Wild World of Tillers

[FentonGardener]

Hello, I am the FentonGadener and I haven't a clue as to the journey I have begun to embark on.

As per normal with a new house and a nice size backyard my wife has asked to start a garden. She has some knowledge of plants and basic gardening procedures but I on the other hand am simple muscle for the job. I am trying to learn a few key things here and there like Annual (once a year ) Perennial (Keeps coming back ) and of course what Hostas are (seems like every person has these).
So the main point of joining this site, (besides my desire to show my wife up with my new found knowledge) is my first major gardening purchase, A TILLER!!

rear tine - big heavy expensive but could last forever. Lots of older models on craigslist. Seem tried and true.

can be dual or Counter Rotating?

M id Tine - Honda model- kind of expensive not sure if it makes sense.

Front Tine - from very small to fairly midsize,,,told im wasitn my money but I am seeing Front tine models with as much as 208cc. Seems strong to me.

What to do? There are so many and the prices range so much....How do you decide?


Info

Vegetable Garden is p- 24'x15' - removing grass from whole area.

Other flower beds currently are 6-10 long and 3 feet wide. All havent been kept up in years. Lot of clearing of old stuff to do.

That's about it for now....Hopefully i can get some cool chatting going and understand the feedback.

Thanks

[Woodenboatboy]

If I were you and planning to buy, I'd rent first, just to test drive one.
You may also find that it's a lot less expensive to just rent once a year rather than ever buying. Your garden is not really large enough to justify the expense of buying, in my opinion.
By renting, you are sharing the resources spent making it in the first place with many other users.

[Edgeofparadise]

Renting is a great idea. Otherwise, for the size go with the front tine and you can find one used. Many people, myself included, start out with a front tine tiller and once your garden becomes too big or your back gives out switch to a rear tine tiller. I bought my front tine tiller used and my garden was 20 x 50 and fenced in because of the deer. I had it 3 years and then sold it when I embarked on a much larger garden.

[fireflies]

I'm going to have to agree with Woodenboatboy. With your size garden, I think it would probably be more helpful just to rent a tiller when you need one. You have access to a bunch of different tiller types that way, and if you find one that you really do like you can always buy a similar model without any buyer's remorse.

[Edgeofparadise]

If you are basically breaking new soil and nothing is fenced in than rent a rear tine initially. It will be much eaiser on your body for breaking the hard soil. After that, for the size garden you're planning a front tine tiller should be fine, rented or purchased.

[freedhardwoods]

I am a little late on this discussion, but I'll give my thoughts anyhow.

I agree with everyone else. For now, with your small space, rent a rear tine to break ground and find a cheap front tine for maintenance.

When you decide to expand, I strongly recommend a Troybilt horse. I bought my first one direct from the factory in 1989 for $1600 ( they run over $2500 now). It is still going strong with no problems yet. I would estimate in the 15 years I have had it, it has covered over 30 acres (1,300,000 sq ft).

This year I decided I should have a backup since I rely heavily on it to take care of my 1/4 acre garden. I bought a 1974 (40 years old) Troybilt Horse on Craigslist for $400. The previous owner replaced the original engine with a Briggs 6.5 hp I/C (a good, easy to repair engine). I am replacing some bearings and seals, but all of the gears are in very good shape. When I'm finished I will have about $100 in parts and it will be ready to go for a few more decades.

There has been an ongoing discussion for several years about whether MTD lowered the quality of the Horse after they acquired Troybilt from Gardenway in 2001. They definitely cheapened the smaller tillers. I plan on staying with the older ones myself. It is much more economical to buy used.

This winter I plan on doing a complete inspection inside and out on my original Horse to catch any possible problems.

[freedhardwoods]

...............OOPS. Double post.

[LIcenter]

I have to agree with most of the posters here. Rent a rear tine to get the initial job done. Then; This is where I part ways. People think bigger is always better. Not true! When re-tilling the garden, you should never till greater than six inches in depth. I use a 4 cycle Honda FG110 mid tine cultivator for re-fluffing, adding compost, and the like. If you are diligent in not walking in the growing area, you should never have to use a full size tiller again providing you are adding soil amendments each and every year.

[ShannonPadilla]

Great! Thanks for sharing. I'm looking for a tiller. Just got some guides for buying.

[LIcenter]

I find that little Honda is great for fluffing up my perennial beds also. I'm not one to leave well enough alone, and am constantly adding new plants all summer long, which leads to compaction. With old age setting in, a garden fork is no longer an option, so this really works great for me.

Oh and to add; If you are looking to by a cultivator, don't cheap out! I think at the time I paid $350 for mine, but truly worth every penny. And no I don't work for or have any connection with Honda. It's just a quality product plain and simple.