No matter how much you love your garden, everyone will agree there is nothing more laborious than digging and tilling the soil in your garden. But it is one of those jobs that just has to be done if you want your garden to grow successfully and look beautiful all year round.
However, there is a tool that has been purposefully designed to make your life easier and save your breaking back and arms – a rotavator. Designed to dig and turn the soil to prepare it for planting season or even lawn laying, they will churn and break up the soil in bedding areas, allotment patches or even your whole garden (if you are starting from scratch!) so that they are ready for working. Not only this but they will also aerate your soil, can remove weeds and can mix in mulches that you have added to your soil. With so many ways in which a rotavator can help you and your garden – there really is no time like the present to get purchasing one.
We have compared a number of different products that are on the market, as well as all the most important features that you need to consider before purchasing.
Best Pick Garden Rotavator
No products found.
Only Got 5 Minutes?
If you are in a rush to get working on your garden and have plants that are ready for planting but no soil to work with, then keep reading. All the key things that you need to consider are right here to help you make your purchase.
Rotavator, Cultivator, Tiller – What is the difference?
Rotavator, cultivator and tiller are three terms that tend to be used interchangeably when considering ways to prepare the soil in your garden. However, it can be a little confusing knowing which is which and knowing exactly what to look for. The main differences are that a cultivator has front blades (with wheels at the rear) whereas a rotavator has rear blades with wheels at the front. This means that rotavators can usually go deeper into the ground that cultivators, making sure that even more of the soil is turned, rotated and aerated. A tiller is a smaller (usually) device that has a non-rotating blade which turns and ploughs the soil, in comparison to cultivators and rotavators which have several wheels with claws/blades that are built into them.
Types of rotavator
There are three main types of rotavator: manual, electric or petrol. All have their pros and cons so it is really important to consider what is right for you and your garden.
- Manual – Manual rotavators are powered by you, so will require considerably more effort from you than other models will. Manual rotavators are easier to use than other models, they are also cheaper and require less maintenance. However, you will need to have enough strength to use the tool effectively, otherwise, you could find the blades not even turning the soil! Depending on the size of your garden, you could find it taking considerable time to complete the job – but remember the tool won’t be relying on you providing fuel or being close to a power source to work, which is another advantage!
- Electric – Electric rotavators come in both corded or cordless models, so there will be one to suit your garden no matter how big it is – but cordless rotavators are more expensive so you have to be prepared to consider this with your budget. Electric rotavators will use this power to help turn the blades, and therefore also assist slightly in moving your tool forwards, making them easier to use and less hard work for you!
- Petrol – Petrol rotavators are made to pack a punch. Yes, they will require fuel and considerably more maintenance (and are also more expensive) but you really will get your money’s worth with this type of rotavator if you have a lot of soil to be working with. In general, though, you will find that petrol rotavators are heavier, so although they will reduce the effort that you are having to put into completing the work, be prepared for the added work of having to move them from one place to another!
Things to Consider
- Soil type – The type of soil in your garden will determine what quality of product you will need to purchase. If you have soil that is more clumped and stony, and therefore difficult to work with, then it is important to invest in a higher quality rotavator that will be able to cope with these soil conditions. If your soil is good quality, then you may be able to get away with slightly fewer quality blades.
- Width – The width of the machine is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly because the wider the width, the larger the area that you will be able to cover in one go. But it is important to remember that these models will usually have blades that are spread further apart, which will limit the amount of soil that gets turned in smaller areas. Equally, larger models will be likely to actually make your life more difficult in smaller areas, so consider the size of the area that you are going to be working with.
- Assembly – There are some makes and models of rotavators that will need assembling by you once you purchase them. This is easier said than done with some models. Check the product description before purchasing, as this will usually give you an idea of how many people it will take to build it and what tools you will need.
- Self-propelled – Look for models that are self-propelled as this will make your job even easier when you are working! Self-propelled models will still need some guidance and force from you, but nowhere near as much as with other models.
- Budget – Rotavators vary in price considerably depending on exactly what you are looking for. Manual models can be purchased for as little as £50, electric models will usually be upwards of £100, whereas petrol models start just under £200. Obviously, there will always be considerably more expensive models but they tend to be used for more commercial/agricultural purposes so won’t be necessary for a normal garden (unless you are wanting to be the envy of your neighbours!).
Best Budget Garden Rotavator
- Powerful; 1050W electric rotavator cultivator and tiller
- Great features; Maximum working width of 32 centimetres and depth of 22 centimetres, 2-point safety switch and overheat protection
- Long power cord; 10-metre power cord giving you extra freedom, comes complete with cable tidy
- Eco-friendly; No need to refill with expensive petrol that produces harmful fumes
- Guarantee; 24-month guarantee
Last update on 2024-12-12 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Additional features
There are some additional features that you need to consider before purchasing your rotavator. We have detailed these below…
- Warranty – Many rotavators will come with a 2 or 3-year warranty, which is more than sufficient. Just make sure to consider that this will rarely include damage or misuse to your rotavator, so make sure the ground is suitable before trying to push your rotavator through it.
- Tyres – The tyres on your rotavator could massively affect the experience that you have with your rotavator! The thickness and traction on your tyres will change how well they can cope with the different soil conditions that you are working with. If you know that your soil is prone to being waterlogged or boggy then look for models with larger tyres that won’t sink into the soil.
- Safety switch – Not that you are planning on anything going wrong but it can be worth having just in case you end up with your rotavator churning something that it shouldn’t be!
- Adjustable handles and comfort grips – If you are going to be working with your rotavator on a larger job then you want to choose one that is going to be comfortable to use and not leave you with a bad back afterwards! Look for one with an adjustable handle that you can change to suit your height, and handles with comfort grips to avoid added fatigue.
TOP TIP: Look out for models that have foldable handles as this will make them easier to pack away and store when you are not using them.
- Mudguard – Believe it or not there are many rotavators that don’t actually come with a mudguard! This can leave you looking quite a mess if you are working in soil conditions that are damper! A mudguard will protect from mud splats that fly up when churning the soil.
Using a Rotavator
There are some main things that you need to do before using your rotavator to make sure that the job is completed quickly, efficiently and that no damage comes to your new tool! Keep reading to be fully prepared to prepare your soil!
- Check the moisture level in the soil (especially if you are working with soil that has never been worked before or is prone to becoming compacted together). If soil is too wet then it will clump together once your rotavator has worked on it, whereas if your soil is too dry then the rotavator will struggle to get through the soil in the first place and could even become damaged.
TOP TIP: Dig a hole about 5 inches deep and pull out a handful of soil. If, when clumped together, it can be broken apart easily then it is ready to be worked with.
- We would always recommend still using a fork to break up the larger pieces of compact soil first to avoid damaging your rotavator. It is also important to remove any large stones and weeds from the ground that you are going to be working on. Removing the weeds isn’t important because they could damage your rotavator, but because if you don’t remove them you could find them being picked up by the rotavator and just spread more around your plot.
- When you begin to rotavate the ground, you could find the rotavator moves and jumps around when they hit hard objects as you are working forwards. It is important to allow the rotavator to do this, and just go with the movement as much as possible, otherwise, you could become injured (and it would definitely make it harder work!). Simply relax, allow the rotavator to move, and then lead it back on track.
- Set the rotavator to a relatively small depth (this can also be controlled by how hard you press down on the top of the rotavator) for the first time that you are working over an area. The ground you are working with should be rotavated in strips, always overlapping the last strip to make sure that there is none that you have missed.
- When going over strips a second and third time, set a deeper depth to make sure that you have rotavated as much of the ground as possible.
- We suggest going back over the area at another angle once you have completed the strips going one way (for example, at right angles to your first strip). This will help to ensure there is no ground that has been accidentally missed.
SAFETY TIP: We suggest wearing heavy-duty footwear and ear protectors when working with rotavators.
Best of the Rest
- COMPACT AND LIGHTWEIGHT MINI TILLER FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM GARDENS - perfect to aerate, weed and prepare your flower beds and vegetable plots much faster and with less effort than a garden fork
- POWERFUL 800W MOTOR AND SHARP STEEL TINES - shaped metal tines and a beefy motor let you cut through challenging soil-types without fuss and the 30cm width is perfect to dig between rows of crops, in borders or along fence lines
- EASY TO USE WITH NO PUSHING - simply plug in and squeeze the large trigger handle - long 10 metre cable lets you work anywhere and a cable relief keeps it away from the digging tines
- FOLDS FOR EASY TRANSPORT AND STORAGE - tiller folds down to the size of a small suitcase and weighs just 8.5kg so it's easy to move and takes up little space in the shed
- AUTHENTIC BRITISH BRAND SINCE 1938 – The Handy is known for well-engineered, robust and reliable products that get the job done and make gardening easy, with a helpful and knowledgeable aftercare team based in the UK
Last update on 2024-12-12 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- Powered by a 4 HP, four-stroke petrol engine
- Provides a cutting width of 370 mm
- Self-propelled and lightweight for easy manoeuvrability
- All Hyundai power equipment is covered with a 3 years warranty
Last update on 2024-12-12 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
No products found.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a rotavator be able to go through clay soil?
Rotavators can go through many types of soil, but the harder the soil, the more it will struggle to work its way through. Clay soil, when wet, is a lot easier to get through, but when dry it becomes very hard – so many rotavators will struggle to work through this.
Can I purchase a rotavator attachment?
There are a number of rotavator attachments available on the market for if you have larger jobs to work on, and have a sit on mower (for example) that they can be attached to the back of. These are considerably larger though, so are only really necessary if you have very big areas of soil that need turning!
Can I buy replacement blades for my rotavator?
Yes! Almost all rotavators will have detachable blades that can be removed and replaced if they become damaged. Make sure to check that this is an option when purchasing a rotavator. We would always recommend looking for a model that has good quality blades and purchasing spare blades that are compatible with your rotavator, this will make your life so much easier when working!
Be the first to comment