Tier B — Petrol garden tiller Garden tiller
Honda FR 750
Honda's big contra-rotating tiller: a GX200 (196 cc, 4.1 kW) driving 51 cm contra-rotating tines to 32.6 cm depth, with 2 forward + 1 reverse speeds and a tool speed of 238 rpm. The heaviest, most capable Honda front-tiller for tough or large plots. Engine, width, depth, speeds and 90 kg weight verified via Honda France; price pending verification.
Indicative price
£950–£1,350
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: Owners of large or compacted plots wanting Honda's top contra-rotating tiller.
Strengths
- Powerful GX200 engine
- Contra-rotating tines for hard ground
- Deep 32.6 cm tilling
- Honda build and dealer network
Trade-offs
- Heavy at 90 kg
- Narrow 51 cm cut for the weight
- Premium price
Where the FR 750 sits among Honda's tillers
Read Honda's UK range as a ladder and the FR 750 is the top rung of the tiller-only section. Below it are the FG110 and FG201 mini tillers, the 80 cm front-tine FG315 and FG320, and the FF500 (4.5 hp, 56 cm, 77 kg), which is the first Honda with contra-rotating tines. Above it the FRC800 (7.1 hp, 51 cm) is the professional version, and beyond that the F510 and F560 are two-wheel tractors with implement drive rather than tillers. The FR 750 is the most capable machine Honda sells for people who only want to till.
Contra-rotation is the point. On a conventional front-tine tiller the tines turn in the direction of travel and pull the machine along; on the FR 750 the wheels drive and the tines turn against the direction of travel, so they dig down instead of skating forward. That is what lets a 51 cm machine reach the quoted 32.6 cm depth, with a 238 rpm tool speed, two forward speeds and a reverse. The GX200 at 196 cc and 5.5 hp is the same engine family Honda fits to generators and pressure washers, so parts and knowledge are everywhere.
Narrow and heavy on purpose
51 cm at 91 kg looks like the wrong ratio next to an 80 cm FG320, and on a worked bed it is: the FG320 covers the plot faster and is easier to lift. But the FR 750 is not built for worked beds. It is built for compacted ground, stony ground, heavy clay and the first break-in of a neglected allotment, where a light front-tine machine bounces and you end up doing the work with your arms. The mass keeps the tines in the ground and the counter-rotation turns that mass into depth.
In practice that makes it a machine for a particular kind of plot rather than a particular size of plot. Someone on free-draining loam will never need it; someone on a clay allotment that sets like concrete each July will wonder how they managed without. Our guides on the best rotavator for clay soil and on clearing overgrown ground cover exactly that ground.
Who should not buy the FR 750
Anyone with a large plot already in cultivation: an 80 cm FG320 is quicker and lighter, and the FR 750's premium buys you nothing on soil that is already friable. Anyone with raised beds or a small garden, where 91 kg and 51 cm are simply the wrong shape. Anyone without a way to get 91 kg on and off a trailer. And anyone on a tighter budget, since the FF500 does most of the same job for less money and less weight.
The right buyer has hard ground, a big enough plot to justify a dedicated tiller rather than a two-wheel tractor, and no appetite for the implement game. For that person the FR 750 is the last tiller they will need to buy. The front-tine vs rear-tine guide explains why the layout suits them.
Buying in the UK: dealer, online and used
The £950–1350 range is a dealer quote; online machinery retailers list it too, usually a little keener. On a machine of this weight the dealer's delivery and preparation are worth having, and a Honda dealer will also be the one to service the GX200 and to supply the tine sets when they wear. Confirm the current price with the dealer.
Used FR 750s are uncommon because owners keep them, so a good one is worth pursuing. Check the gearbox oil and run every speed including reverse under load; check for oil weeping at the tine shaft seals; confirm the wheel drive engages cleanly, because on a counter-rotating tiller that is what feeds the machine forward. Look at the tines — they wear on the leading face and lose bite before they look short — and check the handlebar adjusters. Finally start the GX200 cold: a smoky start or a rattling top end tells you the hours are high.
Specifications
| Category | Garden tiller |
|---|---|
| Type | Rotary hoe · Petrol garden tiller |
| Power source | Petrol |
| Engine | Honda GX200 196cc (4.1 kW) |
| Power output | 5.5 hp / 4.1 kW |
| Working width | 51 cm |
| Weight | 91 kg |
| Status | Current model |
| Indicative price | £950–£1,350 |
| Price basis | Dealer quote |
Rotary hoe 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.
FR 750 — your questions
How much does the Honda FR 750 cost?
The indicative price is £950–£1,350, based on dealer quotes. Always confirm against a live quote — these figures are estimates pending verification.
What size plot is the FR 750 suited to?
Owners of large or compacted plots wanting Honda's top contra-rotating tiller. With a 51 cm working width it suits established beds and standard allotment plots.
Is the FR 750 petrol, diesel or electric?
It is petrol (Honda GX200 196cc (4.1 kW)). That means strong sustained power for breaking and turning ground, with routine fuel and oil maintenance.
Honda FR 750 or FF 500 — which is worth the extra money?
Both have contra-rotating tines and driven wheels. The FF500 gives 4.5 hp, 56 cm and 77 kg for £750–1050; the FR 750 gives 5.5 hp, 51 cm, 91 kg and a deeper 32.6 cm dig for £950–1350. If your problem is a plot that pulls a normal tiller around, the FF500 solves it. If your problem is depth in compacted clay or breaking new ground, the FR 750 is the one.
Is the Honda FR 750 too much for an allotment?
Not on heavy ground. A single allotment on clay is exactly where it earns its price, and the 51 cm width turns in a path. On light soil it is more machine than you need and an FG320 will be faster and lighter to handle. The honest test is whether your current tiller bounces on your plot in summer; if it does, the FR 750 fixes that.
