With the snow and ice holding off in most of the country – a far cry from last year – now is the time to get out into the gardens and allotments to prepare the soil for the Spring.
Once the soil has been turned over it will benefit from the rains allowing it to penetrate heavier soils and let the frost kill off any bugs still lurking.
So here are ten top tillers to take the back ache out of the digging season designed to make life far easier than toiling up and down the rows with a fork and get the job done far more quickly.
The first is from an American company, a hard worker and excellent value.
The Earthquake MC43R Petrol Mini-Tiller has an adjustable tilling width with two options – 15 cm and 25 cm to let you till between the rows when the plants start growing.
Wheels make it easier to drive and there is also a carrying handle to make it simple to move around – the weight is only 14 kg.
You can buy an edger kit for £29 and a dethatcher kit for £99 which makes this a really versatile machine.
We deliver it free the next working day and it has a two year maker’s warranty. And it costs £229.
The next one is from one of Britain’s best known garden machinery companies and it is the Mountfield Manor Compact 36 Cultivator.
The maker’s own 100 cc engine drives the four 24.5 cc rotors via a belt to protect the transmission if you hit something solid.
The working width is 36 cm and it has skids which are adjustable to allow you to select the depth. And the handlebars are also adjustable to make it more ccomfortable to use.
A transport wheel makes it easier to move around.
It costs £249, £30 less than the maker’s recommended retail price. And there is a free 10 litre jerry can as well.
We deliver it free the next working day and there is a one year warranty from Mountfield.
Third on our list is the Mantis 4-Stroke Tiller/Cultivator (Honda Engine), compact and light and versatile.
This machine is ideal for turning over the soil on small vegetable plots but is especially useful on the flower beds where its size means you can till between shrubs.
It has a tilling width of 23 cm and with its serpentine tines can till down and through weed roots.
An easy-start Honda 25 cc 4-stroke engine is very reliable and the machine is really versatile with a number of attachments available.
It costs £359.95 and has a five year maker’s warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
This next one is ideal for cultivating as well as tilling between the rows.
The Earthquake Vector Petrol Tiller has a uniquely designed frame to lower the centre of gravity making it very easy to control.
The Viper 98 cc engine gives plenty of power and it has four cast iron tines rotating at up to 200 rpm.
It has two working widths, either 28 cm, 40 cm or 53 cm and great torque through its gear drive transmission.
The maker’s recommended price is £399 but we are selling it for £379. It has a two year warranty and we deliver it free the next working day.
Now one on special offer from an Italian firm.
The Bertolini BT190 Front-Tine Cultivator with Reverse Drive is made for people with allotments or large vegetable plots and has a 182 cc Emak engine.
Transmission is chain driven via an oil bath to give the machine a longer life and a handy feature is the reverse gear to free the tiller if it gets dug in.
This one is powerful enough to deal with most compacted soils and has a fotot guard and a rotor brake for added safety.
It weighs 47 kg and has a front transport wheel to make moving it around easier and is built on a heavy duty steel chassis with a transmission guard.
This tiller is currently on special offer, £150 less than the maker’s recommended retail price at £429.
Free next day delivery and a two year guarantee are also included.
Staying with the same company this next one is a good choice for the semi-professional gardener.
The Bertolini 202 Semi-Professional Rotary Tiller with Reverse Drive has a 183 cc Emak engine turning six metals blades and has a working width of 80 cm which can be reduced to 60 cm.
It tills down to 32 cm and has a guard to protect the blades and transmission and a reverse gear will get you working again should the machine get dug in.
Gear selection lever is on the front handlebars and these are adjustable to suit the height of the operator.
Crop protection discs save damaging growing plants when working between the rows.
The maker’s recommended retail price is £899 but we have it for sale for £499. It has a three year warranty and free next working day delivery.
This one is from a leading German engineering company and has been designed to be used with a ridge plough and a hoe blade to make it a really handy machine for the owner or a larger allotment.
The Al-Ko Farmer MH5001R Cultivator has a 50 cm working width and is fitted with four steel blades to deal with heavier soils.
Double transport wheels make it easier to move around.
The working depth can be adjusted to 25 cm and 20 cm and it is powered by a 5Hp Briggs & Stratton engine.
It costs £626 and the ridging plough costs another £55. Delivery is free.
This next one, the Earthquake 6015B Compact Rear-Tine Cultivator has a 205 cc Briggs & Stratton engine is compact and light and has contra-rotating tines to turn over even the toughest ground.
It has a heavy-duty gear casing engineered to give a long working life.
The tiller is suited to narrow gateways and has a 15 in working width and depth and runs on a pair of deep-tread tyres. It is fitted with an exclusive pivoting drag srake system to maintain the tilling depth and lessen vibration.
It costs £749, has a two year warranty from the manufacturer and is deliverd free the next working day.
One for the pro: Husqvarna rear tine cultivator
The Husqvarna TR 430 Professional Rear-Tine Tiller comes from a company often the choice of those seeking machines for commercial use and is made for a long demanding life.
It has chain drive to the rotors from a Subaru 169 cc engine and has a 3.4 litre fuel tank to keep you working longer.
It has contra-rotating tines and seven pre-set depths to leave a really even tilth.
Running on seep-tread tyres it also has a reverse gear should you get bogged down, Adjustable handlebars contribute to a more comfortable working height.
It costs £999 and we deliver it free.
And finally a machine on special offer made for the professional with a really rugged construction and intensive use.
Professional use: mtd T450 Rear Tine Tiller
The MTD T450 Rear Tine Tiller, currently on special offer, has tines which can work in both directions and has a working width of 46 cm and is powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine.
The chain and gear drive transmission is through an oil bath and there is a reverse gear. The wheels can be individually engaged.
A front-mounted counterweight gives excellent balance and with an adjustable handlebar it is very simple to use.
It costs £1199 a big reduction on the maker’s recommended retail price of £1449. Delivery is free within four to five working days and there is a one year warranty.
There are tillers available for every type of garden and these are listed on our site. And you can give us a ring on 020 3026 8712 if you need any help making your choice.
