Cultivators are often similar in structure to chisel plows in terms of tooth shape, but they have different purposes. The tines of a tiller work close to the surface of the soil and are usually used for weed control, whereas a chisel plow handle works deeper below the soil surface to break up compaction. Therefore, the force applied to each handle is much less than with a chisel plow.
Small-toothed tillers, pushed and pulled by a single person, are used as garden tools for small-scale gardening, such as at home, or in small commercial gardens. A comparable sized rotary tiller combines the functions of a harrow and a cultivator into a multi-purpose machine.
Tillage machines are usually self-propelled or pulled as an attachment by a walk-behind tractor or four-wheel tractor. For walk-behind tractors, they are usually rigidly fixed to the tractor and driven by a coupling. For four-wheel tractors, they are usually driven by a power take-off (PTO) with the aid of a three-point hitch. Drawbar connections are also still widely used throughout the world. Animal traction is sometimes still used today and is still somewhat common in developing countries, but has become rare in more industrialized economies.
