If you plan to use this product in already tilled and established planting beds, I would say that it's not a bad machine and you'll probably never have a problem with it. If you are trying to break established sod - be forewarned that tree roots or rocks will most likely cause you an instant breakdown.

37 of 37 found the following review helpful:

It sure beats doing it by hand!  Jun 14, 2004

I've wanted a garden tiller for years but didn't want to get into storing gas etc. (my lawnmower, weed whip, hedge trimmer, chain saw and all my other power tools are also electric). I saw this and was sold. It's pretty light so it bounces off hard soil but it's easy to move around the yard. I haven't used the wheels because the handle is so convenient. Using it is like reeling in a large fish. You let it till forward, then pull it back and run over the same area until you reach the desired depth. Tilt left or right to change direction. Removing the tines to remove weeds or clean is easy with the cotter pins. I did break a tine on some stony soil. Oh well. I'd buy it again if I had to do it over.

Here's an update after a season of use.
I still like the machine. It's great for previously-tilled or loose soil, or small jobs where there are no stones or roots. For a big sod-busting job I had, I rented a big rear-tine machine. The comment by another reviewer on the plastic gear is right on the mark. I stripped mine down to nothing. I think they use a plastic gear so you will break or wear out a $7 part rather than the $100+ transmission or motor. The machine isn't complex to repair and the manual is available on line. Here's the problem, though. The plastic gear I ordered took six weeks to arrive.

Here's an update after a three seasons of use.
So I've gone through three of those $7 plastic gears and I order more when I'm down to my last one so I don't miss any tilling time. My tines getting pretty worn down but still cut OK. When my clay soil is really dry, I have to water it or the tiller will just bounce off. On really hot days, the breaker pops after only a few minutes of use. I thought it might need lubrication but the transmission looked like it was still full of grease when I got the screw off. The newest problem is that the bolts that hold the motor in place don't stay tight. Eventually, the plastic will get stripped if I can't figure out how to secure the bolts. This may be the death knell for the tiller. I figure I paid about $120 for 3-4 seasons so far, and I'd do it again considering the work it has saved me.

41 of 42 found the following review helpful:

Better Than Expected  Oct 15, 2004
By Catman
After moving to a city home, we found our gas tiller to be too big and awkward for most jobs. In searching the internet I came across the electric Garden Wizard but almost no user reports. Finally, when Amazon offered the tiller for under $200 with free shipping we decided to take a chance.

I am happy to report that we're extremely pleased with the product. It digs in agressivly, does an excellent job of preparing the soil for planting and it's easy to handle. Fears that it's light weight wouldn't let it till effectivly were unfounded. I was a bit concerned that it lacked a stake to keep it from surging forward but it's actually easy to hold. Our neighbor has a gas powered Honda of similar size and the Wizard works as well or better without the hassle and noise of gasoline. Can't speak for it's long term reliability but so far we're extremely pleased.

Obviously it's not for heavy tilling or sod breaking but for an existing small garden and flower beds, it's perfect.

34 of 34 found the following review helpful:

Performed flawlessly  Jul 29, 2004
By Eric
This is my first experience with a tiller, and I needed to till my backyard to prepare for laying sod. I have compacted clay soil about 4 inches below my current topsoil. I did my best to rake and clear out rocks and roots from nearby trees before using this tiller. This tiller is ready to go right out of the box without any assembly. I already purchased an outdoor rated 16 guage ext. cord just for this, so, I immediately spread mulch on top of the existing soil and started tilling. I was very impressed with the power and I noticed while tilling it was kicking out a lot of rocks deap inside the soil and big clay clods. This tiller, also got caught on a heavy root that made a big noise and snapped the root but, once again didn't seem to bother the tiller. After doing a first run I again cleared the rocks that I could see, because I was worried about breaking a tine or something. But, this tiller again did not seem to be bother with the rocks that were still hidden within the soil and it just kicked them out. It is an effort to control once it hits the compacted clay soil, but with arm power of holding/pulling back and forward it ate the clay soil up without a strain on power. So, for my first experience with a tiller and a flawless day of use, I give this 5 stars.

29 of 29 found the following review helpful:

My first Garden Tiller  May 10, 2004
By Kris-n-MD
I am a garden enthusiast; The big-noisy gas-tiller my neighbor uses kinda scared me off. I've been trying to make a vegetable garden in a less used area of my yard. I discovered the soil to be too hard and clayey and wet. Soil conditions are a gardner's nightmare ! I've been looking for an electric tiller for some years. I found this one in home depot display, when I asked, there was no stock available that day. Then I went back to get it couple of days later, to my amazement I found there was only ONE left !

It has been useful in tilling, easy to handle, I like the easy stop/start mechanism - as with all electric tools, instead of having to leave the engine on all the time. This makes less noise and is smoke-free !

I guess the tilling depth is about 8 inches - this is NOT specified in the manual.

Anyways, of all choices available, this one is good for its price.

See all 17 customer reviews on Amazon.com