On 21 Feb, 12:59, Fred wrote:
Hello,

Please can you tell me what is the difference between a tiller,
rotavator, and a cultivator, or are they all the same thing?

I have taken on an allotment and I've started digging but my back is
getting tired so I thought about some mechanical help!

I was thinking of hiring something and there is an HSS shop that I
drive past most days. They have what they call a tiller, a digger, and
a rotavator, as found he

http://www.hss.com/c/1014440/Garden-Clearance.html

Has anyone used any of these and what were your opinions?

I was thinking of saving money and using the tiller (cheapest). The
paper catalogue says it is suitable for gardens and allotments but it
also says "not for large areas or uncultivated ground". What are the
definitions of large and uncultivated? Will it be ok for my allotment
or not?

The digger seems to be the next size up. The catalogue says an estate
car is needed to fit it in but the shop manager said the handles fold
to half its size and it should fit into any car. What were your
experiences?

Thanks.

If you've mowed off the brambles etc and cleared the surface debris
the big one (Rotavator/cultivator) will bust up any matted nettle
roots etc. You'll probably only need it for a day - get 'em to deliver
it bright and early.
From then on digging should be relatively easy - there may still be a
certain amount of junk exposed by the machine so after rotavating I'd
prepare by hand a smallish area for your first crops and then towards
the end of next month spray off any weeds on the rest of the plot
before going on to finish preparing for your later crops. I lean
towards avoiding chemicals on my plot but even so this first and
probably only spray will give you a good clean easy start. Spray? -
'Roundup' or anything else that contains the active ingredient
Glyphosate. Shop around, read the labels because some are much better
value than others.