The Best Front-Tine Tillers in 2021

Interested in cultivating some homemade produce? If you want to start your own garden, then you’re going to need a good garden tiller, and if you’re a beginner or just looking to save some money, a front-tine tiller is the best option for you. Of course, you may also be a professional who’s in need of something a little casual and low-key for one reason or another. Whatever your reason for needing a front-tine tiller, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled this list of the best front-tine tillers on the market, so keep reading to find the one that’s best for you and your garden.

Carry on reading to see our full list of the best front-tine tiller, followed by a recap breaking down what makes each product on our list stand out. Or jump straight to our number #1 pick on Amazon here .

What Should You Look For in a Front-Tine Tiller?

New to the world of front-tine tillers and not sure where to start or what to look for? Not a problem. We know that the early learning phase can be overwhelming, but we’re going to try to make it as simple and easy as possible. The first step in buying any product is knowing what separates the good from the bad, and we’re going to make sure you know how to identify the best front-tine tillers right away. We’ve laid out below the criteria we used to assess our front-tine tillers so that you can follow along with our list and, if you feel the need to do so, even conduct your own research.

Criteria #1: Motor Strength – Your front-till garden tiller will be responsible for tilling the soil and making it nice and ready for your crops. The stronger your tiller’s motor, the easier and quicker this process will be. We’re looking for the tillers with the strongest motors to help you get your garden set up as quickly as possible.

Criteria #2: Digging Dimensions – Certain crops will require you to dig deeper than others. Other crops will require you to have a wider row of soil, or you may just want to plant multiple types of crops. The tilling width and tilling depth of your front-tine tiller will really dictate how quickly you’re able to till your soil and get started with the planting. Tilling width and depth will both be measured in inches, and we’re aiming to keep only the deepest and widest digging tillers on this list.

Criteria #3: Weight – Nobody wants to lug around an absurdly heavy machine while they’re working in their garden. We want to keep things as light as possible so that you have one less task tiring you out. The only problem is that there’s a certain correlation between power and weight in tillers. So while we will prioritize light tillers, you may have to go with something a bit heavier if you want a machine with some serious horsepower.

Criteria #4: Price – We’re not here to make you spend a ton of money for no reason. Meeting this criterion is less about being cheap and more about justifying your price. We’d rather buy an expensive product that’s cheaper than it should be than waste money on a cheaper product that isn’t worth the money and that will just break on you or not perform well.

How Is a Front-Tine Tiller Different from Other Tillers?

Right off the bat, I’ll mention that front-tine tillers are cheaper than mid-tine or rear-tine tillers. So if you’re trying to save some money, you’ve come to the right place. Of course, the unfortunate trade off is that they’re the weakest. For a lot of customers, this isn’t a real problem. If you’re not dealing with any really tough soil or if you’re just trying to start a small garden in your backyard as a hobby, then a front-tine tiller is perfect for you.

Without going off on a tangent that strays from the point of this article, I’ll mention that if you want something really heavy-duty that can make an industrial-grade garden, you should be looking at rear-end tillers.

Here’s How We’ve Determined the Best Front-Tine Tiller

We measured the specs of the top products on the market against our listed criteria to see how they held up and if they’re worth buying. We then checked customer reviews, blog posts, and “best front-tine tiller” articles to see if the products on our list performed as advertised. We also made sure to include a wide variety of tillers on our list so that everyone can find exactly what they’re looking for.

And without further ado, here is our list – tailored to your specific needs – of the best front-tine tiller. 

#1: Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator (Best Value – All-Purpose)

Earthwise is one of the most trusted names in the game when it comes to gardening equipment, and their front-tine tillers are no exception. In addition to being at the top of this list, the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator actually also earned the number one spot on my list of the best tillers out there, regardless of tine location.

The reason this 4-tine tiller is so exceptional is that it not only features a solid motor with a strength of 8.5 amps and fantastic tilling width and depth of 11 and 8 inches prospectively, but it also has a lightweight frame and an ergonomic handle that help keep this corded garden tiller as easy to use as possible. It only weighs 3 pounds, so you can save that sweating for your other yard work. And as a nice added bonus, the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator features a safety grip feature that causes the machine to turn off automatically if you ever let go of the handle, so you can avoid any unfortunate accidents if you trip or get distracted.

I’m not breaking any big secrets on the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator or on Earthwise in general. I guarantee if you Google any variation of “best tillers” the first result will be either this front-tine tiller or a different Earthwise product. And it’s not just the people getting paid to write about tillers that love this Earthwise machine. The paying customers shared their enthusiasm.

With about 4,700 reviews on Amazon, you can be sure that this front-tine tiller is tried and tested, and the crowd has come to a solid consensus. Customers praised the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator for being strong, lightweight, and easy to use. And we haven’t even gotten to the price yet. This Earthwise garden tiller is one of the most reasonably priced products on the market, and it’s by far the best value in terms of the return on your dollar. That’s why the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator is perfect for beginners or just anyone who appreciates a good deal, and why it’s our number one value for the best front-tine tiller.

Click here for our deeper look at the Earthwise TC70001 Tiller Review.

#2: Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator (Best Front-Tine Tiller)

The Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator may be the best deal on the market, but what if you don’t want the best deal? What if you want the best product full stop? Well if that’s the case, look no further than the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator.

This heavy-duty, front-tine tiller is a little more expensive than our number one product, but your money isn’t going to waste. There are a few features the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator boasts that the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator is lacking. Here are a few reasons you may decide it’s more worthwhile for you to splurge and buy the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator.

Reason #1 to Choose This Product: Wider Tilling Width

If you’re aiming for a bit more than a cute little garden in your back yard, you’ll want something that can till rows and rows of soil all in one go. And that means that the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator is perfect for you. This garden tiller and cultivator has an extra-wide tilling width of 16 inches – almost 50% wider than our number one garden tiller. And just in case you were worried there’s some sort of catch, this machine digs just as deep as the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator, so there’s just no contest when it comes to tilling dimensions.

Reason #2 to Choose This Product: Adjustable Wheels

The truth is, I may have cheated by including the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator on a list of the best front-tine tillers. Because of its crafty design that features 3-position adjustable wheels, it actually can be whatever kind of tiller you need depending on the situation. That gives you the most flexibility imaginable with how you handle this tiller and with what sort of garden you cultivate. Now, a true rear- or mid-tine tiller will still do a better job in the appropriate situations than this versatile machine, but that flexibility is incredibly handy in a pinch.

In addition to the adjustable wheels and the super-wide tilling width, the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator features foldable handles that make it super easy to transport, and it has 6 super-durable steel tines. As the name clearly states, it also has a stronger motor than our number one pick does, with 13.5 amps compared to the 8.5 amps of the Earthworks tiller. And, while it’s more expensive than our last product, you won’t exactly have to break the bank for this tiller either.

Customers praised this garden tiller for being sturdy and reliable, and it’s one of the best products on the market. If you want to pull out all the stops, buy the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator.

Click here for our full Sun Joe TJ604E Tiller Review.

#3: Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator (Best Low Cost)

Earthwise makes their second appearance on our list, this time with the Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator, which is the predecessor of our number-one-ranked Earthwise TC70001, so that gives you a pretty good idea of what you’re getting right away.

The Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator is just about the cheapest front-tine tiller I could find, but you’re still getting some great quality from this Earthwise product. Imagine the TC70001, just a little worse. Instead of an 8.5-amp, you’re getting 2.5 amps, and instead of 11 inches and 8 inches, it tills at a width and depth of 7.5 inches wide and 6 inches deep.

The Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator also has two fewer tines than its big brother, and it’s just as light. This may sound not exactly sound like a glowing review, but this is all still more than enough to handle a backyard gardening job, and, as I said, it’s one of the cheapest front-tine tillers out there.

To a lot of customers, those inferior specs are more than worth saving some money. Customers certainly didn’t seem to mind the weaker machine. If you want the cheapest product available, then you’ll definitely want to purchase the Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator for your garden.

Click here for our full look at the Earthwise TC70025 Corded Electric Tiller.

#4: Earthquake 20015 Versa Front Tine Tiller Cultivator (Best Gas-Powered Tiller)

We’re switching gears now and going from the cheapest product on our list to the most expensive tiller by far. The Earthquake 20015 Versa Front Tine Tiller Cultivator is a gas-powered tiller which means that you can expect it to have much more horsepower than electric tillers. Just to prove that point, this Earthquake tiller boasts a Viper 4-Cycle engine, a tilling depth of 11 inches, and an adjustable tilling width of 11, 16, or 21 inches, so you can arrange your garden in any way your heart desires. The final product on our list weighs a whopping 85 pounds, but because it’s powered by a gas-operated motor, it won’t be quite as hard to steer as you might think.

Earthquake is known for their industrial-grade tillers, and customers loved the strength of the gas-powered Earthquake 20015 Versa Front Tine Tiller Cultivator. However, as we said before, it’s very expensive, so if you’re just building a small garden in your backyard, this isn’t the tiller for you. But if you have a serious project on your hands and you have some tougher soil that you need to till, the Earthquake 20015 Versa Front Tine Tiller Cultivator is a fantastic choice for you.

Click here for our full look at the Earthquake 20015 Versa Front Tine Tiller.

Verdict: Your Best Front-Tine Tiller 

We’re reaching the end of our list, and you’re hopefully starting to get a good idea of which of our products is best for you. But if you haven’t made up your mind yet, not to worry. We don’t want to rush, and we know how important it is to make sure you’re getting the garden tiller that’s perfect for you. That’s why we’re going to recap all of our front-tine tillers and focus on their standout features. This way, you’ll be able to see the highlights and really know what each tiller has to offer for you.  

If you want the best value for your money, pick the Earthwise TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator.

Earthwise lives up to their reputation and delivers a fantastic garden tiller that’s affordable and comes in a small, lightweight package. The TC70001 11-Inch 8.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator has all of the specs you can ask for backed up by a reliable motor, and it comes in at an incredible price. That’s why it’s perfect for beginners, and why it’s our number one pick.

If you need adjustable wheels, pick the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator.

If you don’t know what kind of tiller you’re going to need, or if you know that you’ll need a little bit of everything, then the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator is the best option for you. This adjustable garden tiller has a strong motor and a fantastic tilling depth and width, and it even has a compact design that’s made even better thanks to foldable handles. This is the best option for the fickle or jack-of-all-trades gardener.

If you want to keep the spending cheap, pick the Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator.

Earthwise already showed that they know how to make affordable products, and the Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator is one of their cheapest. If you’re just getting into gardening, it’s probably not worth it for you to go out right away and buy a crazy expensive gas-powered tiller. This lightweight tiller is the perfect way to get your feet wet and test the waters without breaking the bank. Keep things cheap with the Earthwise TC70025 7.5-Inch 2.5-Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator.

That brings us to the end of our list, and we hope you found it helpful. If the highlighted products above weren’t quite what you’re looking for, you may be more interested in the super-wide tilling gas-powered Earthquake 20015 Versa Front Tine Tiller Cultivator.

A word of advice: It’s a good idea to have your most important feature written down or articulated early on in your research. This will help you save time by not focusing too much on products that don’t have what you’re looking for.

That’s all for now, we hope you enjoy the gardening and wish you the best of luck developing your green thumb!