pgh wrote:

I know this is subjective, but just to get a feeling for things,
could the experienced gardeners among you tell me how large should
your garden be in order to justify buying a powered tiller.

I have a bias toward simple things, but I figure at some point
doing things by hand is just too much.

Please, shower me with your opinions!

Man, I'm so glad to have found this NG. Thanks to all for your very
helpful responses. (And more may come!).

It is looking as though getting that tiller will be a wise move.
In the backyard of the house we are buying, I'm looking at a portion
of about 50x60 feet, and I'm pretty sure I'll want to garden all of
it (that's the portion that gets good sunlight, without counting
another 25X60 area where I might build a greenhouse or two...a couple
years down the line). Most of the spaces you all talk about are
somewhat smaller than what I have.

I'll review your responses one more time, with a view to selecting
the right type/size of tiller, or at least narrowing down my choices.

Of course, like someone said, it may be worth checking what my
neighbors have (although I'm not sure I'll feel comfortable asking
to borrow things).

Thanks again!