Rototiller experience

[Hammer1963]

I am currently looking at purchasing a smaller tiller for turning soil, light digging and cultivating. Nothing huge, no major garden work.

There are a few that I have read about and watched their videos. The Maxim Mini Max, the Earthquake Versa Tiller and the Tazz 35310. All receive good reviews with the Maxim being a 5.0 rated product.

I am open to other suggestions as well. I might add that the tiller will be used multiple times a year for several years to come.

 

[Showkey]

There is some merit to just renting at Home Depot or other location if it’s going to a every once in a while rototill job.

 

[Los_Control]

My experience is a budget front tine tiller will beat the **** out of you. They spin around and bounce on top of the ground, you need to hold them back and let them dig their way in .... It is a job.
While a rear tine tiller is more expensive, It is more like driving a Cadillac compared to a front tine.
Still a job, but you wont get beat up doing it.

Lot of merit to just rent a good one as needed. I have owned a few tillers over the years ... today I wont even look at a front tine.

 

[M0E]

I have a Mantis XP, which looks similar to the Maxim Mini Max. I mainly got it because I got a killer deal (~$250 new) and it is easy to store, but a rear tine model will certainly beat it in all practical aspects.

There is a learning curve and it will beat you up a bit at first, but it does get the job done if you're willing to put in a little work. My approach is to let it dig down, then pull it backwards while buried; it's a bit of a workout but not horrible.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Mantis or the small Honda.

 

[M-technik-3]

Rear Tine is the way to go, machine does not bounce everywhere as mentioned above. I have a small 42" that is pto driven on my small 318 Deere.

 

[rlitman]

My experience is a budget front tine tiller will beat the **** out of you. They spin around and bounce on top of the ground, you need to hold them back and let them dig their way in .... It is a job.
While a rear tine tiller is more expensive, It is more like driving a Cadillac compared to a front tine.
Still a job, but you wont get beat up doing it.

Lot of merit to just rent a good one as needed. I have owned a few tillers over the years ... today I wont even look at a front tine.

There is some merit to just renting at Home Depot or other location if it’s going to a every once in a while rototill job.

So, on that note, I bought an old rental mid-tine Honda F220 machine from Home Depot. It's about twice the weight of a front tine, and covers about twice the width, but doesn't bounce you to death, and is still small enough for me to easily transport (unlike a rear tine).

 

[Kaizen]

I had a 2 stroke mtd before and that thing ran like a bat out of hell. Thing was awesome. Only 100 bucks. Lots of torque. I couldt find one last year like it. Things are great for gardens and turning over bark mulch. Only saw electric ones at this price point


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[glend123]

I've had a mantis that i bought used about 10 years ago. replaced the carb and it works great for my 2 6x10 garden beds.

 

[tthornto]

For soft sandy loam soil the little ones are great especially if only needed a few times a year.

I have one of the little weed eater attachment ones. Works perfect for tilling my established raised beds and fluffing up the sand in the kids sandbox/play area. If you want to till any deeper than about 4" you are better off with a bigger machine though. The biggest downside is the noise of the full throttle 2 stroke and bouncing.

4 years ago I had to prepare my hard clay and decomposed granite soil back yard for sod and that was a job that was way too hard for the tiny tiller. I rented the big rear tine Honda from Home Depot for that job and it was barely able to do the small 20'x40' in a day.

 

[plout99]

Mantis or the small Honda.

I have a little Honda the fg100 maybe 110 and it does a great job it tills about 9 inches wide. You can carry it with one hand hang it on the wall and if your patient it will till up grass if necessary. I use mine in the flower beds to turn the mulch and soil every couple of years.

 

[Jackfre]

tillers are great. I have a 42” attachment for my Kubota BX. I seldom use it any more as I have found that while it chops up the soil if also creates an almost polished surface at the depth of the tines. I took a shovel and tried to dig and the shovel skidded along that sub-surface. I was surprised at that. Perhaps it was because I had used it for a couple years on a row. I made an attachment that will go deep enough to break up that layer. Now, I till much smaller areas and use a Mantis. It is a good piece. They bounce like crazy, but do a nice job.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I have 2 tillers. A big old TroyBilt Horse, with the Kohler engine, and a Stihl attachment that goes on the Kombi head. The big one is for landscaping, the wee one is great in the garden.

 

[BigGarage]

My rear tine tiller is a monster and I think it has a Honda engine. It's tough to use in a tight area but it's great in an open area. My smaller cultivator is 2-stroke and works great in tight areas.

Dennis

 

[Hot shot]

I also have a troybilt horse 7hp rear tine for big areas
Small areas I have the Honda fg110 mini tiller which is very nice
What I like about the mini tiller is that is tills the dirt in a finer consistency which is good for planting seeds, especially small seeds if u get a mini tiller compare the design and shape of the tines the Honda is a 4 stroke engine. Not sure about the others
It all depends on what your needs are

 

[LS6 Tommy]

 

[WisJim]

We've had a 7hp Ariens rear tine for over 40 years. I tried a Troy Bilt and thought it was more awkward. I had a BCS also but sold it as we transioned to more raised beds. We now also have a little Green Works 40 volt tiller to occasional use in the beds, both tillers are my wife's favorites.

 

[velocipede]

Another fan of the Mantis for small gardens.

 

[theoldwizard1]

My rear tine tiller is a monster ...

Those Craftsman (*) counter rotating rear tine tiller are amazing ! Great for breaking new ground, sod and all ! They are a ***** in a small garden because it is difficult to make tight turns.

* - was that made by MTD or Yardman ?

 

[Crazyjake8493]

My experience is a budget front tine tiller will beat the **** out of you. They spin around and bounce on top of the ground, you need to hold them back and let them dig their way in .... It is a job.
While a rear tine tiller is more expensive, It is more like driving a Cadillac compared to a front tine.
Still a job, but you wont get beat up doing it.

That is so true. Front tine tillers are just terrible unless your ground is a sandy beach, and rear tine tillers are expensive. For someone who doesn't need one regularly, I'd recommend renting a rear tine.

 

[BillK]

I will throw another vote in for the Mantis. Mine is probably 40 years old. Still does the job just fine. Has to rebuild the carb once or twice mainly because I dont use it as often as I should. It is certainly not for huge jobs but does great in my small (12x12) garden and flower beds etc.

 

[nadogail]

I am not the man I was a few years ago; realizing my limitations I would hire someone to dig the garden for me.

 

[Hank11]

I own a small Honda 110 and have rented the big Honda 800s a couple of times. Both are excellent machines.

 

[tj675]

I have the small Honda and it does a great job. I use it in tight areas and for general weeding during the summer. In the spring everything gets turned over with my 1980 Troy Bilt Horse.

 

[Git]

Has anyone mentioned the Mantis

Just kidding. I bought the 2 stroke from Amazon about 10 years ago. It sees occasional use but has never let me down. I think it will chew just about anything, but it may take a while depending on what your working with

 

[Gummi Bear]

Mrs has a Echo TC210, it works like a champ in the garden. I wouldn’t want to larger space with it.


I would want one of those walk behind rear tine models for that (I’ve rented a couple of different ones in the past, they work great)





I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[mikeinri]

I have a TB Horse (rear tine), because I grew up around one (my Dad's friend gardened an acre plot).

My garden is 30x30 feet, and is surrounded by a stone retaining wall (I had to build it up with purchased loam to be able to garden here, the ground is almost pure rock). The TB Horse works well for that, but the tiller is almost too long in a lot of ways (tough to turn around at end of rows).

For small areas, I have a tiller attachment for my Stihl Kombi unit. Prior to that, I had one for a Troy Bilt trimmer. The downside of these is that the weight of the engine is not being used to help you dig. I actually add a weight belt to the shaft, to help it dig.

This is why the Mantis design is so much better: the engine is mounted down at the tiller, so its weight pushes the tines into the soil (and, it's less tiring to use, as you don't have to hold the engine up in the air).

Mike

 

[PassnThru]

I see that you are in Kentucky. Not sure which part you are in but I'm likely right when I assume you are dealing with clay soil. Understand that what works for a lot of people doesn't work for us. We need rear tine at a minimum to break the soil. You can get by with something smaller once it's broke if you do it every year - just don't count on something small to break it for you.
Just pay attention to where people live when they give rototiller advice - it makes a huge difference.

 

[mikeinri]

Agree with that advice. Soil conditions will make a big difference.

As I mentioned, I was unable to break through the ground here, even with a huge rear-tine tiller. I was trying to turn a wooded area into a garden after dropping trees and removing the stumps. The rocks made the tiller just skip over the top.

But, looking back at the original question, it looks like he's doing small tasks in an established bed? In that case, buy a Mantis. If necessary, turn it over with a shovel once (before tilling with the machine), it'll actually be less work.

Mike

 

[theoldwizard1]

As I mentioned, I was unable to break through the ground here, even with a huge rear-tine tiller. I was trying to turn a wooded area into a garden after dropping trees and removing the stumps. The rocks made the tiller just skip over the top.

Rocks and big roots will do that ! I don't know a solution for a garden plot other than a pick and shovel and a lot of manpower. (I had to hand dig out a couple of good sized stumps for my little 20x20, but that was when I was a YOUNG wizard !)

Large areas (acres) where they have a lot of rock (New England) they bring in a good sized dozer with a ripper claw. After they get the big one to the surface, they then go over it with a "rock picker". You will still be pulling up rocks years into the future !

 

[Hammer1963]

Thank you all for the advice. I believe I will most likely rent a rear tine, get the soil turned and workable and then maintain it with a Mantis XL.

 

[Blind1]

There is some merit to just renting at Home Depot or other location if it’s going to a every once in a while rototill job.

Rent the one that is bigger than you think you need.

What a **** job.

 

[gungatim]

LGR

 

[mikeinri]

Yes, those weeding hoes are awesome!

Mike

 

[laser3kw]

What I found was the little 2 stroke jobs are for earth beds that have already broke up and have been worked to a depth of 4~6". Mine would just bounce and walk around on top of Illinois sod. Definitely not for breaking a new plot. In my flower bed, yeah dig in and cultivate for a new season. I have a Troy bilt pony for busting new plots. It barely does that.

 

[mikeinri]

If you're working in tight spaces, break the new ground with a (gasp!) shovel, then you can use the tiller for blending. If you can't do it with a shovel, a mini tiller has no chance...

Mike

 

[brianh]

For what you want just light work a Mantis type tiller will be fine, I have a ryobi very similar to the Mantis. They are light and do not have enough mass to throw you around the thin tines cut dirt well. You do not want to do a large garden with one.

 

[matt_i]

I ran a Troy Bilt Horse and while mostly very mild mannered it would do some aerobatics when it hit rocks under the surface, after breaking the sod for the first time.

Then I ran a moldboard plow to cleanup after the 2nd season with a 6 cylinder tractor and I never knew I had so many rocks. It just popped fist size rocks right out like they weren't even there.

After picking those out by hand the tilling got a *lot* easier. I should have started with the tractor....

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

There are different designs for different uses.

I utilize my neighbors tractor with a 72" tiller on it for working our garden in the spring time.

I have a rear tine 5HP unit made by MTD for maintaining the garden until plants get too large.

I also have a small earthquake 2 cycle that gets used sparingly. Bought it for the wife to use and she says it "Harshes her Mellow" due to how loud it is. But it does do its intended job of weeding the growing garden around the plants.

In my honest opinion no one unit will fit all your needs.

Granted our garden is quite large, but if you want to do more than weed you need more than a 2 cycle unit.

 

[Copymutt]

Have the following: BCS walk behind w/ multiple attachments. Honda 4cycle mini, and a 4’ PTO behind the Deere.
Ive had the BCS since 1980. High quality, tiller, snow blower, water pump, generator, sickle bar,sulky. https://www.bcsamerica.com/products/tractors#harvester. You can add just about any device needed for home/ranch/garden. Not cheap and not inexpensive unless you need a variety of attachments.