Best Electric Tiller Review

Best Electric Tiller Review: Our Recommendation of the Top 5 Tillers

OUR PICK

Too Lazy to Read? Discover our top choice now!

Not a big fan of long reviews? Here's the bottom line: The best Electric Tiller in the market today is the Earthwise TC70001. Its compact design and low maintenance raise it high above the competition, while the fact that it is eco-friendly makes it an excellent option for large yards!

Unless you are still a young muscle bound stud who wants to show off or you are preparing for a prize fight, there really isn’t any reason to continue using a shovel or broad-fork to till your garden. Our Best Electric Tiller of 2019 Review guide will help you sort through the best features to fit your needs. Here are five of the best electric tillers we will take a look at.

How to Choose The Best Electric Tiller in 2019

Choosing the right electric tiller for you is going to be based on several different factors: the volume of work you plan to do, how you use it, your physical strength and, of course, your budget. In order to help you make an informed choice, let’s break down what an electric tiller is, does and how to use it.

What is an electric tiller?

In general, a rotary tiller is a mechanical tool which is used to loosen soil in your garden for planting. An electric tiller makes use of an electric motor to power rotating blades that slide through the soil and dig it up.

There are advantages and disadvantages of various types of tiller models, which distinguish one tiller from another, let’s take a closer look.

After watching the video, you will probably be convinced that tilling by hand is not the way you want to go.

What are the advantages or benefits of an electric tiller?

The advantage of an electric tiller is that it reduces or gets rid of the pain in your back from muscling around a spade or broadfork all day. Rather than using the power of your own muscles to break up the soil, a tiller uses mechanical power. The right tiller can also be used to cultivate and weed your garden, which saves you some more backbreaking labor.

As opposed to heavier, gas powered tillers, electric tillers tend to have smaller tines which break the soil up into smaller clumps which makes it easier to rake as you sow or plant. The tighter tines also make them more suitable for cultivating and weeding as well.

Things to look for in an Electric Tiller

When it comes to choosing the right electric tiller for you, comparing standard and special features of individual models is helpful. Below, is a list of features and how they might add value to the tool and justify spending your hard earned money. Take into consideration:

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    Number of tines – Can vary from 2, 4 or even 6 tines.
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    Speed of rotation – Tine rotation speed below 200 rpm should be avoided.
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    Variable speed – Variable speed is a nice special feature which allows you to slow your tiller down for cultivating or weeding.
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    Folding and carrying handles – Enhances transport and storage.
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    Wheels – If your tiller is heavy, wheels can help quite a bit when you turn on the corners.
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    Cord lock – Getting unplugged while you are working is a pain. A cord lock prevents this problem.
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    Variable depth – This is another special feature which can come in handy in more compact soils. It allows you to not dig as deep and overwork your motor. You can dig shallow and go back a second time.
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    Variable width – This allows you to get the most width out of your tiller when breaking ground, but allows you to go narrow in order to cultivate and weed between planted rows.
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    Motor power – bogging down and burning up a motor is not a good thing. Lighter motors will limit how aggressively you till.
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    Variable blade rotation – Allows you to reverse the blades, which allows you to control how aggressively you till as well.

What's the best way to use Electric Tillers?

Since planting and nourishing seeds is nearly impossible to accomplish in hard ground, you have to break up the soil so that it will breathe and allow tender sprouts to come through the soil. Electric tillers can accomplish that in a small, home garden by performing various functions:

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    Breaking ground: Churning up hard soil that has never been broken before or adding mulch and digging up last year’s garden can be accomplished.
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    Cultivating: Stirring up the soil even after plants have been planted is important for helping get nutrients to the root systems of the plants.
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    Weeding: Being able to run your tiller between the rows and get rid of unwanted plants which grew up there is another benefit of using a lower speed, less aggressive, electric tiller.

Electric Tiller vs Gas Tiller

One great thing about electric cultivators is their ease of use. They’re also less expensive, lighter, quieter and much easier to maintain than their gas-powered cousins, while still delivering more than enough power for small projects.

Getting a gas unit started can often wear you out before you even start work, but a gas tiller is more apt to have the power to slice through more compact soil and is better for breaking sod. The tines on gas powered units are usually larger and built for heavier work, consequently, that also makes them a little too aggressive for cultivating and weeding.

For those who are more environmentally conscious, one of the advantages of an electric tiller is that it is more green friendly as the video points out below.

Top Rated Electric Tillers On The Market 

The compact design of the Earthwise TC70001 electric tiller makes it easier to maneuver around your garden as well and also makes it easier to store when not in use. It can break up hard soil, cultivate and weed. It is eco-friendly, hassle free and low maintenance.

The compact design is attractive, though it is a bit heavier than other models in our electric tillers review, and requires you to plant your rows further apart to accommodate its width for cultivating and weeding. This tiller specializes in breaking ground more than for cultivating or weeding.

Specs:

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    Tine width: 11 inches​​​​
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    Tine depth: 8 inches
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    Number tines: 4
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    Tine speed: 320 rpm (idle)
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    Power: Electric - 8.5A (1.31 HP)
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    Weight: 31 lbs.
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    Storage: 14” x 20” footprint, fold down handle, wheels can be lifted or dropped into place
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    Weeding and Cultivating: moderate
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    Breaking new ground: moderate

PROS

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    Low maintenance.
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    Compact design.
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    Eco-friendly.
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    Decent power
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    Good digging depth.

CONS

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    Cultivating and weeding might be a challenge because of its width.
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    More difficult maneuvering this tiller because of its weight.

Versatility for performing all three functions of a tiller make the GreenWorks 27072 a decent choice to consider. It has adjustable width and depth and doesn’t give away too much in power. It has a light, compact design as well.

It is pretty light and has a compact design for easy storage and transport. The width adjustment is a good feature for weeding and cultivating, but the 5-inch depth lacks a little bit for breaking new ground. 

It is probably underpowered for more compact soils, but its budget price makes it pretty tempting to buy.

Specs:

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    Tine width: 8.5 to 10 inches, adjustable
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    Tine depth: 8 inches
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    Number tines: 4
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    Tine speed: 320 rpm (idle)
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    Power: Electric - 8.5A (1.31 HP)
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    Weight: 31 lbs.
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    Storage: 14” x 20” footprint, fold down handle, wheels can be lifted or dropped into place
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    Weeding and Cultivating: moderate
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    Breaking new ground: poor

PROS

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    Maintenance free
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    Adjustable width
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    Budget priced
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    Lightweight and compact

CONS

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    Its motor is a little light for breaking new ground
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    The maximum depth is a little too shallow for breaking new ground as well

The lightweight, compact design of this unit with adjustable depth control and effortless operation while allowing for full control gives it an edge over gas powered tillers, though it is the closest thing to a gas tiller among electric powered models.

The extra muscle in the motor of the Sun Joe TJ603E is one of the celebrated features of this model. Because of the power in the compact design and weight of this unit, it is a better choice among electric tillers for breaking new ground.

 The tine width allows you to make fewer passes while tilling, but you sacrifice when it comes to cultivating and weeding. This unit might be too aggressive on tender plants too.

Specs:

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    Tine width: 16 inches
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    Tine depth: three position adjustment up to 8”
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    Number tines: 6
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    Tine speed: 340 rpm (idle)
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    Power: Electric - 12A (1.85 HP)
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    Weight: 27 lbs.
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    Storage: 17” x 42” footprint with foldable handle
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    Weeding and Cultivating: too wide
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    Breaking new ground: good

PROS

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    Lots of power
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    Depth adjustment
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    No maintenance
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    Lightweight
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    Budget priced
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    2-year warranty

CONS

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    Cultivating and weeding are limited due to width
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    Is probably too aggressive for weeding and cultivating as well
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Power and performance backed by a trusted name in lawn and garden equipment are great selling points for the Troy-Bilt TB154E Garden Cultivator.

Its compact design and wheels to offset its weight makes it easy to maneuver in small places. The three-way tine design gives it an edge on digging. This Troy Bilt electric tiller is probably the most versatile and dependable of the five tillers we reviewed.

Though it is heavier than most of the models, its wheels make it workable. Its width adjustment makes it adaptable to various uses and its three-way tines break up soil better.

Specs:

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    Tine width: 6 inches to 9 inches adjustable
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    Tine depth: adjustable to 5”
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    Number tines: 4
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    Tine speed: 240 rpm
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    Power: Electric – 6.5 A (1 HP)
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    Weight: 32 lbs. (has wheels)
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    Storage: 15” x 19” footprint with foldable handle
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    Weeding and Cultivating: good
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    Breaking new ground: fair

PROS

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    Clean and quiet
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    Breaks up soil into finer pieces
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    Solid brand
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    Budget priced
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    Width adjustment makes it versatile

CONS

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    It could be a little bit underpowered for breaking hard ground
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    It is a little on the heavy side compared to the others

No one can deny that the Mantis 7250-00-02 Electric Tiller/Cultivator can dig. Its variable three-speed feature sets it apart from most electric tillers and allows it to work as a cultivator as well as a tiller.

Its depth adjustment also helps make it a garden tool to keep an eye on. If it had more power, this would be the unit of choice. The variable speed and reversible tines are features that make this a solid consideration. It is light, compact and will dig deep.

The question is whether or not it will perform the heavy duty work of breaking compact soil. It will break the bank, because it costs more than twice as much as the other units reviewed.

Specs: 

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    Tine width: 9 inches​​​​
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    Tine depth: 5” to 10”
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    Number tines: 4
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    Tine speed: variable speed
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    Power: Electric - 5A (.75 HP)
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    Weight: 21 lbs.
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    Storage: 9.5” x 14” footprint with foldable handle
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    Weeding and Cultivating: very good
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    Breaking new ground: good (reversible tines)

PROS

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    Adjustable depth
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    Adjustable speed
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    Reversible tin​​​​es
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    Lightweight
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    Versatile
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    Easy to store and transport

CONS

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    Underpowered for digging in compact soil
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    It is pricey

Conclusion

The electric tiller which best fits your needs will come down to a matter of how you intend to use it, how much work you have to do, your physical strength and stamina, and whether it fits into your budget. Using our best electric tiller reviews, you can make a more informed decision. For us, the Troy-Bilt TB154E gets the nod.

The Troy-Bilt tiller/cultivator, though a little bit underpowered for breaking through compact soil can perform all three functions of tilling, cultivating and weeding. Its tine configuration is what really makes the difference. The three-way tine design, unique to this unit, does a more thorough job of breaking up the soil. The width adjustment all the way down to 6” makes it fit between narrower garden rows. Its tine speed is not too aggressive for tender plants either. Keeping those features in mind, it also comes at a decent price and is backed by a solid brand name.

Regardless of which unit you choose, don’t break your back manually tilling, cultivating and weeding your garden. Make use of mechanical power rather than muscle power and get your hands on an electric garden tiller today.