When you’ve got yourself a garden larger than 50 sq. meters you automatically require the use of a rototiller. A rototiller basically allows you to aerate the soil of your garden, making it ready for:
- Any kind of seed plantation whether it is a simple grass bed or a bunch of oak trees.
- It is used to uproot any weeds that have firmly implemented themselves between your crops
However it is not as widely advised to do this without professional help as it needs accurate control of the rototiller. You can easily find a rototiller from a nearby gardening store or any rototiller rental store near you.
Buy or Rent?
The problem with most lawn equipment is that they are quite expensive to buy. Most of the time, even manual alternatives are available to most of these equipment tools, but still at a hefty price. However, manual equipment is too time-consuming. The best alternative option to purchasing a rototiller is to find a rototiller rental and get one for rent. The rototiller rental rates are very low compared to actual buying costs, and you won’t need to worry about maintenance or upkeep if you get one through a garden tiller rental or a lawn equipment rental shop. Also since garden cultivators are generally used only once or twice before planting a bed, it only seems redundant to buy a piece of equipment which you will only use once or twice.
What to Consider before Renting?
Although renting is quite an ideal option, many people often just get a rototiller rental without even thinking of which one to get first. This only results in additional rototiller rental costs without any benefits. As a thumb rule, you should keep in mind that before getting any garden equipment on rent, it is important to make a few considerations.
For rototiller rental, there are four important considerations you should make before getting it from a lawn equipment rental store:
- Engine capacity
- Weight
- Pull cord or electric
- Type of soil
There are also other factors like the type of rototiller you might require, but this all can be determined if you simply mention the above considerations to a garden tiller rental store. Also, if you have any problem determining which rototiller rental to choose after considering these factors, you can find help through online rototiller reviews.
Engine Considerations
Many people do not consider rototiller rental just because they wrongly assume that since it is constantly used by other people, the wear and tear must have made it quite inefficient. This is quite different from the actuality. With engines (any engine – even car engines), you should keep in mind that for them to be allowed to operate effectively at full load, they need to have been consistently used at lower loads for a long time. As such, you can operate a rotary tiller rental for extended periods without fearing that the engine would set-back.
When considering what engine your lawn aerator rental should possess, it is important to keep in mind:
- The engine of the rototiller has a horsepower of at least 6-7. Although, that entirely depends on the type of soil that would need aeration, it is still a good consideration. If the soil is quite hard, it is better to consider a higher horsepower rototiller rental.
- It is always better to check that the engine of your rototiller is quite a reliable one; to do so check the brand of the engine. Good engines for rototiller rentals are usually Honda or Briggs & Stratton’s.
- Keep in mind that branded engines and higher horsepower are bound to have higher rototiller rental rates.
Weight Considerations
You should also consider the weight of rototiller rentals when you are out to get one. Keep in mind that rototillers do not have very smooth wheels and the lawn aerator rental needs to be pushed across the field through your own power. A heavy weight garden equipment rental would be much harder to push through the field than lighter lawn equipment. Heavy rototillers can also be a hassle in loading and moving around in general. However, heavier rotary tiller rentals are better at tilling since the weight allows them to more easily dig into the ground. If you have the manual strength and are capable, it is often advised to get a heavier rototiller rental, since it allows better aeration of the soil. Obviously, the weight normally does not take a difference to the rototiller rental cost.
Pull Cord or Electric Start
Many might assume that this is a trivial consideration, but this is in no manner a trivial consideration when getting a rental rototiller. The matter of rototiller initiation is quite important because:
- You should realize that initiating a rototiller rental using the pull cord requires your own strength, and over time the pull cord only degrades the initiation mechanism; reaching a point where it does not start until you have pulled it at least a dozen times.
- It is quite a possibility that the pull cord of rototiller rental might break if you pull it too much. This can add quite significantly to the rototiller rental cost. As such, it is often advised to get an electric start lawn aerator rental.
Type of Soil
Obviously, the type of soil that you would need to aerate or till is the most important factor in deciding which rototiller rental to select. In regards to soil type, you need to keep in mind:
- Most soils are soft and as such even the lowest-end model can work with most soils.
- If you have a soft soil garden, do not intentionally get a very high-end model as it would only have higher rental rates and only add to your cost.
- If your soil is hard or filled with sturdy weeds, it is important to get a higher end model that allows for deeper digging and easier aeration of even hard soils.
There are also many other considerations that you might take into account, like your own budget and preferences. Obviously, if you are on a low budget you will have to get lower specifications and power model. Although, do not ever sacrifice technological ability for manual labor. The time it would take for you to manually plow a 100 sq. meters garden would be nearly 10-15 times more than if you would have used a rototiller rental. Remember, getting the ideal rototiller rental is essential to having a beautiful garden; do not ruin it by not taking into account the aforementioned considerations.