I have read a couple of the previous reviews and it comes down to the tale of two tillers. If you treat the equipment with respect and READ THE MANUAL, your experience with this tiller should be a productive one. If you treat the machine like a big slug of metal that can only be fixed by taking a two pound sledge to it, you will probably end up with a useless hunk of metal. I have tilled a 20x20, 20x 80, and a 30x30 plots of land to minimze the weeds. No problems experienced! I followed the recommendations of other reviews and filled the tiller with fresh gas and oil, then primed the engine with the engine switched off and pulled the cord a dozen times to circulate the oil. Switched on and opened choke - started on the first pull. Let it run for a while, setting and releasing the clutch a few times. When I'm done for the day, I alway leave it running and switch the fuel off to let the engine run dry. I already changed the oil once to get any metal filings out of the engine. My only other issue is the design of the handles. The nuts do vibrate loose and the handle column tends to get twisted. This is a good piece of equipment (for a front tine tiller) and would get an outstanding rating only if it did the tilling by itself.
Search Sears.com
for Craftsman Front Tine Tiller-CA Model prices
“The Craftsman 208cc front tine tiller is a great investment.”