Tier B — Petrol garden tiller Garden tiller
Honda FG 315
Honda's FG315 mid-size tiller: a 160 cc four-stroke OHC engine (4.5 hp) driving slasher rotors for an 800 mm (80 cm) working width to 32.5 cm depth, with crop-protection discs and adjustable Y-handlebars, weighing 53 kg. A capable Honda tiller for larger beds (now succeeded by the FG320). Engine, power, 80 cm width and 53 kg weight verified via Honda.
Indicative price
£650–£780
Specifications verified.The specifications here have been checked against the manufacturer's published figures and/or dealer listings. The price is still sourced from dealer quotes — confirm it against a live quote before you buy.
Who it's for
Best for: Gardeners wanting a wide-cut Honda mid-size tiller.
Strengths
- Honda 160 cc OHC reliability
- Wide 80 cm working width
- Crop-protection discs standard
- Adjustable Y-handlebars
Trade-offs
- Succeeded by the newer FG320
- Heavier at 53 kg
- Dealer purchase
Where the FG 315 sits, and what the FG320 changed
The FG 315 is the Honda that most UK allotment holders picture when they say "a Honda rotavator": 80 cm working width, a 160 cc four-stroke OHC engine rated 4.5 hp, and 53 kg — light enough for two people to lift into an estate car. On Honda's ladder it sits above the mini tillers and the 45–54 cm FG205 and F220, alongside the narrower 60 cm FG314, and below the heavier contra-rotating FF500 and FR750. Honda has since replaced it with the FG320, which keeps the 80 cm width at a similar output, so the FG 315 is now mainly a used-market and run-out purchase.
The engine is the reason the machine has such a following. Honda's 160 cc OHC family is the one fitted to a vast number of its lawnmowers, so any Honda dealer and most independent repairers know it inside out and carry the parts. The slasher rotors behind it are designed to chop rather than churn, the crop-protection discs at each end stop the tines flailing into a row of brassicas, and the Y-handlebars adjust so the machine runs level for a tall or a short operator.
What it does well and where it struggles
On a full-size allotment already in cultivation the FG 315 is close to ideal. The 80 cm width covers a bed in a pass, the quoted 32.5 cm depth is more than a vegetable bed needs, and 53 kg is light enough to turn at the path without a fight. It is also a machine that holds its value, partly because so many buyers know exactly what they are getting.
Its limits are the limits of every front-tine tiller. The tines are the drive, so on compacted clay or virgin turf the machine wants to walk forward across the surface, and you control depth by leaning on the drag bar rather than by the machine's mass. On that kind of ground the FF500 or FR750 will dig where the FG 315 skates. Our best rotavator for an allotment guide places it against the other machines that suit a standard plot.
Who should not buy the FG 315
Anyone with raised beds or a small garden — 80 cm is too wide for a bed and 53 kg is more than you want to lift over an edging board. Anyone whose ground is heavy clay or has never been dug, who should look to a contra-rotating machine. And anyone who wants a new machine with the longest possible parts and warranty horizon, who should simply buy the FG320 that replaced it.
For everyone with a normal allotment on normal soil it remains one of the safest tiller purchases in the UK, and the comparison many buyers actually make is not against another Honda but against a cheaper 80 cm machine — see our Honda FG315 vs Hyundai HYT175EX comparison for how that trade-off plays out.
Buying used: what to check
Because the FG 315 sold in numbers for years and has now been succeeded, the used market is deep and prices sit below the £650–780 quoted for remaining new stock. Start with the rotors: slasher blades wear at the tips and lose bite well before they look finished, and check for wire or string wound tight against the shaft seals. Then check the transmission oil level and look for weeping at the rotor shaft; a dry, clean casing is a good sign, a caked one is not.
Work the throttle and the clutch cable through their travel — a sticking cable is cheap to fix but tells you about storage. Check the handlebar adjuster locks solidly and the crop-protection discs are present and straight, because they get bent and left off. Finally start the engine cold: the OHC Honda should fire within a couple of pulls and settle to an even idle. Blue smoke on start-up usually means the machine has been laid on its side with oil in the sump, and while the engine will normally clear, it hints at rough handling.
Specifications
| Category | Garden tiller |
|---|---|
| Type | Mid-mounted · Petrol garden tiller |
| Power source | Petrol |
| Engine | Honda 160 cc 4-stroke OHC (4.5 hp) |
| Power output | 4.5 hp / 3.3 kW |
| Working width | 80 cm |
| Weight | 53 kg |
| Status | Current model |
| Indicative price | £650–£780 |
| Price basis | Dealer quote |
Mid-mounted 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.
Compare the FG 315
FG 315 — your questions
How much does the Honda FG 315 cost?
The indicative price is £650–£780, based on dealer quotes. Always confirm against a live quote — these figures are estimates pending verification.
What size plot is the FG 315 suited to?
Gardeners wanting a wide-cut Honda mid-size tiller. With a 80 cm working width it covers ground quickly on larger plots and smallholdings.
Is the FG 315 petrol, diesel or electric?
It is petrol (Honda 160 cc 4-stroke OHC (4.5 hp)). That means strong sustained power for breaking and turning ground, with routine fuel and oil maintenance.
Honda FG315 or FG320 — is the newer one worth it?
The FG320 is the current model at the same 80 cm width and a similar 4.4 hp output, priced at £700–950 against £650–780 for run-out FG315 stock. Buy the FG320 new for the longest warranty and parts horizon. Buy a used FG315 if the price is right, because the two share the same layout and the older machine gives up almost nothing in the field.
Is the Honda FG315 still available new in the UK?
Only as remaining dealer stock, since Honda has succeeded it with the FG320. Some dealers still list it at £650–780, but availability varies and most buyers now find the FG315 on the used market. If you are set on a new machine, ask the dealer for the FG320 and compare the two prices before deciding.
