"pgh" wrote in message
...

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!

I find that I only need a tiller for a few hours a year. They are great
when you are making new beds or when you need to work an existing bed in the
spring to prepare for planting. Unless you have a huge garden it is
unlikely that you will get continuous use from a tiller. I plan all my
tilling for one session and rent one. I have rented the small Mantis and a
smallish Honda. The Honda was the best by far while the Mantis was more of
a cultivator. It was loud and simply bounced on the hard earth. My hands
and arms were numb after using it. This happened twice. I rented the Honda
from the Home Depot instead of the equipment rental place were I got the
Mantis. The Honda was a bit bigger and heavier, but proved much easier to
handle, not leaving me numb and with an aching back.

You might take a look at what is available at your local rental. I know
that the Home Depot at Robinson Town Center has a rental department. If
that is convenient, you might stop in and see what they have available. If
nothing else, renting can let you try before you buy. It also make someone
else responsible for upkeep and frees space in your garage the 364 days a
year that you aren't using the tiller.