If you’re in the market for a tiller, but you’re unsure which one to buy, Mark Odell, Husqvarna South Africa’s Product Manager, has some advice to share about these powerful, versatile, and easy-to-handle machines, able to cope with anything from a lush lawn to the hardest of soils.
“Tillers are great for breaking up large open areas of soil, or for smaller garden patches, but before you buy one, make sure you’ve done your homework and are aware of the pros and cons of each. Beyond the obvious difference between a front- and rear-tine tiller being the position of the tines, deciding which one to go for will be determined by the job at hand,” he says.
Need to prepare soil in a large area? Get a rear-tine!
Landscapers, professional gardeners, and farmers with large, open areas to work with, will find a rear-tine counter-rotating tiller, with generous working width, to be the most suitable machine. Rear-tine models are designed for use on densely packed earth and lawns and can reach greater depths than their front-tine counterparts, digging much deeper, which is great for establishing new garden beds.
With powered wheels and tines that turn in the opposite direction, these machines break up soil very effectively, but the downside is that they will struggle to get into tight corners and around obstacles, making this option unsuitable for smaller gardens. A rear-tine tiller’s engine is larger, making the machine heavier because it’s designed to do heavy-duty tillage.
Husqvarna has two rear-tine models in their range, with the most powerful one being the TR 262.
Enjoy gardening? Get a front-tine!
Front-tine tillers are suitable for smaller areas with tighter spaces and less landscaping work – including greenhouses, small plots, garden patches and tunnel maintenance. These tillers are driven by the tines, that can only move in one direction – forwards.
They are ideal for getting into small spaces and moving around plants. Standard working widths range from 74cm to 135cm, and additional tines can be added to customise the size of your tiller.
Front-tine tillers’ engines are usually lighter and less powerful than their heavier counterparts, but they’re also smaller and therefore easier to store and transport, as well as being cheaper.
There are five front-tine models available in the Husqvarna range: TF 230, TF 338 TF 435P, TF 545D and TF 545DE.
Weighing up the facts
“When deciding which tiller is up to meeting your specific requirements, bear in mind that while the front-tine tiller is lightweight, cheaper and great for small spaces, it is not the right choice for deep tilling and is only able to move forward,” says Mark. “However, they are very versatile and able to perform a variety of tasks with accessories for moss raking, edging, scarifying, and ploughing. If you have a number of small patches and flower beds in your garden, ensure that the tiller you choose has carrying handles or transport wheels. By contrast, the rear-tine tiller is great for deep tilling, can cover large, wide, open areas quickly, but it is more expensive and not as precise as a front-tine tiller.”
Regardless of the size of the area that needs to be tilled, Husqvarna has a variety of options to choose from and for optimum manoeuvrability and control, all their tillers have a reverse gear. In addition, every front tine model can be fitted with accessories to enable various related tasks.
For more information or to view Husqvarna’s range of front- and rear-tine tillers, visit www.husqvarna.co.za
