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Tier C — Electric / cordless cultivator Electric cultivator

Einhell GE-CR 30 Li

Einhell's GE-CR 30 Li cordless tiller on the 36V Power X-Change system (2x 18V): four robust blades for a 30 cm working width to 20 cm depth at 140 rpm, with a retractable brake spur and blade guard, weighing 11 kg (body only, batteries extra). Shares batteries across Einhell's large PXC range. Motor, 30 cm width, 20 cm depth and 11 kg weight verified via Einhell.

Indicative price
£150–£240

Einhell GE-CR 30 Li cultivator
Einhell

Specifications verified.The specifications here have been checked against the manufacturer's published figures and/or dealer listings. The price is still sourced from current online listings — confirm it against a live quote before you buy.

Researched and maintained by the TractoMate team · specs checked against manufacturer data · updated September 2026 · How we research & verify

Who it's for

Best for: Einhell Power X-Change owners maintaining beds.

Strengths

  • Battery shared with PXC range
  • Quiet and clean
  • Light at ~11 kg
  • No fuel or cord

Trade-offs

  • Runtime limited by battery
  • Narrow 30 cm
  • Battery/charger often extra

Where it sits in Einhell's range

Einhell's tiller line-up is mostly petrol — the GC-MT 3036 (4 hp, 36 cm, £270-350) is the value petrol benchmark and the GC-MT 1636 (1.7 hp, 36 cm, £110-180) sits below it — and the GE-CR 30 Li is the cordless alternative to those two rather than a rival to the big GC-MT 4280 (89 cm). What changes is that you get 30 cm of width and a 0.5 kW motor instead of an engine, and you buy it for £150-240, usually as a bare tool.

That bare-tool pricing is the thing to understand before comparing it with a petrol machine. If you already own Power X-Change batteries — a drill, a strimmer, a hedge trimmer on the same system — the GE-CR 30 Li is remarkably cheap. If you do not, add a twin pack of 18 V batteries and a charger and the true cost lands close to the GC-MT 3036, which is the more capable tiller. This is a machine for existing PXC owners first.

Two batteries, and what runtime really looks like

The tiller runs at 36 V by taking two 18 V Power X-Change packs at once, as on Einhell's larger cordless mowers and chainsaws. Both packs must be fitted, and the tool runs down to the weaker of the two, so pair batteries of the same capacity and similar age. Runtime is where cordless tilling differs most from petrol: the motor is working against soil resistance continuously, and small packs empty quickly. Larger-capacity packs make a real difference, and a second pair on charge is how most owners keep a session going.

The rotor turns at 140 rpm, four blades across a 30 cm width and up to 20 cm deep where the soil allows it. The retractable brake spur is the depth and pace control: drop it and the tiller digs in and slows, lift it and the blades pull the machine forward across the surface. At 11 kg without batteries it is a one-handed carry, which is why it works on raised beds and terraced plots where a petrol machine is a chore.

Who should not buy it

Anyone with more than a modest area, or ground that has not been worked before. A 0.5 kW motor on an 11 kg chassis will not break compacted soil or turf, and it stalls or rides up in heavy clay; pushing it harder only empties the batteries faster. For a whole allotment, or a plot being brought back from neglect, a petrol machine is the right tool and this becomes the second machine for maintenance. Our electric tiller guide sets out where cordless machines stop making sense.

A cordless tiller does not replace a spade for the first dig. The realistic Einhell customer is a gardener with beds already in cultivation who wants to hoe, aerate and mix in compost each season without fuel, cord or noise — and who likes that the batteries then go straight back into the drill. That is a narrower brief than a petrol tiller's, but it is an honest one.

Buying and looking after it

Einhell sells largely online and through DIY retailers rather than through a dealer network, so the buying decision is about the bundle: check the version with batteries and charger included against the bare-tool price plus a twin pack, because the gap moves with promotions. Warranty and spares go through Einhell directly, which is fine for consumables such as blades but means there is no local workshop to drop it into.

Maintenance is minimal. Keep the blades clear of wound-on roots, check the blade fixings, and store the batteries indoors at partial charge rather than on the tool in a cold shed. A used GE-CR 30 Li is a reasonable buy if the blades are intact and the battery contacts are clean; used batteries themselves are the gamble, so price a second-hand machine as a bare tool. For slightly wider cordless and petrol alternatives see our small rotavator picks.

Specifications

Specifications for GE-CR 30 Li
Category Electric cultivator
Type Front-tine · Electric / cordless cultivator
Power source Battery
Motor 36V Power X-Change (2x18V)
Power output 0.5 kW
Working width 30 cm
Weight 11 kg
Status Current model
Indicative price £150–£240
Price basis Online listing

Front-tine machine. Width and weight determine how much ground you cover and how manoeuvrable it is — heavier machines bite harder but ask more of you to turn and transport.

GE-CR 30 Li — your questions

How much does the Einhell GE-CR 30 Li cost?

The indicative price is £150–£240, based on current online listings. Always confirm against a live quote — these figures are estimates pending verification.

What size plot is the GE-CR 30 Li suited to?

Einhell Power X-Change owners maintaining beds. With a 30 cm working width it is built for tight spaces, raised beds and getting between rows.

Is the GE-CR 30 Li petrol, diesel or electric?

It is battery (36V Power X-Change (2x18V)). That means quiet running, no fuel or oil, and easy starting — at the cost of working time per charge and outright grunt on hard ground.

Does the Einhell GE-CR 30 Li come with batteries?

Usually not. Most listings are the bare tool, which is why the £150-240 price looks low next to a petrol cultivator. Kits with two 18 V Power X-Change batteries and a twin charger exist, and the same packs run the rest of the PXC range. If you own no PXC tools, compare the full kit price against the GC-MT 3036 petrol tiller before deciding, because at that point the petrol machine is close in cost and stronger in the ground.

How long does the Einhell cordless tiller run on a charge?

It depends on the packs fitted and the soil. Two small packs on soft, previously worked beds give a useful short session; on firmer soil the load rises and runtime falls sharply. Fit two matched packs of the largest capacity you have, work in shorter passes rather than forcing depth, and keep a second pair on charge. Treat any single runtime figure a retailer quotes as a best case on light soil.