Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Summary: For those who want to get to the bottom line: I picked the Earthwise since it offered the most features for the least money. It's not perfect (as could be said for all the others) but it's a real workhorse that equals or surpasses the performance of others costing twice as much (or more). Fast tine speed to bust through tough stuff. Biggest problem is that it will buck easily. Full review: I needed to replace my trusty 25 year old 2 cycle gas tiller/cultivator (engine still purrs, but the transmission bit the dust) and decided to go for an electric model since a number of people in my gardening club raved about theirs. But which one to get? Over the span of a few weeks I was able to try out several, and thought I'd post my impressions to help others that are in the same situation. First up was the Sun Joe: Sun Joe TJ600E Tiller Joe Garden 14-Inch 6.5 amp Electric Tiller/Cultivator. It was purchased by one of my garden club friends about a year ago at Costco, and he had nothing but good things to say about it. But, after using it for a half hour, I had nothing but bad things to say. While it had decent power and has a wheel-less design (more about the wheels later), I found the two handle configuration of the machine very awkward to use -- it really put a strain on my shoulders and lower back. I also found it hard to control when it bucks (as all tillers do) again due to the handle position. So it was no to Joe. Plus, I had a bad experience with this brand with their snow thrower. It broke, and I was never able to get a reply from the company to repair it. The handle problem killed the Sun Joe from my list, but poor support also factored in. Next was the Troy-Bilt:Troy-Bilt TB154E 9-Inch 6.5-Amp Electric Garden Cultivator/Tiller I really liked this for the build quality and the beefy design of the tines. Plus I like the brand, since I grew up using a rear-tine Troy-Bilt tiller that was indestructible (back in the days when they were an independent company and not owned by MTD). What I didn't like about the Troy-Bilt was the wheel design and the overall speed. The wheels make it easier to maneuver, but also limit the depth of digging. The slower tine speed makes it less of a bucking bronco in use, but also makes it slower to use and it did not cut through big clods, vines and vegetation nearly as well as other tillers. The slower tine speed did make it work better when mixing in compost into an already tilled bed. It's not too expensive (provided you get it on a price dip) and it would have been my top choice if the Earthwise was not available. I have nothing bad to say about the design and performance of the Mantis electric Mantis 7250-00-02 3-Speed Electric Tiller/Cultivator. Nice build quality, no wheel issues, and lots of nice features, such as the multi-speed (which none of the others have). Mantis has been building small gas tillers for many years, and it shows in how nicely their electric version is designed. Very fast tine speed, and the tines are designed so it does not buck much at all. It has two handles like the Sun Joe but it was far more comfortable to use since they are spaced closer together. The only reason it was not my top choice was the price - whew! It's quite expensive, and far more than I wanted to spend. I had mixed feeling about the Greenworks machine Greenworks 27012 10-Inch 8 Amp Electric Cultivator/Tiller. On the plus side, it was very comfortable to use, and had more power/faster tine speed than the Troy. The negatives were again the wheel design, but again, my wheel troubles could be due to the fact that my old tiller did not have wheels at all, so my problem could be solved by getting accustomed to wheels. The wheels did not pose as much of a problem as they did on the Troy since they are more adjustable. The other major negative was durability issues with the tines. The machine I used was about a year old, and the tines were really beat up. My garden club friend who owned it said he used it initially to break new ground, and did encounter a lot of rocks. Still, the tines should have held up better - the metal seemed to be of lesser quality than in other tillers. I did not have the opportunity to use the new Black and Decker model TL10 (Amazon sells it, but for some reason I can't put in a product link to it), but it looks very, very nicely designed. High power motor and I love the way it gives you the ability to add weight to the unit by filling a container with sand. While light weight is great when it comes to maneuverability, it also makes you fight with the machine to keep it digging. So, with this unit if you want it light, take off the sand container. Want it heavy? Put it on. Wonderful! But, you pay for all these features, and the price was the stopping point for me. Again, I didn't use or see one in action, so I'm only guessing at what the performance would be. They also have a cordless version (model CTL36) that looks interesting, but at an even higher price than the TL10. My pick was the Earthwise for one big reason: price. It was less than $100 even without the 20% coupon I had through my Amazon Visa card. With the coupon it was dirt cheap (yea, couldn't resist that pun). Built quality is decent, and better than I expected for the price. It has an 8 amp motor and it makes the most of it, with tine speeds much faster than the 6 amp models such as the Troy-Bilt. I estimate it is about the same speed as the Mantis (could not use them side-by-side, so my estimation may be incorrect). The fast tine speed makes it bust through pretty much anything - big clods of clay, roots, vegetation and the like get plowed through quickly. The handles are comfortable, and allow multiple gripping positions. The big downside to all this speed is that it bucks like mad when it hits something such as a big rock. You need to keep a very steady grip on it or it will get out of hand. For my needs and my garden, I find a faster tine speed works better for my main use of the machine - initial spring planting prep tilling and late Fall pre-winter tilling. I don't do much top dressing or compost mixing since doing that by hand is easy. The other big, big plus to the Earthwise is the wheel design. They flip out of the way when you need to dig deep, but flip down when you only want to scratch the surface an inch or two to weed between beds or top dress. Love that feature! It comes well-packed in the box to help minimize shipping damage. Mine arrived in great shape. It's not perfect. The low price shows with regard to the quality of the handle assembly and switch. OK, but not nearly as beefy as the more expensive machines. The manual is average at best. I initially had problems with assembly since I tried to follow the written instructions. It went much better once I gave up on the instructions, and just looked at the picture of the assembled machine on the cover of the manual to determine how things went together. Note, however, that this was the only one that I assembled, so the others may also pose issues. In summary, my ranking of these models are: >>Earthwise - best value by far. Lots of power, fast tine speed, and the wheels get out of the way so you can dig deep. Biggest problem is how it can buck when you hit something. >>Mantis - would be top-ranked if not for the price. Far too costly - you could get 3 Earthwise machines for the cost of one Mantis (and that does not include the price of accessories), and it's not three times better. >>Troy-Bilt - slower tine speed, but solid performance. Best choice if you value top dressing/blending in compost tasks more so than deep tilling. >>Greenworks (tied with Troy-Bilt) - comfortable to use, more power and less wheel problems than with the Troy. Weak tines keep it tied with the Troy rather than be above it. >>Sun Joe - very uncomfortable to use, but since ergonomics vary from person-to-person, you may want to try one out to see if the two-handle design works for you. Be wary about customer support. [not ranked] Black & Decker - could be the best one out there, but since I did not actually use one I won't rank it. Less costly than the Mantis, but still 2.5 times more expensive than the Earthwise. Hope this long and rambling review helps with your decision. Happy tilling! UPDATE April 2016: It's been a few years since I bought the Earthwise, and I have not had any problems at all with operation. The tines are getting a little beat up but other than that, zero problems. Still very pleased with the purchase. UPDATE May 2018: Still working like a champ. I did break the tip of one of the tines this year (hit a huge rock) but even though one of the tines is a bit gap-toothed, it still cuts into the soil just fine.