Tier B — Petrol garden tiller Garden tiller
Stihl MH 445
Stihl's compact petrol tiller: a 140 cc 4-stroke (2.2 kW / 3.0 PS) driving a 45 cm working width, reducible to 25 cm for narrow rows, with a 30 cm hoe-set diameter, weighing 36 kg. Manoeuvrable for small gardens with Stihl dealer support. Engine, power, 45 cm width and 36 kg weight verified via Stihl.
Indicative price
£550–£750
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: Small gardens wanting Stihl quality.
Strengths
- Stihl build and dealer support
- Reducible width for rows
- Manageable for small plots
- Anti-vibration handling
Trade-offs
- 45 cm maximum cut
- Premium vs value brands
- No reverse gear (R model adds it)
Where the MH 445 sits in the Stihl range
The MH 445 is the entry point to Stihl's petrol tillers. Below it there is only the MM 56 multi-tool (1.2 hp, 23 cm, £400-550), which is a hoe rather than a tiller; above it the MH 560 (4 hp, 60 cm, £900-1200) and MH 585 (3.1 hp, 85 cm, £730-970) add width, and the MH 685 (4.4 hp, 85 cm, £1300-1700) tops the regular European catalogue. The 445 is the one to buy when the plot is small enough that 45 cm covers it in a sensible number of passes, and 36 kg is easy for one person to wheel about.
Its lineage is worth knowing. Stihl's MH tillers came across from Viking, Stihl's Austrian garden-machinery subsidiary, when the Viking name was retired, and the design has been in production for years under one badge or the other. That is a reassurance on parts and on dealer familiarity — most Stihl dealers have had one of these on the bench.
The 45 cm width, and dropping to 25 cm
The 140 cc four-stroke gives 2.2 kW, about 3 hp — modest, but the 445 is a tine-driven tiller with a 30 cm hoe-set diameter and no great mass to move, so it is enough to keep the rotor turning in ordinary garden soil. The trick to the machine is the removable outer hoe sets: with them off you have a 25 cm rotor for working between rows of vegetables; bolt them back on and you are at the full 45 cm for the end-of-season dig. It is the feature that makes the 445 sensible on a vegetable plot rather than only a flower border.
What you do not get on the base machine is reverse. Backing a 36 kg tiller out of a corner is done by hand, with the transport wheel taking the weight, and if the plot has tight ends, or you are not confident manhandling it, the MH 445 R is the same machine with a reverse gear and is the one to ask the dealer about.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone with heavy clay or ground that has never been cultivated. Three horsepower and 36 kg will hoe a worked bed well and bring an ordinary plot back each spring; it will not break turf or dig compacted ground, and it will bounce over dry clay in summer. For that, the MH 685 or a two-wheel tractor is the answer, or a hired machine for the first pass — our clay soil guide covers what actually works. Equally, a full-size allotment is at the upper limit of what a 45 cm tiller should be asked to cover every season; an 85 cm machine roughly halves the passes.
Price is the other filter. At £550-750 the MH 445 costs a good deal more than value-brand tillers of the same width and power. What you are paying for is build quality, anti-vibration handling and a dealer who stocks spares — real benefits, but only if you intend to keep the machine for years. A cheaper tiller replaced twice costs more than a 445 kept.
Buying through a Stihl dealer, and buying used
Stihl does not sell through general online retailers; new machines come through approved dealers, who assemble, test-run and hand over the tiller and who handle the warranty. That makes price-shopping less rewarding than for a Honda or an Einhell, but it means the first service, blade replacement and cable adjustment are dealt with locally. Ask the dealer directly for the R variant if reverse matters to you.
Used MH 445s, and their Viking HB-badged predecessors, turn up regularly. Check the hoe sets for wear and bent tines, run the rotor under load and listen to the transmission for grinding, and look at the belt and tensioner behind the guard. Confirm it starts easily from cold. Because the machine is dealer-supported, a used one with a tired belt or dull blades is still an easy fix — price it accordingly rather than walking away.
Specifications
| Category | Garden tiller |
|---|---|
| Type | Rear-tine · Petrol garden tiller |
| Power source | Petrol |
| Engine | STIHL 140 cc 4-stroke (2.2 kW) |
| Power output | 3 hp / 2.2 kW |
| Working width | 45 cm |
| Weight | 36 kg |
| Status | Current model |
| Indicative price | £550–£750 |
| 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.
MH 445 — your questions
How much does the Stihl MH 445 cost?
The indicative price is £550–£750, based on dealer quotes. Always confirm against a live quote — these figures are estimates pending verification.
What size plot is the MH 445 suited to?
Small gardens wanting Stihl quality. With a 45 cm working width it suits established beds and standard allotment plots.
Is the MH 445 petrol, diesel or electric?
It is petrol (STIHL 140 cc 4-stroke (2.2 kW)). That means strong sustained power for breaking and turning ground, with routine fuel and oil maintenance.
Is the Stihl MH 445 big enough for an allotment?
For a half plot, yes; for a full 10-rod plot it will do the job but you will be making a lot of passes. The 45 cm width suits gardens and small plots where manoeuvrability matters more than coverage; for a full allotment worked every season the MH 560 or MH 585 make more sense, and our allotment rotavator guide compares the options. The 445's strength is the 25 cm setting for working between rows once the crop is in.
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