Picking out a tiller for your garden is a big deal, and there are many factors to consider to ensure you’re getting one that best fits your needs, including size, power method, and price. We recently bought one for our garden and want to share our experiences with picking out the perfect model. We only plan to use ours when initially starting garden beds or turning over soil in flower beds. After that, we’re going to be as no-till as possible, so we didn’t want to pay a bunch of money for something that will only be lightly used after the first year. With that being said, what all went into our decision?
Gas Over Electric
We initially thought that we were going to buy an electric tiller. They’re cost-effective ($150-$200 range), and the reviews for many of them are strong, with people even saying they’ve used them to break ground on gardens. Electric tools have come a long way from the mediocre weed eaters and mowers of the 1990s. Modern tools are durable, powerful, and often do 80% of the work that gas models do. We also liked that an electric tiller would be quiet. So, why didn’t we buy an electric one?
The cost of an electric tiller may be cheap, but 100-foot 10-gauge extension cords are not, which is the length we need for our yard. That would have added at least $100 to the price of the tiller, bringing the total cost closer to that of a gas model. We also started to realize how big of an area we will be tilling and were less sure that an electric model could endure that level of abuse. At that point, we started to consider gas models.
In our price range of $200-300, we knew we’d be looking at a small gas model, perhaps one with a narrower working width than an electric tiller. But because it is gas-powered rather than electric, we had more confidence in its ability to run nearly nonstop for hours without issue. Additionally, if there is an issue with the engine, I can likely fix it. The final item that pushed us over the edge is the cost of electricity vs. gasoline. Our town has pretty affordable electricity, but running an electric power tool all-out for many hours would raise our electric bill. Meanwhile, gas is in the $3.50 range here, and most of the tillers we were considering had fuel capacities of less than 1/2 gallon, so for a little over $3, we could run it nearly all day.
As an aside, we never considered a battery-powered one. We have a few outdoor tools that are battery-powered, including a chainsaw and a lawn mower. Both work great, but I’m aware of the battery life on those and how long they take to charge when completely drained. Being hindered by that was not something we were interested in.
2-Cycle vs 4-Cycle Gas Tiller
We next needed to decide between a 2-cycle (or stroke) and a 4-cycle gas tiller. Both are great and have their advantages and disadvantages. Two-cycle engines are more powerful for their size and have a simpler design. They last a long time and are easy to maintain and work on. However, they are loud, use more fuel, and require pre-mixed gas and oil, which is an extra step.
Four-cycle engines, however, are quieter (think lawn mower vs. chainsaw), easier to operate, and more fuel-efficient. I’m someone who loves the sound of chainsaws every now and then, and I grew up around 2-stroke dirt bikes and 4-wheelers, so I get the attraction to the sound. But we live in town and don’t want to anger our neighbors. Another benefit to the 4-cycle engine is that it is slightly heavier than its 2-cycle cousin, which should, in theory, make tilling the soil a bit easier.
Which Models Did We Look At?
We looked at quite a few tillers, all in the $200-$300 range. I’ll break them down by manufacturer and discuss the individual models.
Earthquake
- MC33 10″ 33cc 2-cycle – The same working width as the two that follow but only has a 33cc 2-cycle engine. This is designed for light-duty work like weeding and only weighs 33 pounds. This was available from Amazon for $199 and Lowes for $239.
- MC43 10″ 43cc 2-cycle – A 10″ working width with adjustable tines and a powerful 2-cycle engine and weighing 38 pounds. It was available at two stores: Tractor Supply and Amazon, both for $249.
- MC440 10″ 40cc 4-cycle – Like the above model, this one has a 10″ working width with adjustable tines but has a 4-cycle engine. This model weighs 37 pounds and is the one we purchased. It was available at Tractor Supply for $299, Family Farm & Home for $299 (on sale for $259), and Amazon for $265. As you know, we bought ours from Amazon.
- Badger 21″ 160cc 4-cycle – This one is substantially larger than the other models we considered. It’s a true tiller while the others are technically cultivators. It has a 21″ working width and weighs a whopping 107 pounds! It would have been heavy to move and difficult to lift but would have required no effort to force the tines into the soil. It was only available at Menards for $449, but it was on sale at the time for $299.
Champion
- 12″ 43cc 2-cycle – Similar to the Earthquake MC43, this model has a powerful 43cc 2-cycle engine but a wider working width than most at 12″. It’s light at 33 pounds and is designed to be operated in small spaces. This was available from Tractor Supply for $297, Home Depot for $299, and Amazon for $299.
Troy-Bilt
- TB225 9″ 25cc 2-cycle – This is a very light (23 pounds) model that is designed for weeding existing garden beds or turning the soil over before planting. It was available at Tractor Supply for $230.
- TBC304 12″ 30cc 4-cycle – Much more substantial than the 2-cycle model, this machine weighs 38 pounds and is built for a bit heavier work. It was available from Home Depot for $279.
Toro
- 10″ 43cc 2-cycle – I’m 99 percent sure this is the same model as the Earthquake MC43. They look nearly identical in engine and frame design with the only difference between the manufacturer stickers. This was available at Family Farm & Home for $229 (on sale for $199), at Lowes for $248, and at Tractor Supply for $256.
Predator
- 9″ 43cc 2-cycle – This is Harbor Freight’s in-house brand of outdoor power equipment but is built similarly to the Toro model above. It weighs 32 pounds and has a narrower working width than some of the other models on this list. It’s only available at Harbor Freight and is $220, so cheaper than the Toro. As an aside, a lot of people are wary of Harbor Freight’s tools, but I’ve generally had positive experiences with them. So far, we have a battery-powered chainsaw and a host of electric woodworking tools and haven’t had any issues with them. If this had a 4-cycle engine instead of a 2-cycle one, we probably would have bought it.
Why We Picked the Earthquake MC440
In the end, we picked the Earthquake MC440 10″ 40cc 4-cycle cultivator from Amazon, as mentioned above. We landed on this model because it met all the criteria we had and was easy to purchase. We were certain we wanted a 4-cycle engine over a 2-cycle for noise and ease of use. We also wanted one with adjustable tines that could go as wide as possible. We later learned about models with wheels that have to be removed before tilling and didn’t want one of those. Finally, we were looking for the heaviest one we could find in our price range. The more a cultivator weighs, the less force you have to apply to keep the tines in the ground.
Recognizing that we were probably going to push it to its upper limits, we wanted a model that would be durable and reliable. Granted, because these aren’t tools you can “test drive,” you have to rely on reviews and how they appear to be assembled. The Earthquake models all had great reviews, especially the MC440. There were many reviews where the person said they used it to dig garden beds into lawns, which, to be fair, isn’t what it’s designed to do.
We’ve now had our cultivator/tiller for close to a month and have used it to establish five garden beds with two more in the works. To say it’s met our expectations would be an understatement. In the next week or so, I will write a full review of the machine. Is there a cultivator or tiller that you use for your garden? I’d love to hear in the comments. Happy Gardening!
One Rabbit Riot 