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We have a dedicated garden, about 25' x 40'.
The soil has been worked every year for about 8 years.

So I'm not looking for something that needs to break sod or heavy
clay.

We can't afford a more heavy-duty tiller this year, and I'd like to
have something of my own so I can stop borrowing tillers.

The Mantis seems decent for the price. I see that Troy-Bilt makes a
similar cultivator in the same price range.

The Mantis comes with a free edger, and they have a plow/furrower
attachment for $50.

They also have a 1-year, no-hassle return policy.

Can anyone comment on these cultivators from personal experience?

I just got a Crafstman Cultivator/Edger with a 4 cycle engine (no mixing of
gas and oil). It also has Incredi-Pull for easier stating. I've used it
for an hour so far and like it a lot. It's smooth running and doesn't
bounce around. I chose it because of it's small size, the oil mixing issue,
and also because it was the heaviest engine. I believe the extra weight
helps it dig in better. I had tried a rentedmantis a year ago to dig up a
strawberry patch but I foubd it hard to work with and fairly bouncy.