Working width and working depth, and they pull against each other
A tiller breaks soil with rotating tines, and it is the machine a lawn needs at its two extremes: before it exists, when a bed is being turned into turf, and after it fails, when a patch has to be dug over and reseeded. The shelf splits cleanly by power source. Corded electric machines run 750 to 1 800 W and are the ones most gardens actually want: light enough to carry, quiet enough to use on a Saturday, and adequate for soil that has been cultivated before. Petrol machines on the same shelf run 1,9 to 5,15 kW and exist for ground that has not. Between them sits one cordless model on a 36 V platform, sold bare. Two figures describe what the machine does and they pull against each other. The working width runs 25 to 85 cm across this shelf, and wider is faster only if the engine can turn the tines through the soil. The working depth runs 20 to 22 cm on the electric machines, and deeper is harder: a 45 cm machine set to full depth in clay will walk backwards, which is why several of these publish both figures and a few publish only the flattering one. The tines are counted and sometimes described — four, six, or a set that can be removed in pairs to narrow the cut — and removing a pair is the standard trick for getting depth out of a machine that has width. Then the detail that decides whether the machine is bearable to own: the transport wheels, which lift the tines clear so the thing can be moved without being dragged. We compare working width, working depth, power source, tines and transport wheels, and weight.
750 W, 30 cm wide, 200 mm deep, 4 blades, folding handle
Four blades on 30 cm at 750 W, with a folding handle, a two-point safety switch and a strain relief — the smallest tiller here.
Best for: Flower beds and vegetable plots already in cultivation, rather than ground being broken
1500 W, 450 mm wide, 220 mm deep, 24 blades, 11 kg, 400 rpm
The only tiller here with a weight, a speed and an anti-jam clutch: 11 kg, 400 rpm, 24 blades on 450 mm.
Best for: A large vegetable plot worked every year, by somebody who expects to own the machine for a decade
4-stroke, 4.08 PS / 3 kW, 60 cm wide, 24 cm deep, 24 blades
A 3 kW four-stroke turning twenty-four blades across 60 cm and 24 cm deep — the widest electric-free machine here bar one.
Best for: Breaking or turning a large plot once or twice a year, away from any socket
1050 W / 1.4 PS, 360 mm wide, 205 mm deep, 16 blades
Sixteen blades across 360 mm and 205 mm deep, with an instant start, a protection switch and a folding handle.
Best for: Beds and vegetable plots that are worked every season and need a fine tilth
1500 W, 450 mm wide, 220 mm deep, 24 blades, 400 rpm
1500 W and twenty-four blades at 400 rpm across 450 mm, 220 mm deep, with an instant start and a folding handle.
Best for: A large bed or vegetable plot, and a buyer who wants to check the price against another country
212 cm³, 5.5 PS, 36/57/85 cm, 33 cm deep, forward and reverse
A variable 36, 57 or 85 cm width, 33 cm deep, with a separate gearbox for reverse and attachments available for ploughing and ridging.
Best for: A large vegetable plot or smallholding worked seriously, where the machine will earn its price
1500 W, 45 cm wide, 22 cm deep, 24 steel blades, electric brake
Twenty-four steel blades on 45 cm and 22 cm deep, with an electric brake and a powder-coated steel housing.
Best for: A large plot where the machine will be moved around the garden between sessions
4-stroke, 7 PS, 48 cm wide, 350 mm deep, 12 blades
The highest stated horsepower here on a 48 cm width and 350 mm depth, with twelve blades — the deepest figure on the shelf.
Best for: Breaking ground that has not been cultivated, where depth matters more than fineness
