Best hand tillers

When preparing your garden, a hand tiller can aerate the soil, and pull up weeds to prepare for planting during a new season.

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A hand tiller for your garden gives you the ability to prepare for a new planting season properly. Hand tilling lets you aerate the soil, pull up weeds or old roots, and ensure that when you're ready to plant, the ground is suitable for growing. Using a hand tiller, you also have better control over what soil is disturbed, especially in close quarters.

Best overall

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Yard Butler Twist Tiller

Ergonomic twist tilling design

Crawling around in the dirt to prepare the soil for planting isn't always easy on the knees. With the Yard Butler Twist Tiller, you can ensure your garden is ready for new plants without continually bending over. It features an ergonomic design with a step plate and a wide easy to hold-onto handle. Thanks to its size, it's an excellent option for raised beds and mixing fertilizer or getting rid of weeds. 

Best budget

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VILIVIT Dual Headed Weeding Tool

Handheld gardening

Gardening can quickly become an expensive hobby, from materials and plants to equipment. The VILIVIY dual-head till is a small handheld option that is affordable and easy to use. It features a double-sided head with a wooden handle and carbon steel blades.

Best rotary-style

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CLDGF Hand-Held Garden Cultivator

Cut through tough dirt

This rotary tiller has two blade heads with several spikes that cut through the soil much like a pair of scissors. It is a great choice for breaking up hard ground and creating deep furrows for planting vegetables and other garden plants. The rubber handles have small nubs that help you keep ahold of the tool while also ensuring your comfort as you work. The blades are made from stainless steel, so they won’t rust. The entire rotary tiller measures 14.5 inches long.

Extra reach

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Garden weasel garden claw pro

Adjustable options

There are times when aerating the soil calls for different sizes of hand tiller. Instead of having to bend over your tiller, the Garden Weasel Garden Claw Pro delivers an adjustable handle for ease of use. It features a carbon steel construction, 38" long handle, and adjustable tines. If you have a community garden project, this tool also comes in 2-packs, making it easier to prepare large amounts of ground before planting! 

Bottom line

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A hand tiller is an excellent tool for anyone who plans on gardening. Tilling the ground before you plant lets you aerate the soil, get rid of weeds, and prepare for new plants. Our favorite hand tiller is the Yard Butler Twist Tiller. It features a telescoping handle, step plate, and twist tilling design that gets the job done without being hard on your body along the way. 

Staff Writer

By day, Jen is a writer for multiple Future Publishing brands, with over seven years of experience writing, and editing about everything from video games to kitchen gadgets. When not writing for Future, Jen is the author of Fantasy & Horror novels, and spends most of her time reading, hanging out with her dog Fionn, and trying to decide which book to read next.