Overview
Mini tiller is an important agricultural tool for farming on a small scale or home
gardening. It uses metal blades to dig the ground and prepare it for farming.
For the same purpose cultivator also comes into picture as both tools have
quite similar functionality. Choosing between a cultivator and a tiller can
come with a choice of option you want to dig in. A cultivator is useful for
slackening the dirt in a current planting zone, weeding the territory and
blending manure into the soil. Cultivators are in lesser demand in
comparison to tillers. A tiller is a fuel drive machine with a greater working
width than that of a cultivator. Tillers are more powerful than cultivators and
have larger, heavy-duty tines that work the soil.
Variants of different tillers available in the market
There are many types of tillers available in the market for
varying uses:
- Front-line tillers
These can be used for garden maintenance and related tasks as
soil preparation, weeding and composting in small-to-medium-sized gardens. These
mini tillers help move the machine while digging into the soil. Some have the
option to engage the tines in forward or reverse direction. Front line tiller
typically has a forward rotating blade situated on the front end of the machine
with the engine mounted above it. Rear-wheel makes it easier to push the
machine forward.
When operating, manual power is required to tip the blades
into the soil to operate the machine and to hold back on the machine to control
tilling depth. The untilled ground is more difficult to till with a front tine
model as blades tend to slip over the ground instead of penetrating it. It’s
also difficult to handle rocky soil because of hard obstacles that jerk the
machine making total strength important to handle.
2) Rear-tine tillers
These machines are best for larger plantation areas due to
the engine-driven wheels. They can have forward-rotating blades that
perform well in existing beds for cultivating, weeding and working in compost
or, at the end of the season, old vegetation. Rear-tine tillers can also have counter-rotating
blades that turn in the reverse direction of the wheels. Counter-rotating
tines have more torque for breaking up new ground and can dig deeper into the
soil.
Rear-line Tillers have a large engine and are generally a bit
complicated for the starters and also cost more than their counterparts. Drive
wheels only allow the machine to be propelled forward at a set speed,
regardless of the forward action of the rear tines. The drive wheels of the
Rear-tine Tillers has the ability to actually hold the machine for the lines to
dig the soil to the desired depth, which makes it easier to control the tilling
depth and making the machine fairly easy to steer.
The break in the forward motion does not hamper the tilling procedure;
you can start, stop, speed up and slow down all independent of the tilling
action.
The rear tined tiller requires large storage space and is the
heaviest and most powerful tiller, and consequently the most expensive among
all. They are easier to use, especially with rocks or large roots involved, but
they are not quite as maneuverable as the front tine tiller and may be
difficult to get into some tight corners. It gives you better control in
general over the tilling depth as well as allow for straighter lines. This type
of tiller is a must-have for hard rocky soils, and also for large garden plots.
Apart from the type of tiller there is need to focus on some
factors before buying a tiller.
1 )Type of Soil is one
of the main criteria to look while buying a tiller. If soil is rocky or
extremely hard, the bigger tiller will be more suited even if a garden is
small. Mini-tillers won’t be able to work the soil properly as it will often
skip the surface instead of digging it. Ploughing is recommended before using a
mini-tiller in case of hard or rocky soil.
2) Farm size – Another
important criterion you should consider is the size of the farm or garden. For
a small garden (less than 1500 square feet), you can buy a mini-tiller. For the
medium-sized garden, a tiller with 5 or 6 HP. Tiller above 6HP is recommended
for the large garden of more than 5000 square feet.
3) Engine type – 2-stroke engines,
typically available on cultivators, operate on a petrol/oil mixture whereas 4-cycle
engines eliminate the need for mixing oil and gas.
4) Maximum tilling depth and width
help you match the capabilities of the machine to your planting needs also
improving the efficiency.