A few months back, I received a Troy-Bilt electric cultivator to review. Given that we have terrible soil that needs amending with organic materials, and loads of clay to bust up, this was a boon to our garden.
We finally took the last San Marzano tomato out of the raised bed, leaving about half the bed empty, just dirt. I figured it would be a great time to take the cultivator for a spin, and really see how it works.
This was the first time I used it, and I wheeled it around to the raised beds, rigged up the video camera, and what you see is me figuring out how to use it, using it, and finishing with it in less than 2 and a half minutes. Not too shabby. (Review continues below the video).
Troy-Bilt Electric Cultivator from Katie Hobson on Vimeo.
The cultivator is really easy to use. It moves on its wheels over concrete fairly easily, but it's certainly easier to maneuver with two hands rather than one. It's not too heavy, and I was able to move it in and out of the bed easily, as shown. The instructions on its use are on the handlebar itself (after me messing around with it for 30 seconds, you'll see that I notice them), and the instructions are simple to follow. It is also very quiet, even if the video doesn't make it seem so (the garden is walled by the stucco, fence, and tree above).
I was surprised with the power of this little creature. It ripped through the dirt really quickly, making quick work of a task that would have taken me a little longer by hand. Also, since it is not gas-powered, there were no fumes or any of the other drawbacks of gas-powered machinery. I am looking forward to busting some clay with this to plant the blueberries! (Those beds have sat empty all summer because I was dreading the prep work...not anymore!)
The bed I cultivated today was composted grass from the sheet-mulched part of our backyard - it ended up being terrible soil for the tomatoes which suffered endlessly from blossom end rot. This dirt was dead as well - there are no worms or other garden creatures living in it, so I had no problem cultivating the area. After the video, I added about 1/2" of compost to the top, raked it smooth, added a 'Berseem' Clover cover crop, and covered the area with a little composted steer manure. I watered everything well and will keep it moist until the cover crop germinates. I will also do this with the rest of the same bed that still has a couple tomato plants.
Because we are striving to use permaculture methods, cultivating/tilling is not necessarily an ongoing part of our work. In order to help amend the soil, break up the clay, and do a few other chores, the Troy-Bilt electric cultivator will definitely come in handy, and I am glad to own it!
At a retail price of $199, this little guy is cheaper than the Mantis tiller, and the Troy-Bilt cultivator is electric-powered (a bonus!)
I would definitely recommend this little guy to anyone who is in the market for a small cultivator, even if only for occasional use.
Grade: A
Aug 31, 2008
Product Review: Troy-Bilt Electric Cultivator
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3 comments:
Pretty funny, but nice video. It looks similar to the mantis electric tiller. You appeared to only be getting into the first few inches of soil and I think that the problem is the wheels on the back - take them off, then try it. These small tillers seem to work best with a back and forth rowing type motion. Let it dig forward a bit, then when you pull it back toward you, it'll bring all of the loose stuff backward and leave a clear space where you can go deeper into the ground. It should dig itself in all the way to the fenders.
You'll have to send me the info on how you got to "test" it. I'd like to do a long term review of a few of them. =0)
I grow in limited-till raised beds, and have found the very best tiller for my garden is my Stihl weedeater with the cultivator attachment. The head is very small (two tines), so it fits in the corners of beds. You carry it, so it can go literally anywhere, and will dig suprisingly deep.
It's also a weedeater! Score.
The back wheel is adjustable, so it can go lower. I think katie only wanted to till the top-most soil.
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