# Help me buy a tiller



## mccartyls (Jul 2, 2010)

Hi, I've been busting my head trying to figure out the best tiller for the best price and I have narrowed it down to two contenders. One of them has a Subaru engine on it. Personally I have shied away from the Briggs and Stratton engines mainly because that is what I used to work on as a kid in my dad's small engine shop in the mid 80's. Maybe they have improved. But I was hoping to pick the brains of the experts on the engines I can find on most of the available tillers in my price range and get some opinions.

1. Am I wrong in discounting Briggs and Stratton? Are they really any good these days?
2. Does Subaru make a good small engine? I'd love a Honda but they price me out of their ball park.
3. One model shows the engine manufacturer as MTD, I am unfamiliar. Any feedback?
4. Any other engine makers that I should consider as quality choices?

Thanks for your feeback!


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Briggs engines are as good as any if you take care of them. Maybe they don't respond as well as some of the others to abuse, but otherwise they are very good engines, always have been. You may tend to see more Briggs engines for service because they outsell all the others. Subaru makes a great engine on par with Kawasaki and Honda. The MTD is a Honda Clone from China.


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## 440s-4ever (Feb 23, 2010)

The best tiller for the best price is probably on craigslist or other local want-ads. If you think about it.....

Tends to be low-hour equipment. Unless you're buying something that served a whole neighborhood, a 25 year old model ought to have a hundred hours on it. 

Reliability. Depending on the new small engine you're buying, a well maintained older briggs ought to be just as reliable. If it'll run for 200 hours that's a lifetime of use. I'd certainly put my money on the guts of an older proven engine going 200 hours compared to a brand new, unproven engine. 

Just thinking out loud after using a few tillers over the years. There is something to be said for newness, don't take this as a knock. I can certainly understand buying new if you were raised near a pile of briggs parts! Good luck with your purchase and garden.


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## richieb (Jun 3, 2010)

the tiller size depends on what you are going to use it for. Rear tine tillers aregreat but cost more. I have a troy bilt horse I bought new in 1980. Still runs great. For regular use I would look for a used rear tine. Front tines work for loose soil. The small mantis types are great for small plots and cultivating and redoing loose soil. 
Troy bilt makes several size tillers from the pony to the horse. There is usually one or two on the auction sites. There are a lot of dealers and parts are still available.


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