Rotavators - or Rotovators both spellings are in common usage

Q. I'm looking into buying a rotavator but unfortunately I know very little about them and their problems. Could you shed some light on these machines and any issues associated with them like how long it will last for and whether they dig in etc?

A.  Rotavators are not deep diggers, they will reach the top 2-4" of the soil. They can be very hard work to use (but a lot easier than a spade for the area covered). How long will they last? Well like a lawn mower, they should be matched in power to the area to be covered, and when used they are better doing a little and often than a lot every now and then.

I tend to think of them more as a sort of heavy-power-hoe rather than a spade substitute. They are best suited for actively used vegetable / flower plots or market gardens where crops of various types are grown. They can be used to incorporate compost / manure that has been spread on the surface, they won't get it down deep, but they certainly will get it down under the soil.