A Sampling of Rear-Tined Tillers

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Of course, the machine's light weight and limited horsepower may be disadvantages when one has a large garden or needs to cultivate unbroken sod. However, we found that even the latter task can be accomplished with the small tiller. In our tests the Bird was able to work a previously unbroken pasture to a depth of 4-1/2 inches, although eight passes with the machine were necessary to do so.

Our gardeners/ testers also noted that they often wished the Yellowbird had handlebar- mounted speed and throttle adjustments (the wheels and tines turn at set speeds, while the throttle is controlled at the engine) ... the ability to operate in reverse (which can be important when reworking difficult patches of ground) ... and the option of disengaging the tines while keeping the wheels turning for transport. (The little tiller's single forward speed also left something to be desired when traveling from garden to barn, garage, or basement.)

On the other hand, our evaluators praised the narrow (14") tines, which—in conjunction with the tiller's light weight—made working in between established rows of plants (without accidentally wiping out crops) a breeze. The gardeners found the folding handle to be convenient, too—allowing for easy storage and auto trunk or station wagon transport—and appreciated the reversible depth-adjustment bar ... which can either ride smoothly in the tilled soil or, when attached backwards, hook itself into the earth and force the tines to dig in.

The Yellowbird, all in all, is especially designed for people with smaller "back- yard" gardens and—for such folks—represents a good swap of power for agility and convenience.

THE ARIENS

The 5-HP Tecumseh-engined Ariens tiller (Ariens Company, Dept. TMEN, Brillion, Wisconsin 54110) constitutes a "middle ground"—in both power range and weight (about 275 pounds)—between the little Yellowbird and the "big boys" described below.

MOM's evaluators were every much impressed with the Arrens' overall performance. They did, however, criticize its lack of a "high-range" forward speed (available on other Ariens models) for going to and from the garden, and wish that it weren't necessary to bend over to engage the tines or wheels (admittedly a small criticism).

The tiller's good points far outweighed the bad, however. It features a reversible depth bar, as does the Yellowbird. And, unlike the smaller machine, its tines can be disengaged while the wheels are in operation... so you can walk the tiller across your lawn without worrying about accidentally taking out an 18" swath of carefully nurtured bluegrass (actually, the tine width can be adjusted from 12" to 19"). Perhaps the best feature of the Artens, though, is its ability to use the power put out by its relatively small five-horse engine. The machine was able to reach a depth of 4-1/2 inches—starting on unturned sod—in four passes. If your garden is of reasonable size and if you'll occasionally have to tackle hard-to-work soil, we think you'll find the Ariens to be an excellent choice for the money.

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