Rent a tiller or buy used?

[Firefighter912]

I am making a new garden spot at my house....it may be 40x20 or even smaller than that. I have been using an electric green worker tiller and it does ok, but there are little tiny roots and vines that get it all clogged up.

I was debating about renting a big tiller from Home depot for 4 hrs at $65, but then I found a small rear tine tiller for $250 or so.

I was debating just renting to break up the new ground and use the electric to till up the soil next year since it wont be new soil.


I have a roto tiller at my farm, but it is 2 hours away and I have to borrow a gooseneck. I want to get the garden done by this GOOD Friday to get everything planted


So renting a rear tine tiller or buying a used one is my idea.


Any suggestions?

 

[thepumpguysc]

I love owning a tiller. My garden is about 40x40 & the tiller is worth every penny when it comes to busting new ground & "weeding"..
Mine is a 14" rear tine husqvarna. & PERFECTO for getting between rows after planting.
Just remember they sit.. & some maintenance is involved..
Depending on your financial situation can u afford to own 1.??
& It'll take u about 30 minutes to break new ground.. & now u got it for 4hrs.. I would buy 1..

 

[thepumpguysc]

Forgot to mention, I bought used, from a pawn shop..

 

[jeff9366]

I trust you are writing about gas powered, walk-behind tillers.

I would use the one which will till deepest and has powered wheels.

 

[Firefighter912]

I was looking at this one


Tiller - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[jeff9366]

I have directed one like that, tilling rows of Blueberry plants.

Cantankerous to start. Fine after that. That will till down about 3" per pass.

 

[ruffdog]

For right now I would rent to get it done. Many times what wears out on old tillers is the worm gears. When they do, can you get parts?

 

[Firefighter912]

I have directed one like that, tilling rows of Blueberry plants.

Cantankerous to start. Fine after that. That will till down about 3" per pass.

That is what I am afraid of with those Briggs engines.
Just hate for a tiller to sit there. Dont want to spend a fortune on it.

For right now I would rent to get it done. Many times what wears out on old tillers is the worm gears. When they do, can you get parts?

That is what I am debating. Use it to make the new garden. Touch up garden with the electric tiller.

When the new season comes...bring my tractor and rototill the garden spot if I have to.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm guessing that the one you rent from Home Depot is twice the size and power of the one you could buy for $250. It probably has a good Honda engine too. No way that a $250 tiller is going to have a Honda engine, or if it does, it's gonna be tiny.

Owning means dealing with keeping it running after sitting all year long.

Renting allows you to get the biggest tiller out there that will get it done and run perfectly.

When I rented, I learned that I do not want a tiller, and that we where going to build raised bed gardens for now on with a lot better quality dirt then I have on my land. It's been expensive, and we add to it a little every year, but this has proven to be a lot better way to grow veggies then fighting with our existing red clay, and trying to get a tiller to break up the soil. Its also a lot easier to weed and water.

 

[MossRoad]

I am making a new garden spot at my house....it may be 40x20 or even smaller than that. I have been using an electric green worker tiller and it does ok, but there are little tiny roots and vines that get it all clogged up.

I was debating about renting a big tiller from Home depot for 4 hrs at $65, but then I found a small rear tine tiller for $250 or so.

I was debating just renting to break up the new ground and use the electric to till up the soil next year since it wont be new soil.


I have a roto tiller at my farm, but it is 2 hours away and I have to borrow a gooseneck. I want to get the garden done by this GOOD Friday to get everything planted


So renting a rear tine tiller or buying a used one is my idea.


Any suggestions?

10 rentals at $65 per rental is $650. Are you gonna have a garden for 10 years? How much of a tiller would $650 get you? Or less? Or more? Just some things to think about.

Once I bought my tiller, I used it way more than 1 per year, so that's something to think about, too.