Do I need a rear-tine tiller or will a front-tine or cultivator do?

Across specialist communities like r/smallengines and r/Tools, the consensus is that rear-tine tillers excel at breaking new ground and handling rocky or heavy clay soil, while front-tine machines and lightweight cultivators are better suited to already-worked beds and maintenance tilling. If you're only refreshing existing garden beds or working raised beds, a corded or cordless cultivator is usually enough and far easier to handle.