Front Tine Vs Rear Tine Tiller | Which Is The Best?

If you enjoy gardening on either a professional or personal level then you have likely heard of power tillers.

Whether you are planning to create a garden or already have one, having a power tiller would be an added advantage. There are two types of tillers available, front tine and rear tine.

So which tiller is suitable for you? What should you keep in mind while buying a power tiller and which features should you look? Which is the best? Read the article thoroughly to find out.

What is a tiller?

For those who don’t know what a tiller is; it is a wonder of modern science that speeds up your work and lessen your physical exertion. Rototillers are mostly used by people with big lawns and gardens to cut the grass, prepare new flower beds, grow vegetables and keep herb gardens. In some cases people, reseed their lawn with the help of a tiller.

There may be structural differences among different kinds of tillers but the main features are usually similar. In every tiller, there are tines, which are a series of blades attached to the wheels mounted in a housing unit. A rototiller digs by carving in opposite direction with the tines. Most feature four blades in each direction.

Loosening compact soil, clearing weeds and grass and preparing flower beds are the main functions of these tillers. Though the gas engine tillers are the most popular, you will find diesel engine or electric motor tillers too. Choose accordingly.

Front Tine Tiller

From its name, you can deduce that a front tine tiller has its tines in the front and generates power in a forward direction. The blades can be found in front of the engine. This helps it to dig through soil and allows for forward momentum.

Front tine tillers are perfect for anyone with no experience as they allow easy maneuvering on contours and steep terrain.

These machines come with separate wheels which are not operated by the engine. To make use of them, you need to stand on the back and hold the handle firmly when operating.

These types of machines are most suitable for the people with small lawn or simple gardens for decoration.

If you have a huge yard, big garden or professional flower orchard then rear tine tillers may be more appropriate for heavy duty work. Front tine tillers are fairly inexpensive and lightweight compared to rear tine tillers.

A firm and constant grip is necessary to navigate and maneuver across the tilling area. The front tine tillers need more attention and careful handling to guide them around the garden.

They cannot work properly if the place has a significant amount grass or weeds. You have to cut these before tilling. 

Pros:

• Till very well in yards
• The tines are separable
• Easy to handle
• Engine is just above the tines
• Comparatively cheap
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Tine rotates only in forward direction
• Unable to dig deeper
• Narrow blade line
• Not suited for hard soil

Rear Tine Tillers

For tilling large sections of land, rear tine machines are the best choice because of their powerful engines and wide cutting angle.

For loosen the most compact and hard soil, the rear tine tiller is the best option for gardeners. Tilling new land is possible with this machine without requiring extensive labor and spending large amounts of money.

They have their tines behind the engine which provides exceptional stability while tilling even the hardest soil of your garden.

Rear tine tillers can help with the most challenging and demanding projects. There are three types of rear tine tillers.

Forward tine tillers: These tillers obviously have tines in the rear but they rotate only one direction. If you don’t need more than a 5 inches depth then this type is ideal for you.

Counter rotation tine tillers: The counter rotation tine tillers primarily rotates on the forward direction but if the wheels are driven backwards then the tines can also dig backwards too.

Dual rotating tine tillers: These types can rotate in both directions to gives you an effortless and smooth tilling on any soil types. They are most powerful and comparatively the quietest.

Pros:

• Best for big soil areas
• Rear tine means better leverage
• Forward or counter-rotating feature
• Can dig deeper
• Can break virgin soil
• Very powerful and quiet engine
• Reverse gear option

Cons:

• Have to remove obstacles before use
• Needs regular maintenance
• Not every one can handle
• Quite expensive

Which is the best Tiller?

It can be a tough decision choosing between the front-tine and rear-tine tiller, because they are designed to do different tasks in different situations.

The main function of both tillers is to till land, whether for gardening or a home lawn. So which is the best tiller? Let’s discuss.

Before choosing any tiller,  you have to test your soil and measure your garden. Knowing the soil type is ,essential because it will determine how much to dig and how deep to dig.

The front-tine and rear-tine tillers don’t just differ in the location of their tines but also in the power and other factors.

A garden or house lawn that is not more than 20 square feet is ideal for front-tine tillers. Preferably, the soil is also pretty loose and doesn’t have too many stones. In small corners or mini plots, these front tine tillers are the best choice.

For rocky soil and compacted soil, a rear-tine tiller is better option for you. To start your garden, first cut into the soil using the spinning tines then propel the machine forward to maintain momentum.

Rear-tine tillers can handle huge sections of land very easily with their forward and backward control system. They also can save time and labor as they have wider and bigger blades. They can dig deeper too.

Having something big is not always the wisest idea. Rather, having the right tool for the job is the wisest. But consider going for a little extra if you think you might expand your garden area.

Final Verdict

When adding to your tool collection, choose the best type of tiller for your garden according to its soil type. As we discussed above, if you have a small garden and normal soil, then a front tine tiller is best.

However, to loosen compact soils and mix tilled soil with manure, rear-tine tillers are the more suitable ones.

So, if you are not working in professional level, consider sticking with the front tine tillers, and though rear tines are expensive, having this tool can be a great addition for garden owners.