Gas Cultivator Buyer's Guide

If electric cultivators can't provide the gardening power you need, look to a gas-powered cultivator.

With powerful engines, you can take on more daunting tasks.

Also, if you're tackling a big garden, or one far from electricity, no worries; a gas cultivator is up to the task.

The only decision to make, is do you want a 2-cycle or 4-cycle cultivator?


Reversible Tines
A very useful feature found on some gas-powered cultivators is reversible tines. What this means is in the standard position the tines are set to cultivate. When you reverse them, the tines will till the soil.

When the tines are in tilling mode, they will break up and turn the soil, getting it ready for planting. When the tines are in cultivating mode, they will aerate and weed your garden, keeping it in tip-top shape.

2-Cycle Cultivators
2-cycle engines require a mixture of gas and oil in the fuel tank. Also known as 2-stroke engines, this type of engine is lighter and simpler to maintain than a 4-cycle engine.

2-cycle engines also have the potential to pack about twice the power into the same space as a 4-cycle engine. This combination of light weight and twice the power gives 2-cycle engines a great power-to-weight ratio compared to many 4-cycle engine designs. This makes a 2-cycle engine a lightweight option for powering a cultivator.



4-Cycle Cultivators
Models with 4-cycle engines are very similar to the car you drive – gas goes in the fuel tank and oil goes into the crankcase. They work in the same manner as a car engine as well. They are more fuel efficient than a 2-cycle engine, so you get more “mileage” out of every tank of gas when using your 4-cycle cultivator.

4-cycle engines have the capability to produce more overall power than 2-cycle engines do, although this results in a larger engine in terms of size and weight, which may not be good if you’re lugging around the cultivator all day.

Attachments Some cultivators are capable of utilizing many attachments to turn them into more multi-purpose tools. You're already going to be aerating and weeding your garden, but if you want to edge too, then get an attachment-adaptable cultivator. Shop All Cultivator Attachments