A Sampling of Rear-Tined Tillers

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THE SEARS TASK HANDLER

When we contacted the folks at Sears, Roebuck and Co. (Dept. TMEN. Sears Tower, Chicago. Illinois 60684) to ask whether they had a tiller that would fill out the "heavyweight" side of our evaluation, they had to put us off for a few weeks. It seems that the company did have a unique new model in the works, but hadn't as yet finished testing it. Before long, though, the prototype 8-HP (Briggs & Stratton-powered) unitarrived ... and quickly proved itself to be well worth the wait!

The most noteworthy features of the Sears Task Handler are its counter-rotating tines (CRT). While all the other tillers tested for this article have blades that spin "forward", as do the wheels, the new Sears design incorporates "diggers" that turn in the opposite direction from its tires. Therefore, the tines pullagainst the wheels, and the struggle between the opposing forces really lets the tiller churn up earth! Moreover, the tilled soil is actually lifted and thrown back upon the tines ... in effect doubletilling a very fine-particled seedbed.

Our testers found little to criticize about the CRT. They did note that the machine is too large to be useful in close quarters, but most felt that few people would even purchase such a tiller for use in small or cramped spaces. The choke control was called "frail" by one of our evaluators... but—since our unit is a one-of-a-kind test model—that feature might be beefed up before the machine reaches production. (On the other hand, we can't speculate on the long-term reliability of this very new design ... although it held up well for us. )

And everyone who tried the tiller was astonished at how well balanced the 300-pound machine is! Furthermore, the Task Handler is clearly the best "digger" of the bunch ... able to churn up a beautifully prepared 21"-wide. 4-1/2"-deep bed—on previously unbroken sod—in one pass . The handlebar controls were well liked, too, especially the convenient safety clutchrelease ... but the machine's ability to make short work of any job that you'd conceivably ask of a tiller is far and away its best feature. If you're the sort who has a big garden (or, perhaps, who tills other folks' plots for parttime cash) and deals with difficult soil types, you're not likely to find another tiller that'll help you do your work more quickly or more easily.

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