Sun JoeElectric Garden Tiller Cultivator, Steel Tines, 12 Amp, 16 Inch, Black - Heavy-Duty Gardening Machine & Equipment for Gardens, Lawns & Yards

This is a fairly detailed first impressions review with knowledge of strengths and weaknesses and tips to keep it up in order.I started assembling this.It took 5 minutes.I then took it to the worse part of my yard..My father had dumped a bunch of gravel in the poorly draining clay river soil so he could park his car almost 10 years ago.He passed away, so I'm cleaning it up.Working with the machine:I started by testing it on some good rich black dirt that was worn a path in it.It did fine. Perfect. It tore thru roots in 3 seconds.Then I did the gravel..It couldn't bite very easy so I did what another reviewer said and put a weight on it (a flat 1" thick 2' marble square slab up against the arms behind the green motor head)It weighed it down considerably, no more kicking n spitting little nothings out.It began digging nice n steady..I had started pushing it but found pulling it works much better..It took about 10 minutes to do 3 rows 4" deep and I am impressed. That work wouldn't been literal back breaking bone shaking joint rattling pain inducing with a hoe n shovel over a whole day with a 3 day rest halfway thru.i know this from experience.It was like slicing warm butter with a steak knife vs slicing 3 month old dried soughdough bread with a Styrofoam swimming noodle.I then took it up front to start releveling my yard and improving its conditions..It took me about an hour and half of tilling the area shown in the picture, about 6feet wide to 11feet wide and about 15feet long.[The picture is of after sowing the seed and throwing 1" of topsoil.. original tilling went down 4"-10".]It is so strong an old clay brick got stuck jammed in between the blades and the metal cover.It probably wouldn't have happened if I didn't have that marble slab on it still so I took that off.I used a hammer and railroad nail to get the brick out.It then spit stones a hands breath in size like sunflower seeds. No more jamming.I'd recommend only laying a weight on top when you know exactly what's in your ground. If it's gravel, small knuckle sized stones with a few larger stones it should be fine, but if the area was once a brickyard, coal breaker, industrial zone etc etc, go easy with the thing. Let it toss itself up.The main reason you buy these things is to gofrom breaking your body doing the work the good Ole fashion way to the way of modern convenience. Remember that... it's still work. Just 80% easier. It ain't supposed to be smooth as breathing in your sleep.The machine itself:The wheels are one of 2 shoddy parts of this machine. So you better go easy on them.. though they'll be easy to replace because the wheel brace is nice Quality metal.My big peeve and eye to the people who designed and built this is about the trigger, power button..OH MY GOSH ITS SO HORRIBLE I CANT KEEP THE THING COMPRESSED FOR 5 MINUTES WITHOUT GETTING WRIST PAIN.It's just so abysmally placed.. THE ANGLES ARE ALL WRONG!!!!I just HATE it. They could have put the safety on the inner left, near the thumb and the power trigger on the outer right and had probably the single best power mechanism on the market BUT NOOOOO... they HAD to put it in such a way as to cause a pain that starts in the hand, moves to the wrist, then takes over the entire forearm.You can get around it by constantly grabbing it with the meat of your hand though.. and that's what I ended up doing.. Like I was grabbing my mate in the rump, right between thighs and glutes.. the eager beaver man's grip.It just doesn't make sense because the thing is so light you naturally want to use your fingertips and just let it glide...By gosh that freaking trigger is the reason why this thing should NEVER sell for more than the $88 I paid.If they made an ergonomic grip power trigger switch I'd gladly pay $100+.. I would. I'd buy it again and give this one away free just for that... that's how HORRIBLE THE TRIGGER SWITCH IS ON THIS.MOVING ON.I was worried that the frame around the blades was plastic and would chip n break pieces contaminating my gardenIt's not.It's metal painted with a fairly thick matte paint. The motor housing on top is a rubberized plastic though. I don't mind that as much because the motor shouldn't be getting any rust falling into it as it ages.The blades are nice but beware. Bricks and large wide thick rocks may get stuck.Long grasses, vines and such will end up wrapping around the drive shaft. It's easy to remove though. I recommend checking it every 15 minutes or so and of course mowing your lawn before use.The arms of the thing are kinda dainty..Not cheap, drop a brick on it and breaks cheap.. but cheap after a solid use period (maybe 2 or 3 seasons) with twistings and what not cheap.. (or throw a brick at it like a baseball and dent it right up reducing structural integrity by half)I could see them bending pretty bad and probably cracking during first use after only a few months of rust exposure (paint wearing off exposing the metal underneath).You'll need to really keep up on the paint around joints, along seams and at the base. Frankly an extra millimeter of metal would have gone a long way to reducing maintenance and improving structural integrity for this thing. That's how close to the cusp of moderately cheap and not worth spitting on cheap the arms are on this thing.Maybe bracing with hose clamps and a few thin rods might help.. maybe not.. who knows how they'll hold up?I do know if you don't paint it every year or two it's surely a goner in 3.Still, with all that said I'm sure I'll get thru my 1/4 acre yard and sowing my winter rye fairly easily. Even with all the coal, clay, gravel and roots.

Wonderful machine and the company and it's distributors stand behind their product and offer excellent customer service. Over the years I have purchased a couple Sun Joe products and have always been happy with them, so when I needed a new tiller, I went with Sun Joe and I'm glad I did. This machine has a lot of power, yet is not unmanageable. It has various settings to allow you to dig deep into the soil, or just scrape the surface for things like seeding. I was using the tiller on the deepest setting to dig a vegetable garden from scratch. The tiller dug deep down on the first pass and totally turned the turf, mulching it up as I went. Then "BOOM", I hit a rock, and then another one, in all honesty, the tiller took a pretty significant beating but kept on working. Apparently however, the beating took it's toll, and eventually, the tiller assembly sheared off. Again, it took a beating before getting to that point. I notified the distributor SpreeTail through Amazon and they were extremely responsive. I admitted to them that I had hit some rocks, but they didn't seem to care. They immediately started the process for me to return the tiller free of charge and they replaced it with a brand new one. In all honesty, I think my tiller endured more than the normal wear and tear covered by the warranty, but within a week of sending it back, I had a brand new tiller. I will be much more careful with this one, starting at a lesser depth so that I am not surprised by big rocks buried deep underground that the blade encounters full on. Bottom line, I recommend this tiller and Sun Joe products without hesitation. This thing is a power house and gets the job done... Just be more careful than I was and should have been.

As someone who loves gardening, I recently purchased the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator, and I must say, I am thoroughly impressed!Let me start by saying that the assembly of the tiller was an absolute breeze. It took me less than 10 minutes to put everything together and get it up and running. The instructions were straightforward and easy to follow, and I appreciated the fact that all the necessary tools were included in the box.Once I got started using the tiller, I couldn't believe how well it worked. It powered through tough, compacted soil with ease, leaving behind finely tilled soil ready for planting. I was amazed at how deep it could till, and how quickly it could cover a large area. The 16-inch width of the tines made quick work of my vegetable garden, and the 13.5 AMP motor was powerful enough to handle everything I threw at it.But what really sets this tiller apart is how easy it is to maneuver. The handles are comfortable to grip and the machine is well-balanced, making it easy to guide through tight spaces and around obstacles. I also appreciated the safety features, such as the safety switch that prevents accidental startups and the blade guard that protects against flying debris.Now, let's talk about the humor aspect of this review. While the Sun Joe TJ604E is a serious piece of gardening equipment, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I thought about all the times I had struggled to till my garden with a hand-held cultivator. I felt like I was finally getting revenge on all those pesky weeds and tough soil patches that had given me trouble in the past.Another thing I appreciated about the Sun Joe TJ604E was how environmentally friendly it is. As an electric tiller, it produces no emissions and is much quieter than gas-powered models. This means I can till my garden without disturbing my neighbors, and I can feel good about doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint.One thing to keep in mind is that this tiller is best suited for small to medium-sized gardens. While it can handle tough soil and thick vegetation, it may not be as effective on larger plots of land. However, for the average home gardener, it is more than capable of getting the job done quickly and efficiently.Another feature that I appreciated was the adjustable tilling depth. With a simple adjustment, I was able to change the depth of the tines to suit my needs, whether I was tilling shallow rows for planting seeds or digging deeper to mix in compost and other amendments. This versatility was a huge plus for me, and it made the tiller even more valuable.In terms of maintenance, the Sun Joe TJ604E is relatively easy to take care of. The tines are removable for easy cleaning, and the machine itself can be wiped down with a damp cloth. The motor is also designed to be maintenance-free, which saves time and money in the long run.One thing I want to mention is that the tiller is also surprisingly durable. I accidentally hit a rock while tilling, and I was worried that I might have damaged the machine. However, after inspecting it, I was pleased to see that there was no visible damage or signs of wear and tear. This is a testament to the high-quality materials and construction that went into the tiller's design.Another benefit of this tiller is that it saves a lot of time and effort compared to using a manual cultivator. With the Sun Joe TJ604E, I was able to till my entire garden in a fraction of the time it would have taken me to do it by hand. This meant I could spend more time planting, weeding, and enjoying my garden instead of struggling with tough soil.Lastly, I want to touch on the value for money that this tiller provides. At a very reasonable price point, you get a powerful, versatile, and easy-to-use machine that can save you countless hours of labor in the garden. When you consider how much time and effort it takes to till a garden by hand, the Sun Joe TJ604E is an absolute steal.Overall, I would highly recommend the Sun Joe TJ604E 16-Inch 13.5 AMP Electric Garden Tiller/Cultivator to anyone who wants to make gardening a little bit easier and a lot more fun. It's powerful, easy to use, and surprisingly affordable for the quality of the machine. I give it four out of five stars, deducting one star only because I wish the cord was a little bit longer. But that's a small price to pay for the convenience and efficiency of this fantastic tiller.