18 in. 212 cc Gas 4-Cycle Rear Tine Tiller

Never owned a Powermate tool before, my last tiller was a front tine tiller and it was like fighting an angry boar every time I used it. I have about 8 hours on this Powermate tiller and so far, it's been a pleasure to use. It starts on the 1st pull, tracks straight down the row, I can pretty much operate it with one hand and it cost about half that of a comparable Troy Built tiller. Critical reviews said it was "Flimsy" but it seems pretty solid to me. Of course only time will tell.

First, make sure to drain the SHIPPING OIL in the engine and put in small engine oil. Second, replace the pins for the wheels. Ours began falling out within minutes and would constantly do so. The picture shows what comes with on top and what I replaced them with on bottom. Got them from the tractor store. Overall, it does the job we bought it to do and saves us a lot of time in our garden.

This tiller did a good job. I tilled 3 passes and then cross tilled. I then raked out the sod and rocks and made a nice 16' X 32' garden bed.

Was easy to assemble and directions easy to follow. I like the easy access to the gear box oil. Wish the tines were longer, so it would till deeper.

The Powermate Rear Tine Tiller is a beast! We had a large area to clear for a garden area. Had a company come in and grind stumps and remove any large debris. Brought in the Powermate and it ate through the underbrush, ferns, roots (some very large). As long as you are strong enough to run the machine it will take care of the job!

I have used the Powermate tiller twice now and it has performed great. The only issue I had was that one of the wheel pins fell off after 5 minutes of use. The other pin worked fine, so I must have installed the other pin incorrectly. I just purchased another pin and the unit has had on other problems.

Starting with the unpacking and assembly it was very quick and easy to put the unit together. I would like to point out that when you place the wheels onto the drive shaft you have two options. You can slide the wheel all the way in and then when you place the keeper pin into place the wheel will free wheel. This means that if you do this by mistake during assembly you may be concerned because when you start the unit it will not self propel in forward or reverse. If this happens to you just remove the clip and slide the wheel out a little bit and locate the hole in the drive shaft and then replace the pin so that it goes through the hole in the drive shaft. Next thing, it comes with a full quart of oil but be warned that if you just assume it uses that much and pour it all in you will overflow the oil filler tube and make a big mess and then have to drain down the level. Therefore, when adding the oil start by adding about 2/3 of the quart and then top it off slowly, add a little bit of oil and check it, repeat again and again so you reach the topped off mark taking your time. Now for the functionality. My unit starts like a dream nearly always on that very first pull. It runs smooth and uses very little gas as it runs a very long time on a tank full. It tills beautifully and works like a dream with plenty of power. I immediately fell in love with the counter-rotating design. If you have ever fought holding back a tiller that was trying to yank and pull you along you will love this unit. When the wheels are moving the tiller forward the tines are going the opposite direction and pulling the tiller backwards. This is amazing and allows you to run the machine and til even to maximum depth without struggling to control the machine. Last but not least the reverse is a great feature and it is very helpful to maneuver the unit when you have completed a pass or even when backing it out of your storage location. I used to have an older Troy Bilt and always thought it was a great machine and in fact it was a very good tiller. I would put this tiller in that same league after having used it for several hours. For the money I think this may possibly be the best rear tine tiller option out there.

Went together easy (pre-assembled at store), started right up, easy to figure out how best to use and move around AND does a fabulous job! Value: go ahead and compare similar and you'll see this one is hundreds less $$ with better engine and ease of operation. Quality: great quality overall and just a couple of nit-picks (see below) minor. Features: great again and would be perfect if there were a shield between the wheels where the transmission fill sits. I really will cut some flexible plastic or sheet metal and cover this up. Hard to clean area that will rust if you don't. Nit-picks: I ran for a total of 2.5hrs and looked at the oil: IT WAS REALLY DIRTY and when I changed it, there were little bits of shiny metal. It is understandable BUT don't go 5 hours before changing. Do what you want, I will change oil each time I use it until I like what I see on changing. REMEMBER the only oil filter in this engine IS YOU changing the oil! Nit#2: wheel pin bail came flipped open on first tilling- it stayed in but if you lose one, you are down. I will order more now, along with a spare air filter because it is NOT a branded filter (ie custom until I find other wise. I am delighted with this tiller, I should have done it years ago ( but this year it has more HP and torque!)

This thing is so cheap made I don't know where to start. If you actually do any gardening and use it , it's not going to last. Today is 3/5/2020 , I bought this thing in around 6/`18 , not even 2 years ago. Really haven't even used it a full season. I went out today to get my tiller to use it , I looked down and thought I had a flat. To my dismay, one of the rims has rusted so badly that the tires has popped off of the rim. The entire edge of the rim has completely rusted off and the tube blew out the side. The rim looks like it's made out of very thing sheets of cheap tin and it's flaking apart.. You can see the rim is made out of very cheap layered metal and it just fell to pieces. I've never seen anything like it.. This rim looks like it's a 100 years old on the outside, the inside looks better but already rusting .. The one on the other side is the same way.. The inside looks ok but the outside is literally rusting off and the tires about ready to come off of it also. How do you explain this? I bought this tiller less than 2 years ago, around very late spring to summer, I didn't even use it much the first summer and planted a small garden last year and some flower beds.. During that time, one of the tires went flat. The tires are made out of very thin ply rubber. I had to buy a new tube for it. Got that fixed and thought I was ok. Next my dad was using it to till a small garden, mind you , he's an 85 year old man, the forward cable just snapped into on it and the gears seem to grind when you engage them because the cables won't stay adjusted/ tight. I had to replace that. The tines are very cheap light weight metal, they have already bent several times and I've had to straighten them back out, The guard over the tines is even cheaper metal, every time something gets hung up in it, it knocks a dent in it or knocks it side ways.. I've had to straighten it out twice already and it looks kind of lop sided because it's nothing but cheap tin.. I am completely bewildered about these rims.. Both of them are completely rusty in less than 2 years of usage and I don't live in a salty climate and I not that hard on a tiller. I usually rinse my tiller off after I use it but I can't believe the rims are literally just falling to pieces.. I'm talking like a rusty old can .. This is unbelievable. I am contacting the company today that makes this thing and give them a piece of my mind. I've owned Cub cadets and troybilts over the years and they have been through all sorts of terrain and weather and lasted for years without issues never even had a repair. I just parted with a troy about 2 years ago because it finally wore out , it was built in 1992 and if the tranny hadn't failed after nearly 30 years, I would still be using it. If you're using this thing for a small flower bed or garden you may be alright but I can't recommend this thing for a real gardener .. This really just blows my mind . Everything about this machine, all of the metal , is made out of cheap materials. I wish I had never bought it I've done nothing but repair it and replace things on it since I've had it and this is just the beginning and now it looks like I'm going to have to buy new rims and tires for it already and really haven't even started the season with it.

This tiller is a nice addition for anyone who gardens. The engine starts with the first pull. The choke and throttle are easy to set/adjust. It was easy to assemble and get up and running quickly. The forward and reverse are easy to engage. It tills an 18 in wide strip. The run speed is adequate and makes quick work of tilling. It is easy to handle, maneuver and turn. I look forward to gardening with this tiller.