5 Best Electric Tillers (2024 Guide)

Unless you’re a gardening expert, it might be difficult to know which tiller to purchase to prepare your flower beds. To help you sort through your options, I researched the best tillers on the market to help you find the best product for you. Here are my top picks.

Top 5 Electric Tillers

Most Powerful: Earthwise Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator

Most Lightweight: BLACK+DECKER Tiller

Best Positioning Control: Sun Joe Electric Tiller/Cultivator

Best For Medium Tasks: Earthwise Cordless Electric Tiller/Cultivator

Best Speed Control: Mantis Electric Tiller/Cultivator

Most Powerful

Courtesy Amazon

Earthwise Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator

• $179.99

Prices taken at time of publishing.

With a 13.5-amp motor, I like that this corded tool is effective for heavy-duty tilling projects, such as preparing a new bed with rocky soil. It also has an adjustable cultivating width between 11 and 16 inches with a depth of eight inches.

• $179.99 at Amazon

Pros and Cons

✔ Has an ergonomic handle that’s comfortable to hold
✔ Has a retention hook to prevent the cord from getting tangled while you’re working
✔ Includes six adjustable tines

✘ Weighs around 30 pounds
✘ Needs an extension cord to cover large gardens

What Customers Are Saying

Many customers I found during my research liked this electric tiller’s safety features, power, and durability. On the other hand, I also found some users who said that the tines sometimes stopped turning even when the motor was still running.

Most Lightweight

Courtesy Amazon

BLACK+DECKER Tiller

• $133.54

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I found that this battery-powered tiller is easy to handle. It weighs half as much as most tillers, offers freedom of movement with a cordless design, and has two textured handles for gripping. Its 20-volt battery can cultivate 325 square feet before dying.

• $133.54 at Amazon

Pros and Cons

✔ Can cultivate up to 325 square feet per charge
✔ Comes with a 20-volt battery and a battery charger
✔ Has counter-oscillating tines that prevent weeds from tangling

✘ Has two tines instead of four or six
✘ Doesn’t have enough power or runtime for large gardens

What Customers Are Saying

Several customers I found in my research were happy with this tiller’s lightweight, compact build that could cultivate small gardens with ease. Some disappointed users wished that it could cover more ground before its battery died.

Best Positioning Control

Courtesy Amazon

Sun Joe Electric Tiller/Cultivator

• $146.52
• $159
• 8% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This electric tiller uses two wheels to move across your garden. You can position the wheels at one of three angles depending on what works best for your flower bed. For power, effectiveness, and durability, I was impressed that this tool also has six steel tines and a 12-amp motor.

• $146.52 at Amazon

Pros and Cons

✔ Has a foldable handle for easy storage and easy transport when it’s not in use
✔ Can cultivate up to 16 inches wide and eight inches deep in one pass
✔ Has a powerful 12-amp motor

✘ Doesn’t give you as much freedom of movement as cordless models
✘ Can’t till rocky soil

What Customers Are Saying

I found that customers who were pleased with this electric tiller mentioned that it was easy to assemble and made from sturdy materials. According to some customers, it couldn’t handle rocky or tightly packed soil like gas tillers.

Best For Medium Tasks

Courtesy Amazon

Earthwise Cordless Electric Tiller/Cultivator

• $139

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This electric garden tiller is more powerful than most cordless tillers. With a 40-volt battery, 11-inch cutting width, and eight-inch tilling depth, it tackles most of the projects that corded models can while still giving you the advantages of a cordless design. It offers maneuverability because it is lightweight and works without an outlet or extension cord.

• $139 at Amazon

Pros and Cons

✔ Comes with a fast charger for the battery
✔ Features flip-down rear wheels
✔ Has a low noise output

✘ May need to hunch over while you’re using it if you’re tall
✘ Can’t run continuously like corded models

What Customers Are Saying

My research found that satisfied customers praised this tiller for how easy it was to maneuver. They also liked how quickly its battery recharged. Taller users did struggle with it, though, because it was low to the ground and had short handles.

Best Speed Control

Courtesy Amazon

Mantis Electric Tiller/Cultivator

• $346.32

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I like that this electric tiller has two speed options to tackle light- and heavy-duty projects. You can use the low speed for cultivating and the high speed for tilling. For more control, it has two multi-position wheels and a foam-coated handle.

• $346.32 at Amazon

Pros and Cons

✔ Customers mention that battery life is great on low speed
✔ Has a compact shape to fit in narrow spaces
✔ Uses durable steel tines

✘ Has a nine-amp motor, which is on the weaker side for corded tillers
✘ Can bounce while it’s tilling hard soil

What Customers Are Saying

I found that many customers said that the lightweight nature of this electric tiller made it easy to use in their garden. However, some Amazon customers claimed that they received a refurbished product instead of a new one.

Buying Guide to Electric Tillers

Whether you’re an avid gardener or hobbyist, an electric model tiller makes turning and loosening soil and mixing compost easier than ever. Renting a tiller is inefficient if you need the machine frequently—the fees add up, transportation is difficult, and you’re on a deadline to return it.

By purchasing an electric tiller, you don’t need to worry about additional fees or pressing deadlines, and the only place you need to transport it to is your garden. Below, we explain some of the top elements to consider when you’re buying an electric tiller for yourself.

Tines

Electric tillers usually come with four tines, though you can also find models with two or six tines. The tines are typically in the rear, center, or front of the machine. Rear-tine tillers are powerful, so they’re useful for heavy soil. Meanwhile, front tines are lighter and easier to maneuver. These are the most common type of tines on electric tillers. Finally, center-tine tillers are the least common, but they provide a balance between the power of rear-tine tillers and the maneuverability of front-tine tillers.

Size

Larger, wider tillers require fewer passes through your soil. However, the bigger a tiller is, the more cumbersome it is to operate and maneuver. Most tillers are in the 10-to-20-inch range in terms of length. Some are even adjustable, giving you more customization based on whether you need more power or more mobility.

Speed

Revolutions per minute (RPM) measures the speed at which the tines move. The higher the RPM rating, the quicker the machine churns the soil. Anything approaching 200 RPM works for the majority of soils, but some devices can go as high as 400 RPM.

Power Source

Electric tillers are either corded or cordless. Corded models are more powerful, but they’re less flexible in terms of where you can use them because they plug into a wall outlet or extension cord.

Cultivators vs. Tillers

If your garden is already established and requires light maintenance, consider a cultivator. It’s also lightweight and compact, which is useful if you have limited strength and mobility.

A garden tiller is better for heavy-duty projects. It provides more power than a cultivator, so you can use it to establish gardens of all sizes or maintain medium and large gardens.

Electric Tiller Uses

An electric tiller can serve many purposes. Below, I’ve highlighted some of the most useful functions an electric tiller can serve in your yard.

Breaking Ground

An electric tiller can tear up last year’s garden and add mulch in preparation for this year’s planting season. You can also use it to plow through hard soil when you’re starting a new project from scratch.

Tending

Existing gardens require ongoing attention. An electric tiller can turn the top layer of soil to ensure that nutrients are reaching the roots of your plants.

Weeding

Having a weed-free garden is key to productive, healthy growth. The compact build of electric tillers allows them to get between rows of plants and pull out undesirable vegetation.

Composting

To create hearty fertilizer, you can use your electric tiller to turn your compost heap as it decomposes. This redistributes the heat, worms, and activators.

Frequently Asked Questions About Electric Tillers

How much does an electric tiller cost?

Typically, electric tillers can range in cost from around $100 to over $350. The more intense your tilling needs, the greater the cost.

What is the difference between a tiller and a cultivator?

A cultivator is intended to mix already-loose soil for aeration and nutrient distribution. A tiller breaks up harder ground, such as clay, to prepare a new garden or tend to an existing one.

What is the benefit of purchasing an electric tiller over a gas-powered one?

Not only is an electric tiller more eco-conscious, but it’s also easier to start, store, and maintain.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.