I recently decided to buy a tiller / cultivator because I wanted to re-seed my lawn faster. A couple of years of severe water shortages had killed A LOT of my grass, and weeds to grow in its place. A few weeks ago, I begun what turned out to be quite a daunting task: tilling my yard by hand by running a rake-like tool through the soil to loosen it.
Tilling my weed-filled yard by hand turned out to be such a slow process, I knew I needed help. So I decided to buy a tiller.
The Earthwise Electric Tiller/Cultivator
Benefits of the Earthwise Tiller
Works well. Excellent for turning over short-growing weeds, thus saving you tons of time and hard work.
Affordable. This tiller was one of the least expensive tillers on Amazon when I purchased mine. Interesting, considering it was also one of the highest rated.
Built-in safety cutoff. Engine shuts off if user’s hand slips off drive, helping to prevent user injury.
Lightweight/ Easy to use. Earthwise tiller is lightweight, so it’s easy to move around–definitely a lot lighter to use than a gasoline-powered tiller.
Cautions Regarding the Earthwise Tiller/Cultivator
Possible shipping issues
Amazon sometimes ships this item in the bare manufacturer’s box with a delivery sticker affixed to it, with no outer shipping box. This can make the item a tempting target for thieves if it’s delivered when no one’s home. It can also lead to greater chance for damage during shipping. (Fortunately, Amazon has an excellent return policy if this happens to you.)
Inconvenient safety feature
Safety cutoff feature can make the tiller’s use awkward. If you let up on the drive for more than the briefest instant, the motor will stop and you’ll have to depress the start button again to restart the engine. (Although this can be inconvenient, I think it’s well worth it to have the safety feature operate if you actually lose control of the unit.)
Cord can get in the way
The Earthwise tiller is electric and needs to be plugged in to operate, and the cord always seems to be getting in the way. You’ll have to take care not to trip on the cord, or to till over it. (I found it best to make sure the cord was extended straight out to the side, without any additional play in the cord, as I worked. Any additional cord length was pulled well off to that side so it wouldn’t get in the way.)
No power cord included
You’ll need to purchase an extension cord right off the bat to operate as your power cord. The unit has a short bit of cord just long enough to run from the motor up the side of the handle/frame that you’ve got to plug into whatever length extension cord you end up purchasing. Make sure you purchase a cord that is heavy-duty enough for the tiller, and for the length of the cord. I got the US Wire 100-Foot Heavy Duty Extension Cord, which provides excellent capacity, as well as a nice length so I can reach more of my yard.
Remember that when using the Earthwise Tiller to help quickly get rid of weeds in your lawn so you can plant new grass, you’ll need to remove the bits of root and other plant material after you plow it. If you skip this step, it’s likely that the weeds will quickly reestablish themselves. Worse, grass seed you lay down won’t be able to get a good purchase in the soil. I’m using a 12″ Stainless Steel Soil Sieve
to get rid of the weeds and roots before planting my grass seed.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with my Earthwise tiller, and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase it again. It’s saving me so much time, I feel that I actually have a chance to get the job done–whereas before, I was worried it would take me all summer. I’ll keep you updated here as I continue to use the tiller. Make sure to sign up for free updates right in your email inbox!