I bought this tiller to, initially, till up about 1/4 acre of lawn to lay new sod. I bought an electric tiller because I didn't want the hassles of a small gas engine that is hard to start as the years go by. I was concerned I would be trading performance for convenience. No worries. This tiller is powerful. Quiet. Easy to clean up. I tilled down 2 or 3 inches quickly without the machine getting bogged down (which is just enough to get the grass up and prep the soil for new sod). It is built solid. The tines are good quality. It folds up compactly and is light weight enough to put up on a shelf. I am completely happy with this purchase. If you are looking for a tiller to have year after year without the hassle of gas engines, this is the tiller for you.
Once you lean how to use the different levels and get used to the various depths and speeds worked fine for what I did. Probably pushing the 14 GA extension wire loop through the handle to lock on to the hook not a good idea as it puts a kink into it due to it's thickness. Also, you have to be careful of the trailing cord to keep it out of the way.
Easy out of box set up. Very powerful. Make sure you have correct gauge extension cord, very important. This little tiller has loads of power. Plows through my hard clay nasty soil like nothing. It really does gave some get up to it. Hold on and be ready to see the results! Easy to carry and maneuver. Cord connection is well made and works perfectly. I drape the extension cord over my shoulder to keep it away from the blades. If you are having a tough time getting depth while tilling, just pull back on the machine and it will go in to the earth with ease. Great product, this is my third different piece of equipment these folks and I have been impressed each time. Thank you for selling a reasonably priced item that runs like a champ!
It works well on drier ground. I used on lawn after a period of rain and the moist soil was hard to chop through. I used on a mixed soil area, and thought it was the best tool I ever bought.
So, if weather has been wet, let it dry out a bit. If soil is hard, wet the soil and come back when the surface is dry again.
To its credit, the machine handled hidden roots very well. It can chatter a bit and hop on top of the soil, but once it begins to break up the soil, it does a great job of softening and mixing the soil. You can put a weight on the top of it, but I WOULD not try to force the blades into the ground with the weight. Starting at a an inch or two of plowing will be best.