For basic maintenance tasks across patches of land of any size, the PFTT140BE front tine tiller from Powermate is a promising tiller that has both versatility and reliability in the package. It’s quite simple to use, yet this relatively-affordable tiller surprisingly comes with various features.

The PFTT140BE sports a cool-running but adequate OHV 139cc four-stroke engine. This produces enough power for both general maintenance jobs and tough conditions. Granted, cutting new ground might require multiple passes.

The OHV engine comes with a pull-start mechanism. You can also expect good fuel efficiency, low-noise operation, and reduced emissions from it. The engine regrettably has a fuel tank capacity of only 0.265 gallons. However, its fuel efficiency partly makes up for it. This means it would still be a solid choice for small to medium areas.

Obviously, the front-facing tines are not as aggressive as rear-facing ones, but the PFTT140BE offers a comfortably-fine till. The tines can go as deep as 8 inches, which lets you significantly improve the soil condition. But as you can expect from a front tine tiller with a modest engine, hard, compacted soil will be best handled by first manually turning it over (even partially) before tilling.
Powermate PFTT140 tiller reviewThe Powermate PFTT140 tiller is a solid choice for general maintenance.

The adjustable tilling width adds to the tiller’s versatility. You can set the width to be 11, 16 or 21 inches to fit a variety of situations. Moreover, the self-sharpening tines considerably reduce maintenance time — meaning you’ll get to enjoy optimal performance for longer periods of time.

This tiller’s 8-inch wheels provide some stability. However, the absence of agricultural tires means that slippage would be unavoidable in unfavorable conditions. Likewise, tilling in heavy soil will also come with some bounce and vibration.

The PFTT140BE has a drag bar on the rear of the tiller, and this somewhat enhances stability. And because it is attached to a swing tail, transforming the machine from till to transport mode (and vice versa) is quick and simple. The wide-loop handle also provides greater control than the traditional narrow-loop handle. What’s more, its foldable nature makes for easy storage and greater portability.

This gas tiller is at the simple side of the spectrum. It’s easy to use and adjust. Lastly, although it foregoes having sophisticated features, the fact that it’s a solid lower-end tiller remains.