Sun Joe TJ602E or Greenworks 27072? Which Is Better for Small Gardens?

If you are choosing between the Sun Joe TJ602E and Greenworks 27072 for a small garden, the Sun Joe TJ602E is the better overall pick for most gardeners. Both are corded 8-amp electric cultivators, but the TJ602E offers a wider 12-inch cultivating path and up to 8 inches of tilling depth, while the Greenworks 27072 is a 10-inch model designed around controlled garden-bed cultivation.

The difference is not huge, though. For a small vegetable garden, the better choice depends less on motor size and more on how much soil you need to work, how deep you need to till, and how much maneuverability you want.

Feature	Sun Joe TJ602E	Greenworks 27072
Power	8 amps	8 amps
Power source	Corded electric	Corded electric
Tilling width	Up to 12 inches	10 inches
Tilling depth	Up to 8 inches	Adjustable depth
Tines	Four steel tines	Four tines; can be used with two or four
Starting	Push-button electric start	Electric start
Best fit	Small to medium garden beds	Small gardens and controlled cultivation
Main advantage	Wider and deeper tilling	Narrower working path and flexible tine setup

The Greenworks 27072 manual identifies it as an 8-amp electric cultivator and explains that its wheel assembly controls operating depth. It can also be configured with either two or four tines.

Sun Joe TJ602E: Better for More Soil Preparation

The Sun Joe TJ602E is the stronger choice if your idea of a “small garden” still includes several garden beds or an area that needs more serious soil preparation.

Its 8-amp motor powers four steel tines, with a cultivating width of up to 12 inches and a maximum tilling depth of 8 inches. That gives it more working width and depth than the Greenworks 27072 specification commonly associated with this model.

That extra width matters when you are preparing a new vegetable bed. You can cover more ground with each pass instead of making as many trips back and forth.

The deeper capability can also be useful when soil needs more than a shallow surface cultivation. Still, maximum depth should not be treated as the ideal setting for every garden. Working soil too aggressively can disturb existing roots and soil structure.

Where the TJ602E makes the most sense

Choose the Sun Joe when you want to:

• Prepare a new vegetable bed
• Break up previously cultivated soil
• Mix amendments into the soil
• Work a somewhat larger garden area
• Get deeper cultivation when conditions allow
• Spend less time making repeated passes

For example, imagine a homeowner preparing a 10-by-15-foot vegetable garden before planting tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash. The TJ602E’s wider path can make bed preparation more efficient.

That does not mean it is automatically better for every small garden. If your beds are very narrow or surrounded by established plants, a wider cultivator can be less convenient.

Greenworks 27072: Better for Controlled Small-Garden Work

The Greenworks 27072 is an older 8-amp corded electric cultivator built around straightforward garden cultivation. Its manual identifies it as an 8A electric cultivator, and the wheel assembly is used to control the operating depth.

One useful feature is the ability to operate with either four tines or two tines. That gives you more flexibility when working in tighter areas.

Its 10-inch working width is also a little narrower than the TJ602E’s 12-inch path. For a gardener working around existing rows, narrow beds, or smaller planting areas, that can be an advantage.

Where the 27072 makes the most sense

The Greenworks is worth considering if you mainly need to:

• Cultivate existing garden beds
• Loosen the top layer of soil
• Work around established planting areas
• Handle smaller sections at a time
• Use a narrower cultivating path
• Take advantage of its two- or four-tine configuration

One important point is that the 27072 is not a cordless machine. It needs an outdoor power connection and a suitable extension cord. Its manual specifically warns against use in rain or damp locations and calls for an appropriately sized outdoor extension cord.

Which One Is Easier to Use in a Small Garden?

For most homeowners, both are relatively simple compared with a gas-powered tiller. You plug the machine in, start the motor, and guide it through the soil.

The main usability difference comes from the working width.

The Greenworks 27072’s narrower 10-inch path can be helpful when space is tight. A small garden with narrow rows can benefit from having a little more control over where the tines are working.

The Sun Joe TJ602E’s 12-inch path is more useful when the garden is small but still has open beds that need regular soil preparation.

Neither design eliminates the need to manage the power cord. In a small backyard garden, the cord can become one of the biggest practical annoyances because you need to keep it away from the rotating tines.

Which One Is Better for New Garden Beds?

The Sun Joe TJ602E gets the edge for preparing a new garden bed.

Its wider 12-inch cultivating path and deeper maximum tilling capability give it more capacity for soil preparation.

However, there is an important limitation: neither machine should be treated like a heavy-duty rear-tine tiller for untouched, rocky, compacted ground.

Electric cultivators in this class are better suited to garden soil that can be worked by a relatively lightweight machine. Large rocks, thick roots, buried debris, or extremely hard ground can make the job much harder and can put extra stress on the machine.

If you are turning an established lawn into a garden, it is also wise to remove sod first rather than expecting a small electric cultivator to do all the work. The Greenworks manual specifically states that tilling sod is not recommended.

Which One Is Better for Existing Vegetable Beds?

This is closer, but the Greenworks 27072 can make more sense for careful cultivation between established plants.

A 10-inch path gives you somewhat more control than a 12-inch path when the available space is limited. The ability to use two or four tines also gives the Greenworks additional flexibility.

For example, suppose you have rows of peppers with only a limited amount of exposed soil between them. You do not necessarily need the maximum width or depth. Controlled shallow cultivation may be more useful than aggressive deep tilling.

This is also where careful operation matters more than the difference between the two models. Keep the tines away from plant stems and established roots, and avoid forcing the machine through soil that is too hard.

Power and Performance: Is 8 Amps Enough?

Both models use an 8-amp electric motor, so there is no meaningful motor-amperage advantage for either one.

That means you should not choose between them simply because one sounds more powerful.

The more important differences are:

• Working width
• Available depth
• Tine configuration
• Garden layout
• Soil condition
• How much ground you need to cultivate

An 8-amp corded cultivator can be a good match for a small home garden, particularly when the soil is already workable. But an electric cultivator should not be expected to behave like a large gas tiller in hard, untouched ground.

Corded Operation: The Main Trade-Off

Both the Sun Joe TJ602E and Greenworks 27072 use a power cord.

That gives you continuous power without charging batteries, but it also means you need an outdoor-rated extension cord and access to a suitable outlet.

The Sun Joe manual specifically recommends outdoor-use extension cords and warns that an undersized cord can cause voltage drop and overheating. It also calls for GFCI protection on the circuit or outlet used with the tiller.

The Greenworks manual similarly requires an appropriate outdoor extension cord and warns against operating the cultivator in wet conditions.

For a small garden close to your house, this may be a minor inconvenience. For a garden at the far end of a large yard, cord management becomes a much bigger factor.

Which One Is Better for Beginners?

For a beginner who wants one machine primarily for general garden-bed preparation, I would lean toward the Sun Joe TJ602E.

Its wider working path and deeper capability give a new gardener more room to grow into the tool.

For a beginner whose garden consists of small, established beds where control is more important than coverage, the Greenworks 27072 is still a reasonable choice.

The key is not to judge a cultivator only by how deep it can dig. Beginners often get better results by starting shallow and increasing depth gradually as the soil loosens.

Sun Joe TJ602E vs. Greenworks 27072: The Biggest Differences

The comparison becomes easier when you focus on the differences that actually affect garden work.

Sun Joe wins on working width

The TJ602E reaches up to 12 inches, while the Greenworks 27072 is generally described as a 10-inch corded cultivator.

That gives Sun Joe an advantage when covering open garden beds.

Sun Joe wins on maximum depth

The TJ602E is an 8-amp, 12-inch electric tiller/cultivator, and its specifications identify a maximum tilling depth of up to 8 inches.

The Greenworks uses a wheel-based depth adjustment system, allowing the user to control how deeply the tines work.

Greenworks wins on tine flexibility

The 27072 can be used with two or four tines, according to its owner’s manual.

That is useful when you want to adapt the machine to a smaller working area.

Neither wins on portability

Both are corded.

If you want to avoid extension cords completely, neither model is the right type of tool. Current Greenworks cordless cultivators, for example, use battery platforms, but those are different models and should not be confused with the older 27072.

What About Soil Type?

Soil condition can change the buying decision more than a few inches of working width.

For loose or previously cultivated garden soil, either machine can make sense.

For compacted soil, clay-heavy ground, or ground containing lots of rocks and roots, you should be more cautious. A lightweight electric cultivator may bounce, stall, or require multiple passes rather than breaking everything apart in one run.

A practical approach is to loosen especially hard areas first with a shovel or another suitable garden tool, then use the cultivator to finish the soil.

Also avoid working very wet soil. Wet soil can clump instead of breaking apart cleanly, which can leave you with a less useful seedbed.

Two Real-World Buying Scenarios

Scenario 1: A new 120-square-foot vegetable garden

You are preparing an open garden bed before planting vegetables. There are no established plants in the bed, and your main goal is to loosen and prepare the soil.

Pick: Sun Joe TJ602E.

The wider cultivating path and deeper capability make more sense for this type of preparation.

Scenario 2: Several narrow beds with established vegetables

You already have vegetables growing and mainly want to cultivate exposed soil between rows. You care more about control than maximum coverage.

Pick: Greenworks 27072.

Its narrower working width and two- or four-tine configuration can be more useful for controlled cultivation.

What I Would Choose for a Small Garden

For the specific question “Sun Joe TJ602E or Greenworks 27072: Which Is Better for Small Gardens?”, my overall choice is the Sun Joe TJ602E.

It offers more working width and greater maximum depth while using the same 8-amp motor class. That makes it the more versatile option if your small garden includes new beds, seasonal soil preparation, and areas that need deeper cultivation.

I would choose the Greenworks 27072 instead if your definition of a small garden means tight, established beds where controlled cultivation matters more than covering ground quickly.

One other consideration is product age. The 27072 manual dates back many years, although Greenworks still lists replacement parts compatible with model 27072, including certain pins and tines.

That makes replacement-part availability worth checking before buying an older 27072, especially if you are purchasing one used or from old inventory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Sun Joe TJ602E more powerful than the Greenworks 27072?

Not based on motor amperage. Both are 8-amp corded electric cultivators, so the main difference is their working design rather than a major motor-power advantage.

Can either tiller handle a small vegetable garden?

Yes, both are designed for garden cultivation and seedbed preparation. They are better suited to workable garden soil than extremely hard, rocky, root-filled ground, so soil condition should be considered before choosing either one.

Is the Greenworks 27072 still worth considering?

It can be, especially if you find a good-condition unit and need its narrower working path or two-/four-tine flexibility. Because it is an older model, check the condition of the machine and the availability of model-specific replacement parts before buying.

Final Verdict

For most small home gardens, Sun Joe TJ602E is the better overall choice because it gives you a wider working path and greater maximum tilling depth without moving beyond the 8-amp corded-electric class.

Choose Greenworks 27072 when your priority is controlled cultivation in tighter established beds and you value its flexible tine setup.

Practical tip: Before deciding, measure the narrowest space between your garden rows. If 10 inches already feels tight, the wider TJ602E may not be the best fit despite its stronger overall versatility.