How to Select a Rototiller

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Choose the right rototiller for the garden job you want to do, and you'll save time and energy. Get to know which tiller does what and when to use each kind to bring your garden into cultivation.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Rototillers
Spading Forks
Safety Goggles

Step1

Pick the tiller to do your job. You can break up soil, dig in amendments, make rows and furrows, and cultivate with a rototiller - all much faster than with a shovel.

Step2

Select from three basic kinds of tillers that do different tasks well. Define the job to know which will work best for you - one with its digging tines in the rear or the front, or a smaller lightweight tiller.

Step3

Consider a rear tine tiller to break up native soil and add amendments in a hurry. Use it if you have a large vegetable garden and for developing whole landscapes as a do-it-yourself project - rear tine tillers are easy to handle considering their size.

Step4

Try a front tine tiller for its digging power to put in and amend garden beds. Mix soils most effectively with a midsize front tine tiller - and get plenty of exercise for your forearms.

Step5

Look at smaller tillers for established gardens with improved soil. Lift one to see yourself using it between narrow rows and dropping it into beds to cultivate soil and bury weeds.

Step6

Check out the features shared by the best tillers of any size: safety first, then ease of operation and maintenance. Look for ergonomic handles, automatic shut-offs, shielded tines, simple height adjustments and clearly readable gauges.

Step7

Rent a tiller for single or annual use; buy one if you'll use it more often. Shop at lawn and garden equipment dealers and online, and expect to spend between $150 and $900 to purchase one.

Tips & Warnings

Rent equipment that's well-maintained from a dealer who will teach you about its operation.
Wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and safety glasses when operating power equipment.
Don't till wet soil - you'll ruin its structure for years.