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For example, Barreto's tiller is bi-directional. It's able to counter rotate on the first pass - to really break up the ground - and then switch to standard rotation on followup passes to grind up the soil. Hydraulic tillers have a relief valve built in to prevent breaking the equipment, especially in rocky ground or new construction sites.

Hydraulic tillers do tend to be bulkier, so a trailer might be necessary for transport. This can be an advantage for productivity, however, the heavier the machine, the more work it's going to do rather than working the operator. "The heavier the machine, the less likely it will be to skip across the ground during tough tilling conditions," says Barreto.

Maintaining for maximum productivity

Maintenance for tillers is fairly straightforward and begins with a good pre-season spring check up. Check the belt and pulleys for wear and proper alignment, replace the tine seals seasonally and check the tines to make sure the edges are not worn and the pin holes are not elongated. If the tine edge loses its corner, it will not dig effectively. Rear-tine tillers are slightly more complicated as you have a separate wheel drive.

In general, some primary service points to keep in mind include: