Time to live the cultivated lifestyle. Here are ten top deals on tillers

Yes, typical April. Showers, distinctly chilly and just as you get the mower out the heavens open so it’s back indoors and put the kettle on.

But these sharp bursts of rain are just what gardens need, especially vegetable plots and allotments where frequent showers are just right for encouraging seeds to germinate. And weeds to flourish.

Spring is the time of year when a young man’s fancy turns to energetic pursuits like digging the garden, and to make life easier a garden tiller can make life much less energetic.

Not only can you get the job done more quickly but you can also use it later in the growing season to till between the rows and keep the soil aerated and the weeds down.

So here are ten top tillers from small models for vegetable plots to larger ones for professional smallholdings.

First is one for smaller plots, the WOLF-Garten C30E Electric Tiller/Cultivator.

This has a working width of just 30cm and is ideal for breaking up soil to a tilth ready for seeding. It is narrow enough even to be used on larger flower beds.

It is very light and easy to use – it weighs only13kg – and has four self-sharpening tines.

And with a carrying handle and foldable handlebar is easy to move around and store, and comfortable to use as vibration levels are low.

It costs £179, £10 off the recommended price, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year maker’s warranty.

If you prefer petrol power to deal with a small vegetable plot then the Einhell BG-MT 3336 Petrol Mini-Tiller will do the trick.

This one has a tilling width of 36cm and four, four-bladed tilling rotors.

With this one you can set the depth at which it works as it has an adjustable blade skid.

The tiller is powered along by an easy-starting 163cc engine developing 4.5hp and has a 2.3 litre fuel tank.

The handlebars are adjustable so you can work out the most comfortable height for working.

To make it easy to move around it has a front transport wheel which tilts up when the machine is working.

This has proved a popular little tiller and costs £239.95, £50 off the recommended price and is delivered free the next working day with a two year warranty.

This next one is from one of Britain’s favourite makers of garden machinery.

Mountfield Manor Compact 36 Cultivator has four 24.5cm diameter tilling rotors which are belt drive by a 100cc Mountfield engine.

It has a 36cm working width and depth skids which can be adjusted according to how deep you want till.

A transport wheel at the front makes it easy to move around.

It costs £249, £30 off the recommended price and has a two year warranty and free next working day delivery.

Back to Einhell for the BG-MT 3360-LD Petrol Tiller / Cultivator, a machine on special offer and the lowest price one in its class.

This one has six steel blades 26cm in diameter and has a set of crop protection discs.

These when fitted allow you to till between the rows with damaging growing plants.

A 163cc engine is quiet in running and easy to start and this one also has a front transport wheel while tilts up when tilling.

There is a brake skid to adjust the depth and the handlebars are adjustable to suit the tiller.

It also has a deadman’s handle which stops the blades when released.

It costs £299.95, £200 off the recommended retail price and has a two year warranty and free delivery the next working day.

Next a mini tiller from the USA.

Earthquake MT440 4-Cycle Mini Tiller is driven by a 40cc Viper engine which is quiet and produces fewer emissions and is easy to fire up as the starting cord is mounted on the handelbars.

EarthquakeThis has a narrow 25cm working width making nit very easy to till between the rows and can also be used in flower beds for working around clumps of perennials.

It is a very versatile little piece of kit as you can buy a lawn edges and plant protection discs as well. There is also an optional transport wheel kit.

We deliver it free within two the three working days and it costs £319. And it has a five year warranty.

Now one new for this year and exclusive to us at MowDirect.

Oleo-Mac MH175RK Front-Tine Tiller with Reverse Drive has a 183cc Emak engine driving nine steel tines.

And should the machine become ‘dug in’ or if you reach the end of a row or an obstacle, there is a reverse gear to get you out of trouble.

This one has a tilling width of 80cm or 60 cm if you want to work between the rows.

And the handlebars can be adjusted both for height and to the side if you want to avoid treading in freshly tilled ground. This is especially useful if you want to sow straight after tilling.

It also has a depth bar and crop protection discs.

It costs £369, £150 off the recommended price, is delivered free the next working day and has a three year warranty.

Now one from an Italian company which manufacturers cultivators often chosen by market gardeners.

Bertolini BT195 Front-Tine Cultivator with Reverse Drive is a powerful machine which will suite gardeners with allotments or large vegetable gardens.

Powerful, with a 182cc engine, it is made for a long demanding life as the chain drive passes through an oil bath for maximum lubrication.

This one also has a reverse drive and is fitted with powerful rotors which can deal with heavy, clay soils.

It also has a rotor guard and rotor brake for the safety of the user.

For such a heavy-duty machine it is remarkable light weighing in at only 60kg and there is a front transport wheel as well.

Costing £429, £110 off the recommended price, it is delivered free within three to five working days and has a three year warranty.

Another one new for this year is the MD Loncin Petrol Cultivator with Reverse Drive.

This one has an 85cm tilling width making it capable of dealing with large areas in double quick time and has a 196cc engine complete with an oil warning light.

Fitted with a reverse gear for those embarrassing moments in has a transport wheel and crop protection discs to make it easier to till between the rows.

It is a rugged tiller with a high torque so it can deal with compacted, heavy soil.

It costs £499, £100 off the recommended price, has a one year warranty and is delivered the following working day.

Now a slightly different machine with tines at the rear.

Earthquake 6015B Compact Rear-Tine Cultivator is a very powerful machine, yet light in weight and very manoeuvrable.

It is powered along by a 205cc Briggs & Stratton engine and has contra-rotating tines which dig the soil more deeply and can easily cope with previously un-tilled.

The drive to the tines is gear driven and shielded in a cast-iron housing.

Large, deep-tread tyres give it excellent grip and it has the maker’s ‘Isovibe’ pivoting drag stake to set the depth.

This one costs £749, is delivered free the next working day and has a two year maker’s warranty.

And finally there is the Bertolini 401 Two-Wheel Rotary Cultivator, machine made for large allotments and vegetable gardens, especially where the soil is thick and claggy.

This one has a 163cc Honda engine developing 4.8hp and adjustable working widths of either 50cm or 35cm.

There is a reverse gear and three working depths and handlebars which can be adjusted for both height and width.

There is also a range of attachments available which are easy and fast to fit.

This top machine costs £1499, £300 off the maker’s recommended price and is delivered within two to three working days.

There is a three year maker’s warranty.

We have an extensive selection of cultivators tillers on our site, see these pages for details.

And remember, you can always give us a ring on 020 3026 8712 if you would like our advice before buying.