Tillers
It’s that time of year again … time to prepare gardens for planting. Whether you are preparing beds for flowers, vegetables, shrubs, or some combination, a tiller makes it easy to loosen the soil and will make it easier to set your plants as well as helping them to grow better.
Front tine tillers are usually suitable only for smaller gardening spaces, because a lot of effort is required to control their forward motion, push them at times, and tilt the blades into the earth. They are also the most unstable if they grab a large rock or other obstacle. They are the least expensive though, and so are popular for this reason. Varying gears make the job somewhat easier if using a front-tine.
Mid-tine tillers are more balanced, with the engine sitting over the blades. They tend, on average, to be slightly more expensive than front-tine tillers. The tines are still propelling the machine, so they still require some extra effort to control, but not so much as a front-tine. These can be a good compromise for mid-sized gardens.
Rear-tine tillers are usually the heavy-duty performers in the lot. They tend to be the most expensive, and have the most power. The user has a lot of control with this model, and can stop the forward motion and keep the tines turning, allowing the bed to be dug as deeply as desired, or in order to dig in compost or other soil amendments. These models are the easiest to steer, and are the only real choice for those with large gardens who need to save their labor as much as possible.