Garden and farm tillage machines are ideal for cultivating garden borders,
allotments and vegetable patches. A wide rotary tiller is used to aerate
the soil, control weeds and conserve moisture in the ground. Smaller rotary
tillers can be used in the garden during the growing season as the narrow
tines make it easy to maneuver around plants and between rows. In areas where
a rotary tiller cannot reach, hand tools such as shovels, spades, forks,
hoes, rakes and trowels can be used to go in between the plants and loosen
the soil.

These machines are relatively expensive gardening items, it is therefore
important to thoroughly research the features before the purchase is made.
High end power tillers are built for durability and reliability with features
such as heavy duty chain case, adjustable handlebars, individually replacable
tines and full width steel rubber mounted tine guards for operator protection
and safety.

Tiller blades are also known as tines. Small tillers, known also as power
cultivators, typically have one or two blades on them for cultivating the
soil. Small tillers are best for softer soil while large ones with four or
more blades are best for rocky ground.

Tines come in various types. For deep tilling bolo tines are used. Slasher
tines are made to work with heavy vegetation and plants with roots in the
ground. Pick and chisel tines are used for hard ground that oftentimes has
many rocks in it. Tiller tines are mounted either front or rear. Front tined
tillers are lightweight for use on soil that has already been cultivated
in the past. These tillers tend to compact the soil when cultivating weeds
or working on existing plant beds.

Rear tined tillers have large motors. They are powerful enough to work through
soil that has never been touched before. Rear tined tillers tend to cost
double the price of front tined tillers. Rear tined tillers do not compact
soil as much as front tined tillers do.