My Mantis is a terrific tool for cultivating an established garden with not
too many rocks. It is not a sod buster. If you can keep a chain saw running you
will have no trouble getting the Mantis to start and run well.


I have to disagree with this. I have 2 Echo chainsaws and an Echo weed
trimmer that I have no problems with at all. The engine on the Mantis is
the same brand, and in fact it looks like the same engine as the weed
trimmer, but it is far more temperamental. I think maybe it needs a new
carburator, but I use the same gas (Echo or Stihl oil plus Amoco "silver"
gasoline) in all four 2-cycle engines and I maintain them the same. The
Mantis is the only one that causes trouble. Even when I get it started, it
is impossible to adjust the carb to keep it to running right.

Best regards,
Bob