ideal for plots that may not have been used for a while, tillers help loosen dirt to make it easier to plant flowers and other plants. It’s one of the easiest and most dependable ways to break up the ground, aerate the soil and help your plants thrive in the future. Discover more about how tillers work, the different types of garden tiller available and how to look after yours with Honda.
What are the different types of tiller?
Although all garden tillers are generally designed to do the same job, they’re not all necessarily built to do it in the same way. There are several different types of tiller available on the market. Which one you will need will depend on:
1. The size of the area you’re tilling.
2. How compacted the soil is.
3. How much work you want the tiller to do.
Here are just a few of the most common garden tiller types.
Front Tine Tillers
Front-tine tillers are handy if you’re working with light or sandy soil. They have two tines that sit under the engine, just in front of the wheels, which break up the soil. The engine sits above or behind the tines to give the tiller weight, and rear-mounted wheels push it forward, which makes this tiller type easy to manoeuvre.
This design makes front-tine tillers useful if you have a garden with narrow rows and tight corners. However, they may also require a bit of strength to guide them around your plot. Front-tine tillers tend to be among the more affordable options.
Rear-tine tillers
As the name suggests, rear-tine tillers have their tines at the back of the machine. This design is more complex than front-tine tillers, and the engines are larger, making these the most powerful type of tiller on the market. For that reason, they may also be among the more expensive models.
That extra cost may be worthwhile, however, if you have tough, heavy soil that needs breaking up in a new garden because of the extra power and digging capability it offers.
Rear-tine tillers have different options for the tine rotation direction. Some rotate forwards, some counter-rotate and some offer both directions.
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Micro tillers
If you have a small vegetable plot or flowerbeds, a micro tiller should do the job nicely without having to bring in heavy machinery. They’re smaller, but the best micro tillers utilise a good weight-to-work ratio to ensure they still do an effective job of breaking up compact soil.
If they’re too light, it can makes it harder to control them and if so, there’s a danger of skipping over the soil. If a micro tiller is too heavy and aggressive, however, it can ruin soft soil.
Micro tillers also often come with attachments, such as:
- Aerator – for light cultivation of the soil.
- Edging tool – for neat trimming of grass borders.
- De-thatching device – to make your lawn look healthy.
Mini tillers
If you have a small garden with tough, compacted soil you need to break up, a mini tiller may be the best option. They’re highly effective at cultivating soil, and also ideal for clearing annoying weeds growing between rows of plants.
Honda’s mini tillers feature side discs, to protect plants and crops from debris or tine impact. They’re also built to be heavier than they look, with a low centre of gravity, to enable easy control and to allow them to go deeper into the soil.
Other mini-tiller features include:
· Foldable handles – making them easy to transport and store.
· Transport wheel – taking them from storage to the garden is simple.
· Height-adjustable handles – whatever your height, make your mini tiller easy to handle.
· Swing handle – helps you avoid standing on freshly compressed soil.
Overview of mini tillers
Compact garden tillers
Compact tillers, despite what the name might suggest, are among the largest tillers available. They offer concentrated performance on vegetable plots and larger gardens. 160cc-plus engines also provide the power needed to turn over any type of soil.
Honda compact tillers are made with a transmission that’s independent of tine speed. This creates an impressive drive and regulates forward motion with the cultivation from the blades for impressive results.
There’s a range of engine sizes, gears and other features to choose from, including:
· 4-stroke engine – built with the power to lift heavily compacted soil, yet surprisingly quiet.
· Gearbox – by transferring the correct torque and power to work the tiller, you get greater flexibility and power, plus the ideal speed for the task at hand.
· A range of attachments including multiple tines, scarifier, plough, ridger and snow blade.
Overview of compact garden tillers
Rotary tillers
Rotary tillers are best suited for tough, compacted soil on large plots of land. Their 4-stroke engines and multiple gears make tilling seem easy, despite the machine’s larger size and weight. And like our cars and motorbikes, Honda’s rotary tillers deliver low, clean emissions to help the planet, not just your garden.
Rotary tillers also feature:
· Counter-rotating tines – for easier movement through soil of all strengths.
· Optional ridger attachments – for heaping up loose soil against plants.
Overview of rotary tillers
How to use a garden tiller
Before you use your garden tiller, you may first want to remove existing plants, sod and weeds from the soil. This will make the job easier and produce greater results. Remove any obstructions too, and consider using safety equipment, such as:
• Safety glasses.
• Heavy or steel toe footwear – to protect from blades.
• Long sleeve tops and trousers – to protect from projectiles.
To use a garden tiller:
1. Turn it on if there’s an on/off switch.
2. Open the throttle.
3. Engage the choke.
4. Pull the cord to start the engine.
5. Pull up the levers under the handles to engage the tines.
6. Tip the tiller forward by raising the handles. The tines will push into the ground and churn the soil.
7. Make passes on alternative rows. You may need to release the clutch to manoeuvre the tiller.
8. Go over the same area in the opposite direction.
Remember that every tiller and each manufacturer will have different features, so operating the machine may differ slightly. Consult your owner’s manual for further details.
You could also check out our videos on how to operate Honda tillers.
Frequently asked questions
When should I till my garden?
The best time to till your garden is when the soil is beginning to dry out but is still moist, and it’s starting to get warmer.
What’s the difference between a tiller and a cultivator?
Cultivators aren’t designed for loosening hard soil. They’re better suited to tasks that keep your garden healthy while plants grow, such as controlling weed growth. They do churn soil, but into a much finer mixture than tillers.
Should I wet the ground before using a tiller?
Tiling wet soil can cause problems with soil health and structure, and can stop seeds from germinating. However, if the soil is totally dry and dusty, you should water the soil thoroughly, and to around four inches below the surface.