The best electric tillers and cultivators
Electric tillers and cultivators have quietly become very good. For beds, borders and lighter soil they're easier to live with than petrol — no fuel, no fumes, push-button start. Here's where they shine, where they don't, and which to choose.
The appeal is obvious the first time you use one: press a button and go, with no pull-cord, no petrol smell and almost nothing to maintain. For an older gardener, or anyone with a smaller plot, that ease matters more than headline power. The trick is to be honest about what an electric machine is for.
Electric cultivator or electric tiller — is there a difference?
In everyday use the words are interchangeable: an electric cultivator and an electric tiller are the same kind of machine — powered tines that stir and aerate soil. If anything, "cultivator" hints at the lighter end (working already-dug beds) and "tiller" at slightly more digging capacity, but makers don't apply the labels consistently. Judge by the numbers that matter — working width, weight and whether it's battery or corded — not the word on the box.
What they're brilliant at
- Maintaining raised beds, borders and vegetable plots that are already cultivated.
- Quiet work — early mornings, close to neighbours, no ear defenders needed.
- Light handling and easy storage, with no winterising or fuel to drain.
What they're not for
Breaking new, hard or stony ground is still a job for a heavy petrol rotavator. A light battery cultivator will skip across compacted clay rather than dig into it. Buy electric for upkeep, not for taming a rough new patch.
Electric vs petrol: what the numbers say
Medians across the machines currently sold in our catalogue (21 electric cultivators, 152 petrol garden tillers):
| Electric cultivator | Petrol garden tiller | |
|---|---|---|
| Median working width | 36 cm | 60 cm |
| Median weight | 11 kg | 57 kg |
| Median indicative price | £150 | £480 |
Weight is the figure that decides what a machine can dig. At around 11 kg an electric cultivator loosens the top few centimetres of soil that is already worked; a petrol tiller at 5 times that mass sinks its tines in on its own. The power rating on the box matters less than that.
Battery or corded?
Battery gives freedom and instant starting, limited by run time — a spare pack is worth having for anything beyond a small plot. Corded is cheaper, lighter and never runs flat, but tethers you to an extension lead. If you already own cordless tools, staying in the same battery family is the cheapest route in.
How big a plot can electric handle?
- Up to about 100 m² (raised beds, borders): 20–30 cm wide and under 10 kg. An entry corded machine or a small 18V cordless one.
- 100–300 m² vegetable plot on worked soil: 35–45 cm and 10–15 kg. The core of the range: 1,200–1,800 W corded or 36–40V cordless.
- 300–600 m²: 45–55 cm and 25–30 kg. Only the large 40V machines (Pubert ECOTILL, Pubert Greentil) keep up. Beyond that, go petrol.
Our electric picks
| Machine | Power | Width | Weight | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mantis 3558 Cordless | Battery | 30 cm | 12 kg | £250–£340 |
| Greenworks G40TL | Battery | 25 cm | 13.3 kg | £200–£320 |
| Hyundai HYT1500E | Electric (corded) | 45 cm | 11 kg | £130–£200 |
| Pubert ECOTILL | Battery | 46 cm | 26 kg | £490–£600 |
| Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cultivator OCT1825 | Battery | 20 cm | 6 kg | £120–£180 |
Best overall battery
Mantis 3558 Cordless
The cordless version of the cult Mantis — a 58V mini-tiller, 30 cm wide, that comes the closest a battery machine gets to the feel of the petrol original.
Best for: Bed and border upkeep without petrol.
External retailer — price and stock on their site.
from
£250–£340
Best value battery
Greenworks G40TL
A genuinely affordable cordless cultivator for beds and borders. The easy way into battery cultivation without spending petrol money.
Best for: Greenworks 40V owners maintaining beds and small plots.
External retailer — price and stock on their site.
from
£200–£320
Best corded
Hyundai HYT1500E
Mains power means no battery to charge and unlimited run time, in a light 1500 W, 45 cm machine. Perfect for a small plot near a socket.
Best for: Budget buyers maintaining established beds near a power source.
External retailer — price and stock on their site.
from
£130–£200
Best battery for a bigger plot
Pubert ECOTILL
A 40V brushless machine with a 46 cm tine set and 26 kg of weight behind it — heavy enough to bite into worked soil on a family-sized vegetable plot, where most battery cultivators are still at raised-bed scale.
Best for: Small kitchen gardens and raised beds wanting cordless.
External retailer — price and stock on their site.
from
£490–£600
Best for existing tool owners
Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cultivator OCT1825
If you're already in the Ryobi ONE+ system, this shares your 18V packs and charger — the cheapest route to a cordless cultivator.
Best for: Ryobi ONE+ owners and light bed work.
External retailer — price and stock on their site.
from
£120–£180
What should I expect to pay?
Indicative UK price ranges across every current machine below, from dealer and retailer listings. Confirm against a live listing before buying:
- Corded electric cultivators: £60–£200. The cheapest way into powered cultivation for a small plot near a socket.
- Cordless (battery) cultivators: £110–£750. The low end is often bare-tool, for people who already own the battery family; the top is the large 40V machines with battery and charger.
Every electric tiller and cultivator we cover
All 21 current electric machines in our catalogue, corded and battery, widest first. Prices are indicative ranges from dealer and retailer listings; each machine's page shows its sources and verification status.
| Machine | Type | Power | Width | Weight | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pubert Greentil 40V | Battery | 800 W | 55 cm | 30 kg | £600–£750 |
| Pubert ECOTILL | Battery | 800 W | 46 cm | 26 kg | £490–£600 |
| Hyundai HYT1500E | Electric (corded) | 1500 W | 45 cm | 11 kg | £130–£200 |
| Hecht 748 | Electric (corded) | 1800 W | 45 cm | 11 kg | £105–£135 |
| NAC TIE150-W | Electric (corded) | 1500 W | 45 cm | 10.3 kg | £96 |
| Sterwins A061003 Electric | Electric (corded) | 1400 W | 40 cm | 9 kg | £60–£110 |
| BlackStone TE-400 | Electric (corded) | 1200 W | 40 cm | 9.6 kg | £120–£170 |
| Parkside PEBH 1500 B2 | Electric (corded) | 1500 W | 40 cm | 10.5 kg | £102 |
| Hecht 738 | Electric (corded) | 1000 W | 36.5 cm | 7.7 kg | £85–£110 |
| Hyundai HYT1050E | Electric (corded) | 1050 W | 36 cm | 8 kg | £100–£160 |
| Scheppach MTE380 Electric | Electric (corded) | 1050 W | 36 cm | 7.3 kg | £80–£130 |
| BlackStone TE-360 | Electric (corded) | 1050 W | 36 cm | 7.3 kg | £105–£150 |
| Makita UK360D LXT | Battery | 500 W | 35 cm | 14 kg | £250–£360 |
| Wolf-Garten C 30 E | Electric (corded) | 1400 W | 30 cm | 13 kg | £90–£140 |
| Einhell GE-CR 30 Li | Battery | 500 W | 30 cm | 11 kg | £150–£240 |
| Mantis 3558 Cordless | Battery | 650 W | 30 cm | 12 kg | £250–£340 |
| Greenworks G40TL | Battery | 600 W | 25 cm | 13.3 kg | £200–£320 |
| Greenworks 80V 10in Tiller | Battery | 1200 W | 25 cm | 7.3 kg | £260–£390 |
| EGO Power+ Power+ CTA9500E Cultivator | Battery | 1000 W | 24 cm | 3.9 kg | £110–£160 |
| Greenworks 60V 8in Cultivator | Battery | 700 W | 20 cm | 13 kg | £200–£300 |
| Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cultivator OCT1825 | Battery | 400 W | 20 cm | 6 kg | £120–£180 |
Breaking rough new ground rather than maintaining beds? A petrol rotavator is the honest answer. Or browse every cordless and corded option in the machine index.
Frequently asked questions
Are electric tillers any good?
For raised beds, borders, and maintaining soil that's already been worked, yes — modern battery cultivators are quiet, clean, start instantly and need almost no maintenance. What they won't do is break hard, compacted or stony ground as readily as a heavy petrol machine; for that, petrol still wins.
Battery or corded electric?
Battery gives you freedom to roam and instant starting, limited by run time per charge — a spare pack helps. Corded is cheaper and lighter with unlimited run time, but you're tied to an extension lead, so it suits small plots close to a power point.
Can an electric tiller break new ground?
Not really. The median electric cultivator in our catalogue weighs 11 kg against 57 kg for a petrol tiller, and weight is what pushes tines into hard ground. On lawn, compacted clay or stony soil a light electric machine skips across the surface. Break the ground once with a petrol rotavator (or hire one), then keep it in shape with electric.
What size electric cultivator do I need?
For raised beds and borders up to about 100 m², a 20–30 cm machine under 10 kg is enough. For a 100–300 m² vegetable plot on worked soil, look at 35–45 cm: a 1,200–1,800 W corded machine or a 36–40V cordless one. Beyond about 300 m², only the big 40V machines around 45–55 cm and 25–30 kg keep up; past that, petrol is the practical choice.
How long does the battery last on a cordless cultivator?
Typically enough to work several raised beds or a small plot on one charge, depending on soil and battery size. Heavier soil drains it faster. If you have more than a small area, buy a second battery or a larger-capacity pack so you're not waiting to recharge.