Best Electric Tiller – Choice and Reviews

Are you looking for the best electric tiller? Here you can find my reviews of the best performing electric hoe models and a guide to choosing.

The electric hoe is a fundamental tool for those who have to prepare the soil for sowing, precisely because of its weeding and tilling action. Unlike the petrol models, however, these power tools are more suitable for the preparation of gardens, vegetable gardens and small plots of land. This is due to the fact that the forward movement is only partially guaranteed by the advancement of the roller with the knives, since most of the thrust comes from the user holding the handles.

Features of the electric tiller

As I mentioned above, electric motor hoes are manually driven, since you will have to push them by acting on the handles, also called handlebars. This is the main difference that distinguishes them from walking tractors, which instead advance thanks to the drive wheels (absent in the motor hoe with electric start). On the other hand, electric motor hoes work faster, are lighter and do not emit exhaust fumes.

As regards the structure, we find a motor and a cutting group at the base of the instrument, equipped with cutters (usually 4 or 6).

The purpose of the latter is to work the land for sowing. It means that the knives of the milling unit will rotate and act on the earth by turning it, shattering and leveling it, effectively replacing the use of the classic manual spade. In this way the tool is able to improve the health of the soil, both from a physical and chemical point of view, so as to literally prepare the ground for the rooting of seeds or for transplants.

By its nature, an electric hoe is more suitable for working the earth that is not too hard and compact, due to a power lower than tillers with internal combustion engine. Also, remember that they are cord-powered, so they require an electrical outlet nearby. As far as the working range is concerned, I personally find myself more than good using it in my small 100 square meter garden, but you can easily reach 150 square meters.

What are the other features to underline? The milling unit equipped with knives acts as a sort of wheel, therefore facilitating movement during manual pushing. It means that you will not struggle too much, if you limit yourself to working on land with a reduced size. In summary, although it is more demanding than a two-wheel tractor, this device is still much more comfortable than the classic milling with hoes, spades or manual hoes, halving the effort.

Before moving on, know that today I will focus exclusively on the wire models. Although there are also battery-powered rotary tillers, the latter are less powerful and have limited autonomy.

Best electric tillers

1. Einhell GC-RT 1440 M Rotary Tiller with Electric Start

This powerful electric hoe is one of the bestsellers, and my favorite, due to some respectable features. In fact, it has a rather powerful 1,400 watt motor, it is not heavy at all and is comfortable to drive, thanks to a single bar and resealable handle, which allows you to grab it in different positions. In addition, it has a top quality milling unit with very interesting technical data.

Specifically, the lower group mounts a total of 6 cross-shaped cutters, each of which is equipped with 2 knives, therefore with 4 curved blades per cutter. The working width of the group reaches 40 centimeters, while the knives can go to a maximum depth of 20 centimeters. In addition, the rear wheels can be adjusted in height, in order to adapt them to any circumstance.

Although not able to mill hard and clayey soils, this electric hoe offers remarkable performance, thanks to the engine with Power Carbon technology. Secondly, it is very handy and equipped with a double safety switch: just release it to immediately block the rotation of the blades. Finally, it has a shell that protects the electric cable from possible damage.

You can use it to weed land up to 250-300 square meters, but remember that it is not suitable for those that are very hard or have not been worked in years. In that case, in fact, the knives would not be able to penetrate the earth, making the tool “jump” on the ground. If you really want to use it in these conditions, I recommend that you work the land first with a hoe or spade. In addition, it features very robust cutters, and the engine requires a 10 minute break every 60 minutes to prevent it from overheating.

There is also a more compact version with 4 cutters instead of 6, cheaper, with a 750 watt motor and a working width of 20 centimeters:

2. TACKLIFE Electric hoe 1500W TGTL01A 45-20 CM

If I had to choose an alternative to the electric tiller from Einhell, I would definitely go for this model from Tacklife. In fact, we are faced with an electric tool with an even more powerful motor, 1,500 watts, and with a greater working width, equal to 45 centimeters. The maximum depth reachable by the knives is equal as always to 20 cm, and the cutting group houses the canonical 6 double-blade cutters.

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The ergonomic handle is very comfortable, which you can fold, among other things, in such a way as to store the tool without too much effort. Secondly, this is one of the most powerful and reliable electric rotary tillers, with a motor that pushes the blades up to a rotation of 380 RPM. This detail favors the penetration of the knives in medium hard soils, while for hard ones it is better to make more passes.

Excellent rating also for the safety equipment, with a double button to automatically stop the blades. In addition, there is also a system that shuts down the machine when the engine is about to overheat, thus avoiding possible damage due to overload. Also know that, compared to other models, this allows you to detach the 2 side cutters, in such a way as to reduce the working width from 45 to 32 centimeters.

It is a detail that I consider very important, since in this way you will be able to use this rotary hoe even for jobs that require greater precision. Also consider that this tiller with electric motor is quite light (about 10 kilos), has adjustable wheels and a system that dampens the vibrations produced by the impact of the blades on the ground, so as to tire the arms less.

Here too we find a less expensive and less powerful version, with a 1,400 watt motor and a 40 cm working width:

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3. IKRA 70300420 IEM-800-S 800 W 30-20 CM

If you want to save a few euros, without sacrificing quality, then I recommend this electric rotary tiller from IKRA. It is a niche but very reliable brand, which always offers excellent “alternative” tools (I have a leaf blower). The model in question has a power of 800 watts, a working width of 30 centimeters and a depth that reaches 20 centimeters.

What are its most interesting peculiarities? First of all, the reduced working width is due to the presence of 4 cutters, for a total of 16 blades piercing. Its ability to penetrate the soil is excellent, and its smaller width makes it ideal for areas that require greater precision when weeding. In addition, the blades are very robust and this ensures a remarkable durability over time.

The 800-watt motor consumes less power than those with a high wattage, but is equally powerful, as well as quite quiet. Secondly, the handle can be adjusted in height and there is a double handle with ergonomic and anti-slip coating. Also consider that this IKRA rotary tiller has a single rear wheel, but larger than the average ones, and the handle can be folded to take up less space.

Of course, all the essential safety systems are present, from the brake up to the protection against motor overheating. And the performance? It is ideal for small but not too hard soils, as it tends to bounce if it nicks against too strong clods, and is unable to crush them. In that case, as always, you should first dig the earth by hand.

4. KUKUMAX Electric Rotary Tiller 1500 Watt 45-22 CM

This KUKUMAX rotary hoe is a real surprise, as it has superior technical characteristics, but is sold at a competitive price. In fact, it is equipped with a powerful 1,500 watt motor, and a cutting unit with 6 fixed cutters, therefore not removable. In addition, it has a record working width (45 centimeters) and can reach a depth of 22 centimeters.

This electric tiller is able to move even the earth of medium hardness, or the hardest one, as long as you accept the hops during the first preliminary pass. Furthermore, the blade unit is very robust and penetrates the ground without any kind of problem, even if the clods are clayey. It is clear, however, that the harder the soil increases, the more you will have to struggle with your arms, paying attention to the jumps of the hoe.

As for comfort, the handle is foldable and this significantly reduces the clutter when you need to store it. Secondly, while not light (about 16 kilos), the weight helps stability when working on medium hard soils, as it skips less than light tools. The handle is double and is lined with an ergonomic coating, which simplifies use and prevents slipping while working.

There is a double safety system, with a yellow lever that can be released in case of problems, so as to immediately block the rotation of the milling unit. Another positive element? The two rear wheels can be adjusted in height, so that they can be adapted to any circumstance. Finally, it has a competitive price to say the least, and this is another advantage to underline.

How to choose the electric hoe

1. Working width and depth

In electric motor hoe models, the working width is almost always between 30 and 40 centimeters. When we talk about this value, we refer to the width between the first side cutter and the last one. Sometimes the size can be reduced, but only in models that allow you to remove the side blades.

A larger size is handy when you have to weed a large piece of land, as it covers more soil with each pass. Conversely, a small size is ideal when you have to work the shortest and narrowest spaces in the ground, preferring precision. A concrete example? The inter-row spaces between the vegetables.

As far as the working depth is concerned, this can reach a maximum of 22-25 centimeters, but it is often a value almost identical in all electric rotary tillers. Such a depth is enough to effectively crush the clods of medium hard soil, but this is a chapter that needs to be treated separately.

2. Type of terrain and engine power

An electric tiller, by its nature, is poorly compatible with very hard or clayey soils. As I have already explained to you during the reviews, the tool tends to jump if it encounters high resistance from the clods. The reasons depend above all on the power of the engine: although in the electric models it is high, this cannot be compared to the power of the internal combustion appliances, which are able to impart a much greater force to the cutters.

However, you can still use them to work the hard earth, but you will have to make a first preliminary pass, to break up the surface of the sod. During this phase you will struggle a little and you will have to “tame” the electric hoe, but then you will notice that with the second pass it will go much better, because you will be able to soften the soil. The preliminary processing of hard clods can also be done by hand, therefore with a spade or a hoe, but it requires more time and more effort.

3. Size of the land

This topic is directly related to the power of the engine. The more the motor has a high wattage, the more it is able to work non-stop. Less powerful models, on the other hand, require pauses after a shorter period of time, to avoid straining the engine too much. Generally the minimum square footage that you can cover without breaks is around 100 or 150 square meters, but it can also go up to 300.

4. Quality and number of cutters

In the electric models the cutters are almost always 6 or 4, and in some models of 6 (as I have already mentioned) you can unscrew the two sides to reduce the working width. It is important that the blades are very robust, as otherwise they could be damaged when working medium hard soils.

Know that the type of movement of the cutters also counts, which can be counter-rotating or rotating. In the electric hoe models it is always rotating, so the blades move in the same direction. In professional petrol engines, on the other hand, you can find the counter-rotating action, with 2 cutters turning in the opposite direction to the other 2. This detail allows the tiller to minimize jumps on very hard ground.

How to use the electric tiller

Electric hoes do not weigh much, therefore it is important to exert a certain force on the handle or handles, to allow the cutters to put more pressure on the clods of earth. To reduce effort, I recommend that you tilt the tool towards you, thus avoiding keeping it straight. This will also make it easier to slide on the ground when you push it.

Of course, the harder the earth, the more you will have to press hard on the handles, in order to overcome the resistance opposed by the clods. Then remember to keep your hands firmly on the handle, both to improve the quality of the work and for safety reasons. By doing this, you will always maintain control of the tool in case it should jump on a very hard clod, on a root or on a stone.

If the soil has been previously dug you will have no difficulty. Otherwise I suggest you advance slowly, giving the blades the possibility to return several times to the same clod, so as to break it up better. Furthermore, I personally suggest that you always give the hoe a break of about 10 minutes, to prevent it from overheating. Finally, afterwards it is always necessary to spend some time cleaning the burs.

Starting and safety of the rotary tiller

The engine is started by pressing an electric button. With the second hand you will have to press and hold the toggle lever instead. In case of problems, simply release the lever to block the rotation of the blades, so as to ensure your safety. Finally, I advise you to start the tool by tilting it and with the blades facing upwards, therefore not in contact with the ground. From this point of view, the presence of the rear wheels greatly facilitates the operation.

When you stop working, still be careful: even if you release the lever, in fact, the cutters will continue to rotate for 2 or 3 seconds.