STIHL Tiller Guide | STIHL GB HD

As we move into autumn, our attention turns to rejuvenating the soil so that it’s in the best possible condition at the start of next year’s growing season. Soil tends to become compacted over time due to rain and foot traffic so tilling is an ideal way to prepare a new garden bed or to work large amounts of compost, mulch or manure into the soil. Here at STIHL, we have three garden tillers available, which all have an optimised burrowing action allowing a smoother transition into the soil and central engine positioning for better balance. We also have a range of tiller accessories to help make your job a whole lot easier. STIHL MS 445 Tiller The MH 445 is a great tiller machine for getting essential soil prep done at the end of the season. Featuring a powerful 140cc petrol engine and four rows of tines with a working width of 45cm, the STIHL MH 445 is perfect for tilling open vegetable patches. The handlebars have an anti-vibration system in the mount and a central height and swing adjustment, so the machine stays flat and level when the user is in a comfortable standing position. The swing function allows you to move the controls around to the left or right so that you don’t have to walk behind the machine on the freshly tilled soil. For precise control the throttle is within reach of the left handle, allowing you to keep two hands on the handlebars and adjust the speed with your thumb whilst steering. Once the tiller is in place, the transport wheels simply lift up out of the way and you’re ready to go. The speed and depth is controlled by the brake spur which has three different height positions to set the blade entry depth. It also controls the propulsion speed preventing it from racing off along the surface of the soil. You can push down on the brake spur to slow the tiller and allow it to dig in more and it can swivel up by 180 degrees making it far easier to work in tight passages and bends. The specifically designed tine blades turn the soil over extremely efficiently with an optimised burrowing action and plant protection discs on the outer tines protect adjacent plants and their roots being damaged. The two outermost tines can be removed to reduce the working width to 25cm allowing the MH 445 tiller to work between rows of vegetables, or you can add an additional tine set and impact protectors to increase the tilling width to 62cm so that larger areas can be tilled more quickly. STIHL MS 445 R Tiller The STIHL MH 455 R adds a reverse gear to the standard MH 445 tiller. This means the machine can be more easily manoeuvred when working in tighter areas, in tricky positions up against a fence or wall, or even just turning the machine 180 degrees to make another run over the soil. The reverse gear is much slower than the forward gear so is only used for manoeuvring, not tilling. STIHL MS 585 Tiller The MH 585 is our largest tiller which has the same handy features as the smaller MH 445, making light work of