Most gardens have escaped the worst of what we normally expect at this time of year – snow, and frozen ground so rutted that many a broken ankle has been caused just by a walk to the car.

But as the ground is so soft we can save the usual Spring panic by devoting a bit more time to the flower borders and especially the vegetable plot or allotment.

Now is a great time to dig over these if you have not done so yet. And remember that it’s only a few weeks before you can sow the first lettuce directly in to the soil.

Little Gem is an excellent variety to start the salad growing season as the thinnings make an excellent salad even before the plants are fully grown.

There are tillers to suit every garden from small electrically powered ones which can also turn over the soil between plants to wider heavier duty machines made for allotments or even smallholdings.

So here are ten top tillers from our pages to whet your appetite and save you from pulled muscles and back pain – especially if you are not used to digging over large areas.

The first is the WOLF-Garten C30E Electric Tiller/Cultivator, a machine with a 30 cm working width, just right for working between shrubs and on smaller vegetable plots.

It has a 1400 Watt electric motor and four self-sharpening tines and weighs just 13 kg. And it has a carrying handle and handlebars which fold down making it easy to carry around.

It costs £179, £20 less than the recommended retail price and is delivered free the next working day with a one year warranty.

The Einhell BG-MT 3336 Petrol Mini-Tiller is a German engineered machine with a 36 cm tilling width and adjustable brake skids so you can set the working depth.

The engine produces 4.5hp and it is fitted with a deadman’s handle so it won’t trundle away on its own if you lose control for any reason. It also has adjustable handlebars.

You can save £150 on the recommended price of this tiller as it is one sale for just £239.

We deliver it free the next working day and there is a two year warranty from Einhell.

The next is from one of the country’s leading suppliers of garden machinery.

The Mountfield Manor Compact 36 Cultivator is powered by a 100 cc engine and the drive to the tines is via a belt so you won’t damage the crank if something solid is hit.

The working width is 36 cm, the right size for a vegetable plot or small allotments.

Adjustable skids mean the working depth can be easily set and a front transport wheel makes it easy to move around the garden.

This one is £239, £40 off the recommended price. It has a one year maker’s warranty and free next working day delivery.

Now another from Einhell, the Einhell BG-MT 3360-LD Petrol Tiller / Cultivator, exclusive to us and one of the best sellers.

This one has six hardened steel cultivator blades driven by a 163 cc engine. It also has crop protection discs which stops you from digging up plants when you are tilling between the rows.

And with a working width of 60 cm it is an ideal tiller for lartger home vegetable plots and allotments.

The handlebars can be adjusted to suit the user as can the depth skids.

It costs £299.95 and we deliver it free the next working day. There is a two year warranty from Einhell.

Now a really neat little machine with a 40 cc 4-stroke engine, quieter and with fewer vibrations.

The Ardisam MT440 4-Cycle Mini Tiller has a tilling width 25 cm which can be adjusted down to just 15 cm for working around shrubs in flower beds or between very narrow rows.

But this great little machine also has some other equipment supplied a standard which extends its use considerably for it also has a lawn edging kit, a very handy tool in the gardener’s armoury. There are also crop protection discs and a transport wheel.

It costs £319 and is delivered free within two to three working days. There is a two year warranty from Ardisam.

Now a serious machine for people with allotments or substantial plots.

The Bertolini BT190 Front-Tine Cultivator with Reverse Drive is a powerful tiller which will cut through heavier soils with its 182 cc engine and an oil bath transmission to give the machine a longer life.

It also has a reverse gear, very handy when the tiller digs itself in. And there is a rotor brake and rotor guard as useful safety features.

A really solid machine it is based on a solid steel frame and has a front transport wheel.

This is on special offer with £300 off the listed price as it costs £399. Free delivery is within three to five working days and there is a three year maker’s warranty.

The Earthquake Badger 650 Front-Tine Rototiller, on special offer, is made with larger areas in mind and has at its heart a 190 cc Briggs & Stratton engine with torque control to give maximum power across all engine revs.

It has also been designed to start with just a light tug on the starter cord.

There are three tilling widths – 27 cm, 40 cm and 52 cm – and 30 cm drive wheels to prevent it from digging in.

It costs £535 and is delivered free the next working day. There is a two year maker’s warranty.

The Mountfield Manor 55R Cultivator with Reverse Drive has a 205 cc Briggs & Stratton engine producing 5.5 hp, a quiet engine which is very fuel efficient designed to be easy to start and hard wearing.

It has one forward and one reverse gears and four tines designed to cut through hard, compacted soil.

The tilling width is 54 cm but you can remover the out rotors if you need to work between the rows. And crop protection discs are included.

With this one the handlebars are adjustable and can be offset so you are not forced to walk on freshly tilled soil.

It costs £599, £70 less than the recommended retail price and it has a one year warranty. Delivery is the next working day and is free.

Now a really heavy duty tiller made for larger plots and allotments and equipped with a Honda 163 cc engine, really powerful and made to last.

The Dormak MD50 PRO-R Heavy-Duty Cultivator and has an adjustable working width up to 90 cm.

It has crop protection discs and a handy reverse gear and is a really professional tiller designed for a long life and challenging soil.

It costs £789 and is delivered free within two to three working days. There is a two year warranty.

And finally the MTD T450 Rear-Tine Tiller, a solid machine made with the owners of market gardens and smallholdings in mind.

This one has tines which also reverse so it can break through hard ground and will also leave a very level seed bed with a fine tilth.

Power is provided by a 6.5hp Briggs & Stratton engine and it has a chain and gear drive in an oil bath in a sealed casing to give it a longer life.

For added manoeuvrability the driving wheels can be engaged individually.

There is a front counterweight to give it better balance and adjustable handlebars.

This one is currently on special offer at £1149, £300 off the recommended price.

We deliver it free within four to five working days and there is a one year warranty.

We have a large selection of tillers on our site and remember you can always give us a ring on 020 3026 8712 if you would like our advice.