I have a double allotment plot which has nice easy to dig sandy/peaty soil.
As I get older/lazier I have been increasingly attracted to the thought of
purchasing a cultivator for the plot. There are lots of adverts for the
Mantis cultivator at the moment and I just wondered if anyone has used one
and has any comments on their reliability etc or likely competitor
machines....

Myself and two fellow allotment gardeners invested in a Mantis Last spring. I can't heap enough praise on this bit of kit! It does everything you would expect and is so easy to use I find I will get it out for even small jobs . It is a very different animal to a conventional walk behind rotivator in that you pull it towardsyou walking backwards so not treading on what you have just worked.We would sorely miss it now!

observations rather than drawbacks -If used for extended periods (over an hour in my case) the vibration makes your hands go a bit numb
It is 2 stroke noisy
If used in a straight line on heavy or hard ground it leaves a ridge between the tines( I suspect the furrower attachment would overcome this).