Small garden tillers is the best way to eliminate the laborious, back-breaking work of breaking up hard, compact soil. Buying a small rototiller is especially useful if you have a compact yard and need to prepare tough ground for planting vegetables, ornamental shrubs, or lawns. In addition, a small garden tiller is ideal to weed, hoe, and turn over the soil between rows of crops.
If you are considering buying a small garden tiller with a compact design, you may find that it’s not easy to find one that suits your needs. First, there are choices between front-line tillers and rear-line tillers. Then you must decide between an electric corded tiller, a gas-powered tiller, or a small cordless garden tiller.
To help you weed out (pardon the pun!) the best small garden tiller for your needs, we have reviewed the top eight models currently for sale online in 2024. For each model, you will learn about its unique features and what sets it apart from the rest. This unbiased review of small garden rototillers will give you all the information you need before making your final purchase decision.
The Best Small Rototillers — In-Depth Review
Choosing the best compact garden tiller is vital if you intend to till hard-packed soil, eradicate weeds, plant vegetables, or amend the soil. Please read on to discover which small rototiller best matches your needs.
1. Sun Joe TJ603E Electric Small Garden Tiller and Cultivator
Sun Joe TJ603E corded tiller and cultivator will quickly and efficiently break up hard-packed dirt, aerate tough soil, cut through sod, and dig up weeds. The small garden tiller features six tines with steel-angled blades to cut through compacted, heavy soil with ease. With a powerful 12-amp electric motor, this tiller and cultivator can tackle any small to medium-sized garden job.
The Sun Joe small garden rototiller features a fold-able handle, three-position wheel height, and instant start. With this model, you can till up to 16 inches wide and 8 inches deep to turn tougher ground into loose soil.
Pros:
- Six durable steel tines with deep penetration
- 12-amp motor
- Adjustable wheels
- Rear wheels make maneuvering easy
- Environmental friendly, no emissions
- Compact and lightweight design
Cons:
- No variable speed controls
- It’s too lightweight for some users
Best feature: Tills an area up to 16 inches wide and 8 inches deep on each pass.
2. Earthwise TC70025 Electric Mini Garden Rototiller and Cultivator
The Earthwise TC70025 corded cultivator and powerful front tine tiller is a compact garden tool to break through difficult soil easily. The mini garden tiller cultivates most types of soil up to 7.5 inches wide and a maximum depth of 6 inches of soil. It features four steel blades, a soft-grip ergonomic handle, and a 2.5-amp motor. In addition, the handy cord lock feature prevents accidental unplugging, keeping you in control at all times.
The compact size of the Earthwise small garden tiller makes it ideal for weeding between vegetable rows. In addition, you can use the unit to prepare small patches of ground to amend or break up compacted clay soil in a small to medium-sized garden.
Pros:
- Single-handle design with a comfortable auxiliary handle
- Quiet operation
- Four steel front tines
- Ideal for compact gardens and small areas
- Lightweight
Cons:
- It can have trouble dealing with stony soils and tough weeds
3. Mantis 7940 4-Cycle Gas Powered Cultivator
The Mantis 7940 4-cycle heavy-duty tiller makes gardening faster and easier thanks to its powerful motor and two pairs of curvy tines. The front tine tiller is well-balanced, lightweight, and maneuverable, weighing only 24 pounds. The Mantis tiller is one of the lightest and smallest gas-powered garden tilers for sale online.
Thanks to the powerful gas-powered engine and tine design, the compact garden tiller can dig up to 10 inches deep. In addition, the innovative gear design generates plenty of power to work through heavy clumps of soil. Optional attachments include a lawn aerator, border edger, plow, and lawn de-thatcher. A handy feature of this gas-powered tiller is the kickstand to support the tiller.
Pros:
- 4-cycle, 25cc Honda engine
- Tine speed 240 rpm
- Weight 24 lbs.
- Unique star-shaped tines to cut through compacted soil
- Heavy-duty performance
- The smallest garden tiller powered by a gas engine
Cons:
- Sometimes it isn’t easy to start
Best feature: The smallest gas-powered tiller for compact gardens on the market.
4. BLACK+DECKER Small Cordless Garden Tiller
Using the Black & Decker LGC120 cordless tiller, it’s easy to prepare any soil type for planting shrubs, flowers, or vegetables in your garden. The battery-operated pole tiller features a 20V lithium-ion battery, adjustable pole, and ergonomic auxiliary handle. The cultivator and tiller unit is ideal for working small areas of the garden and between garden rows.
The powerful rechargeable battery and counter-oscillating vertical tines help aerate the soil, dig up weeds, and accomplish a range of landscaping tasks. On a full charge, the Black&Decker tiller lets you cultivate up to 350 sq. ft. of garden space. Additionally, the telescoping pole adjusts to the user’s height, reducing back and muscle strain.
Pros:
- Counter-rotating tines prevent weeds from tangling
- Ergonomic soft grip adjustable handle for added comfort
- 20V tiller with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Work without trailing cords or gas emissions
- Operates as a tiller and cultivator
- Two-year limited warranty
Cons:
- Has limited capacity compared to electric models
Best feature: The best pole, battery-powered small garden tiller in its category
5. Greenworks 27072 Corded Small Garden Tiller
Cultivate the soil with Greenworks 27072 small garden tiller. This Greenworks tiller is a compact corded electric tiller with four 8-inch rotating tines powered by an 8-amp motor. The small garden rototiller features a tilling width of 10 inches and digs to a maximum depth of 5 inches. A nice feature of the Greenworks garden tiller is that it creates little noise and is highly reliable.
A nice feature of the Greenworks corded garden tiller is the adjustable airless wheels that provide stability. Additionally, the folding handles and carrying handle mean that the powerful tiller is easy to maneuver and store. An advantage of this small garden tiller over its competitors is its weight. It is heavier than others, meaning it deals better with hard clumps of dirt and rocks.
Pros:
- Excellent 8-amp motor
- Great value for money
- Adjustable up to 10-inch tilling width
- Adjustable wheels to control the tilling depth
- Folding handle
- Deals with compacted soil better than other small garden tillers
Cons:
- Maximum tilling depth of 5 inches disappoints some users
Best feature: Extra wide and deep tilling for a small garden rototiller.
6. Schiller Grounds Care Mantis 7920 2-Cycle Tiller Cultivator
The Schiller Mantis 2-cycle small gas-powered garden tiller is an ideal choice for a compact, cordless tiller. The powerful tiller features four powerful tines with a unique angled star-shaped design. The two-handled, lightweight design with its impressive 2-cycle motor ensures the best mobility from a budget-friendly tiller.
Thanks to the compact size of the Schiller small garden tiller, you can use this machine in small, tight spaces and close to fences and walls. In addition, the molded grips, built-in carrying handle, and low-footprint storage mean this model suits most yard sizes. Also, the entire unit only weighs 20 pounds, so it is easy to operate.
Pros:
- The compact size makes it easy to transport
- Ergonomic handle design
- Unique star-shaped tines to increase efficiency
- Lightweight tiller and only weighs 20 lbs.
- The garden tiller digs down 10 inches with a 9-inch width
Cons:
- Manual start with recoil pull starter is tricky to master
Best feature: A lightweight gas-powered tiller with excellent reviews.
7. Sun Joe TJ600E Joe Electric Tiller and Cultivator
The Sun Joe TJ600E small garden tiller is a powerful garden cultivator with four steel angled tines, a powerful 6.5-amp motor, a 14-inch cultivating width, and a digging depth of 7 inches. Designed for small, compact gardens, the Sun Joe corded tiller features a three-position wheel adjustment, a collapsible handle for easy storage, and an instant start function.
The excellent features of the Sun Joe tiller are its uniquely-designed tines that perform exceedingly well in rugged, compact soil and a good motor. The electric cultivator is lightweight; however, it still performs well in challenging soil types and tough weeds.
Pros:
- Corded, electric small garden tiller for ultimate runtime
- Dual ergonomic handles for easy maneuverability
- Four tines with angled steel blades
- Noiseless performance
- Two-year warranty
- Tilling width up to 14 inches and 7-inch depth
Cons:
- The motor tends to overheat quickly
Best feature: Quiet operation and cultivating width up to 14 inches.
8. Earthwise TC70001 Electric Tiller
The Earthwise TC70001 corded small garden tiller features a powerful 8.5-amp motor powering four hardened steel tines. The cost-effective rototiller cultivates up to 11 inches wide and 8-inches tilling depth. Despite this being a lightweight garden tiller, it performs well in compacted soil with small stones and tough weeds. Its safety features are a single lever start with a safety button.
The Earthwise TC70001 has all the power of a gas-operated tiller without the fumes. The soft ergonomic grip, easy start, and 8-inch cultivating depth mean that you can easily tackle the toughest of gardening tasks. With this tiller, you can easily prepare solid soil for planting or removing weeds.
Pros:
- Rear wheels for added stability
- Convenient to store
- Corded design ensures ultimate runtime without harmful emissions
- Fold-down handle
- Easy to store
- 8.5-amp motor
- Wide cultivating area
Cons:
- Struggles in compacted soil
What To Look For In A Small Garden Tiller
There are several factors to consider before buying a small garden tiller. For example, it’s vital to think about the size of your garden, the type of soil in your garden, and what you’ll be using your tiller for. However, other considerations are the power source, cutting depth, tilling width, and type of tines.
Size of garden:
Small garden tillers are ideal for compact gardens of 500 to 1,000 square feet. They are an excellent choice for preparing a raised garden bed, vegetable patch, or landscaping a small garden. The advantage of a small rototiller is that it is lightweight and easy to use.
Power source:
For small garden tillers, you have three choices — battery-powered tillers, gas tillers, or electric garden tillers.
The main disadvantage of a corded garden tiller is the cord. This can make the unit difficult to maneuver, especially if there are many shrubs in the garden. However, you have unlimited runtime with an electric tiller but are limited to the length of the extension cord.
If you choose a gas model, you can expect the tiller to be more powerful than a cordless electric tiller. However, gas tillers require more maintenance, emit more fumes, and are less environmentally friendly.
Cordless garden tillers have the maneuverability of a powerful gas-powered tiller. However, they tend to be less powerful than corded models, have a shorter battery life, and are more expensive.
Type of soil:
When choosing a small garden rototiller for your garden, consider the soil type. A basic electric or cordless tiller will be sufficient if the soft soil is free of large roots and rocks. However, a small tiller may not handle tough weeds and rocky ground.
Tiller width:
A tiller with four to six tines and angled blades will turn over soil with less effort and produce quicker results. Most small garden tillers have one to two sets of tines with widths between 8 and 16 inches.
Small Garden Tillers — FAQ’s
Are small tillers worth it?
Small garden tillers are worth buying if you have a small compact garden. They are easy to handle and maneuver. In addition, many have folding handles for compact storage. Therefore, small garden tillers are worth buying if you want to maintain a small vegetable patch.
Which rototiller is easiest to use?
Mid-tine rototillers are the easiest type to use. However, small garden rototillers are typically front tines because of their compact size. Most rear tine tillers are gas-powered, heavy-duty garden tools that aren’t classed as “small garden tillers.”
Is it worth buying a tiller?
Buying a tiller is worth it if you have a small to medium-sized vegetable patch. Typically, a small garden tiller will pay for itself after a few years, making it more cost-effective than renting one. However, if you only plan on using it once in the year, renting may be a better option.
What is the difference between a tiller and a rototiller?
A small garden rototiller and a tiller are the same type of garden power tool. Typically, people mistake tillers for cultivators. However, compared to cultivators, tillers or rototillers are the larger and more powerful of the two.
How deep can a tiller dig?
With their large, heavy-duty tines, garden tillers typically have an 8-ich tilling depth — however, some dig even deeper. However, the depth you can dig usually depends on the model. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to read the specifications and reviews of small garden tillers to ensure it’s suitable for your requirements.
How do you make a tiller dig deeper?
The best small garden tillers have a depth bar to adjust how deep you can dig. To make the tiller dig deeper, you should raise the bar to allow the tines to penetrate deeper into the soil. For hard, compacted soil, the depth bar should be at its lowest position. Then, as you break up the ground, you can lower it to dig deeper and loosen the soil.
Conclusion
Small garden tillers are an excellent investment to amend the ground in a small to medium-sized garden. Compact garden rototillers can help eliminate the hard work it takes to break up compacted soil, aerate the ground, and get rid of weeds.