I've had two: a Mantis, and a Honda I got when the Mantis quit after a
couple of years.

Each of them had an arm behind the tines, and you could attach wheels to
the arm for transporting it (they were actually light enough to just
pick up), or attach an adjustable stake. The instruction manuals said
to take the wheels off when cultivating, and use the stake to control
the depth. Both worked well that way, although the Mantis didn't last
due to engine problems.

I find it hard to visualize how one would work with the wheels on and
the control stake behind them; it would appear that the wheels would
prevent the tines from digging in. But as some posters have said, there
are many brands out there and it would be best to find an operating
manual to insure safe operation.

Jon Danniken wrote:
Hi, this should be my last roto-tiller question for the time being.

My front tine roto-tiller has wheels (behind the front tines), and it also
has a hinged stake thingy behind the wheels. The wheels have a mechanism
which allows them to easily be removed as an assembly.

When you roto-till, do you take the wheels off of yours and use the hinged
stake thingy for rear support? Or do you leave the wheels on and use the
stake at the same time?

Thanks for any help with this,

Jon