Tier B — Petrol garden tiller Garden tiller
Honda FJ500
Honda's FJ500 compact tiller: the 163 cc GX160 four-stroke (3.6 kW) driving rotary tines for an adjustable tilling width up to 800 mm (factory widths around 36/55/80 cm) and up to 32 cm depth, with a dry weight of about 57 kg (SE). A capable Honda mid-size tiller for larger beds and allotments. Engine, power, max 80 cm width and ~57 kg weight verified via Honda.
Indicative price
£1,200–£1,600
Specifications verified.The specifications here have been checked against the manufacturer's published figures and/or dealer listings. The price is still sourced from dealer quotes — confirm it against a live quote before you buy.
Who it's for
Best for: Allotment holders wanting a versatile Honda mid-size tiller.
Strengths
- Honda GX160 reliability
- Adjustable width up to 80 cm
- Rear-tine cultivating power
- Wide attachment range
Trade-offs
- Heavier and pricier than a mini-tiller
- Dealer purchase
- Recoil start
Where the FJ500 sits among Honda's tillers
Honda's UK tiller range runs from the 13 kg FG 110 up through the FG201 and FG205 mini-tillers to the 80 cm-class FG 315 and FG320, and the FJ500 sits at the top of that tiller line. It shares the 80 cm working width and the four-to-five horsepower class with the FG320 (4.4 hp, 80 cm, £700-950), so the obvious question is why it costs £1200-1600. The answer is that the FJ500 is built as a working tiller rather than a garden one: the commercial-grade GX160 engine, a heavier chassis at about 57 kg, and a rotor that works to 32 cm rather than a garden depth.
In practice that shows up in the third or fourth season, when a lighter tiller is starting to rattle and the FJ500 is not. It is the Honda that allotment societies and market gardeners tend to end up with. The FG320 is a good garden tiller; the FJ500 is the one bought by people who already know what a worn-out tiller feels like.
Adjustable width and 32 cm depth
The FJ500's rotor is built up from sections, so the working width can be set at roughly 36, 55 or 80 cm by removing or adding the outer tine sets. That is the feature that lets one machine do a whole plot: full width for spring preparation, the middle setting for beds between paths, the narrowest for hoeing between rows in summer. Combined with a maximum working depth of 32 cm, it will bury a green manure or incorporate a serious load of compost in one pass rather than three.
The GX160 is the same 163 cc unit found in the F 560 two-wheel tractor. It is recoil start with no electric option, which is the one thing some buyers hold against it; in return it starts within a pull or two from cold on clean fuel and is understood by every small-engine mechanic in the country. The tines drive the machine, and with the engine mass sitting over the rotor it holds its depth better than the lighter FG-series.
Who it suits, and who is better off with something else
The FJ500 is the right buy for a full 10-rod allotment or a large vegetable garden worked every season. It handles heavier soil than the FG-series because there is more weight over the tines, though it is still a tine-driven tiller: it will work clay that has been cultivated before, but breaking turf or badly compacted ground is a job for a hired heavy rotavator first. Our allotment rotavator guide puts it against the alternatives.
Buyers who only need to hoe established beds should look at the cheaper FG320; buyers who want to plough, ridge or pull a trailer should look at the F 560, which uses the same engine on a proper gearbox with driven wheels. The FJ500 is deliberately in between: more tiller than most people need, without the complexity of a two-wheel tractor.
Buying and running one in the UK
The FJ500 is a dealer machine. It is sold through Honda garden-machinery dealers with pre-delivery assembly and a Honda warranty, and dealer prices are quoted rather than list-advertised, which is why our record gives a range. It comes in more than one trim — the 57 kg weight in our record is for the SE — so confirm which one you are being quoted and how the trims differ before comparing prices between dealers.
Used FJ500s hold their value and are a sensible buy. Look for even wear across the tine sets, no play in the rotor shaft, a clean take-up on the drive engagement, and a GX160 that starts within a few pulls and settles to a steady idle. Check that all the tine sections are present, because a machine sold at 55 cm with the outer sets missing is worth noticeably less than a complete one. Beyond that, an oil change and a fresh air filter are usually all a used FJ500 needs.
Specifications
| Category | Garden tiller |
|---|---|
| Type | Rear-tine · Petrol garden tiller |
| Power source | Petrol |
| Engine | Honda GX160 4-stroke (163 cc) |
| Power output | 4.8 hp / 3.6 kW |
| Working width | 80 cm |
| Weight | 57 kg |
| Status | Current model |
| Indicative price | £1,200–£1,600 |
| Price basis | Dealer quote |
Rear-tine machine. Width and weight determine how much ground you cover and how manoeuvrable it is — heavier machines bite harder but ask more of you to turn and transport.
FJ500 — your questions
How much does the Honda FJ500 cost?
The indicative price is £1,200–£1,600, based on dealer quotes. Always confirm against a live quote — these figures are estimates pending verification.
What size plot is the FJ500 suited to?
Allotment holders wanting a versatile Honda mid-size tiller. With a 80 cm working width it covers ground quickly on larger plots and smallholdings.
Is the FJ500 petrol, diesel or electric?
It is petrol (Honda GX160 4-stroke (163 cc)). That means strong sustained power for breaking and turning ground, with routine fuel and oil maintenance.
Honda FJ500 or FG320 — what is the difference?
Both are Honda tillers with an 80 cm working width and similar power. The FG320 (4.4 hp, £700-950) is the garden tiller; the FJ500 (4.8 hp GX160, about 57 kg, £1200-1600) is the working version, with the commercial engine, a deeper 32 cm rotor, adjustable width and a heavier build. For a small garden the FG320 is plenty; for an allotment worked hard every year the FJ500 is the one that lasts.
