64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Makes green thumbs greener, March 3, 2007
I really am happy with the Ryobi tiller! I have heavy clay soil and it is backbreaking work to turn the garden with a spade. Plus the clay turns hard as a rock when it doesn't rain for weeks. Enter the Ryobi tiller and a load of compost and peat and the clay soil is turned into wonderfully rich soil in no time flat! In 30 minutes I tilled an area 18' x 12. I then was able to add more compost and retill it again in only 10 minutes. Instead of chunks of solid clay, I now have fine crumbly soil loaded with organic material. I'm adding more planting areas this season thanks to this little 4 blade tiller.
The tiller did not need extra weight, although you can add sand to make it heavier and dig deeper, faster. I found the unit dug in easily without the extra weight to a depth of 10 inches and it probably can go a few inches deeper if I unlatch the wheels. It was a little hard to start the very first time and I've learned to add a few more pumps to prime the carburator. The choke resets itself. Be sure to not let the engine run out of gas becuase it will be harder to restart (unless you are running the tank dry for storage). Restarting when it is still warm is easy.
It is light enough for me to carry around the 1.5 acre yard with one hand if needed, but it has wheels and I think even older people will be able to move and control it easily compared to larger tillers. The lightness makes it easy to lift into a raised bed.
There is also an electric model, but I passed on it because I knew my heavy clay soild might cause the circuit breaker to trip often under load. The gas engine never balks and has all the power you could need. Also I think it would be a hassle to keep avoiding cutting the power cord, which is another reason to think twice about the electric model.
I looked at 3 or 4 other tillers that were more expensive, but I'm 100% happy I bought this tiller and saved myself at least a hundred dollars.
UPDATE: I've had this tiller for over a year now and it still is performing perfectly.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Real Thing...But Hard to Start, June 7, 2007
The previous reviewer was accurate...it is hard to start when cold. I suspect it has something to do with the fuel delivery system...you can see air in the line after pumping(priming). It works a little better if you do EXACTLY what they say. Don't use starting fluid...it doesn't help.
Once started this machine is a real work horse...I like it better than the small rental machines (Mantis?) for chewing up clay bearing soil (this is East Texas...not Georgia clay).
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works Great, May 29, 2007
This tiller works very well, escpecially for its small size. it is basically a weed eater motor mounted on a small tiller body, and has plenty of power
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