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Gardening is enjoyable, but it can also be a lot of work.
Having the right tool for the job can make gardening work much more efficient, and help prevent over-exertion.
Tillers and cultivators are useful tools for prepping the garden for planting.
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These tools, while similar, have different features and functions which make them suitable for specific purposes.
What Is a Tiller?
A tiller is a motorized garden toolwith blades designed to loosen soil to help make planting easier.
Most agriculture utilizes tilling of soil.
What Is a Cultivator?
It usually has lighter blades than a tiller, and is often used to mix insoil amendments.
Tillers are useful to get your vegetable garden ready for planting in spring.
Cultivator vs. Tiller: Which Should You Choose?
The main functional differences between the two tools are related to their size, weight, and power.
Cultivators are also useful for mixing in soil amendments.
Cultivators are for smaller projects that require a bit more ease of movement and finesse.
Tillers can also be digging tools for trenches or to prep for small projects such as water features.
Tillers can range from light duty to very heavy duty, and most are gas powered.
There are gas, electric, and battery powered cultivators available.
Some models may have blades that can be adjusted for width or depth.
Ideally, a cultivator is used for loosening the top layer of garden soil.
A cultivator’s blades are generally too lightweight to be effective at breaking up sod or clumps of grass.
You might even damage the blades if the grass gets tangled in them.
For digging up a lawn or grassy area, a tiller is a better choice.
