Comments on Mantis tillers?
 

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.

Doug Kanter wrote:
Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.



I have a Troy-Built version that I use only occasionally. For a small
garden it's probably sufficient. For a 40x40 I'd rate it seriously
undersized. It's basically a 2-cycle chainsaw engine driving the tiller.
Small buzzy thing. It digs OK, but I find the tillers with driven wheels
easier to keep in line (although the line is wider). My small Troy-Built
has no wheels -- just a bar that drags to keep the machine from running
away. Nothing to keep it from moving sideways except the skill (?) of
the operator. If you have rocks, it will bounce in random directions.
This is true of the larger tillers also, of course, but they're heavier
and able to withstand moderate sized rocks.

I also got an edger attachment for it. Don't bother. It turns too slow
and gathers debris on the edger wheel, causing the line it cuts to widen
and increasing the force required to hold it back (you don't use the
drag bar for edging). I got an edger that goes on my brushwhacker and it
works much better.

The bigger rototiller I have (Troy-Built horse) takes a learning curve
to operate easily. Initially it was a real struggle to turn it, but I
find that if you lift the tines out of the soil at the end of the row,
step to the side and push one handle up and sideways so it's balancing
on the opposite wheel, it turns fairly easily. It does take some
strength to lift the handle (my wife can't do it) but not nearly as much
as it does to try to horse it around with both wheels on the ground.

If you don't want to buy your own, consider hiring someone to do the
work for you. It's probably competitive with renting a machine (and
dealing with getting it from the rental place and back) and definitely
much easier on your back.

dps wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're
cheaper than renting one three times around here, and at least
according to the promo material, they're much easier than trying to
wrestle with the bigger units. I'll be using it to create a 40x40
vegetable garden, and as many flower beds as I can find time to
fiddle with.



I've got one; it's a horrible little device, and impossible to keep
running after the first year. Mine is in the shop right now, and I may
not bother to pick it up when it's ready and just let the shop keeper
have it. I don't have problems with any other 2-cycle equipment, just
the Mantis. Maybe mine just came from the factory with a bad carburator.

Also, it's too light to use to *create* a 1600 sq ft garden
unless your soil is mostly sand. It might be OK for cultivating a
garden that big after the soil was broken and most of the weeds removed.

OTOH, I bought a Honda FG-100 tiller earlier this year and it is great.
It is a little bigger and heavier than the Mantis, but that's a good
thing because it doesn't bounce around so much. It has removable
transport wheels like a big front-tine tiller if you are too weak to
carry it ;-) The Honda could probably handle a job that big without any
trouble, but it would take a while.

Best regards,
Bob

"dps" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper
than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger
units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower
beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.



I have a Troy-Built version that I use only occasionally. For a small
garden it's probably sufficient. For a 40x40 I'd rate it seriously
undersized. It's basically a 2-cycle chainsaw engine driving the tiller.
Small buzzy thing. It digs OK, but I find the tillers with driven wheels
easier to keep in line (although the line is wider). My small Troy-Built
has no wheels -- just a bar that drags to keep the machine from running
away. Nothing to keep it from moving sideways except the skill (?) of
the operator. If you have rocks, it will bounce in random directions.
This is true of the larger tillers also, of course, but they're heavier
and able to withstand moderate sized rocks.

I also got an edger attachment for it. Don't bother. It turns too slow
and gathers debris on the edger wheel, causing the line it cuts to widen
and increasing the force required to hold it back (you don't use the
drag bar for edging). I got an edger that goes on my brushwhacker and it
works much better.

The bigger rototiller I have (Troy-Built horse) takes a learning curve
to operate easily. Initially it was a real struggle to turn it, but I
find that if you lift the tines out of the soil at the end of the row,
step to the side and push one handle up and sideways so it's balancing
on the opposite wheel, it turns fairly easily. It does take some
strength to lift the handle (my wife can't do it) but not nearly as much
as it does to try to horse it around with both wheels on the ground.

If you don't want to buy your own, consider hiring someone to do the
work for you. It's probably competitive with renting a machine (and
dealing with getting it from the rental place and back) and definitely
much easier on your back.

I've been trying to find someone to do it for the past two weeks. It's
unreal - I've called 32 landscapers so far, with no luck except for one guy
who said he does rototilling, but will be out of work till December due to a
back injury. Great. The ground will be frozen by then.

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
dps wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're
cheaper than renting one three times around here, and at least
according to the promo material, they're much easier than trying to
wrestle with the bigger units. I'll be using it to create a 40x40
vegetable garden, and as many flower beds as I can find time to
fiddle with.



I've got one; it's a horrible little device, and impossible to keep
running after the first year. Mine is in the shop right now, and I may
not bother to pick it up when it's ready and just let the shop keeper
have it. I don't have problems with any other 2-cycle equipment, just
the Mantis. Maybe mine just came from the factory with a bad carburator.

Also, it's too light to use to *create* a 1600 sq ft garden
unless your soil is mostly sand. It might be OK for cultivating a
garden that big after the soil was broken and most of the weeds removed.

OTOH, I bought a Honda FG-100 tiller earlier this year and it is great.
It is a little bigger and heavier than the Mantis, but that's a good
thing because it doesn't bounce around so much. It has removable
transport wheels like a big front-tine tiller if you are too weak to
carry it ;-) The Honda could probably handle a job that big without any
trouble, but it would take a while.

Best regards,
Bob

What did the manufacturer say about the problems with the engine?

Well, I like my Mantis. It's light, easy to maneuver. The edger blade is
not all that great.
It cranks, first time, every time for me. But I use it often, and the
carburetor doesn't have a chance to gum up on me.
If I had to buy another small tiller, it would be a Mantis.
Perry
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"dps" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper
than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the
promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger
units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower
beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.



I have a Troy-Built version that I use only occasionally. For a small
garden it's probably sufficient. For a 40x40 I'd rate it seriously
undersized. It's basically a 2-cycle chainsaw engine driving the tiller.
Small buzzy thing. It digs OK, but I find the tillers with driven wheels
easier to keep in line (although the line is wider). My small Troy-Built
has no wheels -- just a bar that drags to keep the machine from running
away. Nothing to keep it from moving sideways except the skill (?) of
the operator. If you have rocks, it will bounce in random directions.
This is true of the larger tillers also, of course, but they're heavier
and able to withstand moderate sized rocks.

I also got an edger attachment for it. Don't bother. It turns too slow
and gathers debris on the edger wheel, causing the line it cuts to widen
and increasing the force required to hold it back (you don't use the
drag bar for edging). I got an edger that goes on my brushwhacker and it
works much better.

The bigger rototiller I have (Troy-Built horse) takes a learning curve
to operate easily. Initially it was a real struggle to turn it, but I
find that if you lift the tines out of the soil at the end of the row,
step to the side and push one handle up and sideways so it's balancing
on the opposite wheel, it turns fairly easily. It does take some
strength to lift the handle (my wife can't do it) but not nearly as much
as it does to try to horse it around with both wheels on the ground.

If you don't want to buy your own, consider hiring someone to do the
work for you. It's probably competitive with renting a machine (and
dealing with getting it from the rental place and back) and definitely
much easier on your back.

I've been trying to find someone to do it for the past two weeks. It's
unreal - I've called 32 landscapers so far, with no luck except for one
guy
who said he does rototilling, but will be out of work till December due to
a
back injury. Great. The ground will be frozen by then.

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 13:49:18 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.


They are okay for light use. Can be hard to start, rather on the
expensive side for what you get. For a 40x40 garden, a larger tiller
is much better.

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 13:49:18 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger
units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower
beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.


They are okay for light use. Can be hard to start, rather on the
expensive side for what you get. For a 40x40 garden, a larger tiller
is much better.

I've heard that (about size), but based on past experience, I'll be using it
to create NEW garden space, but not for ongoing maintenance. This is what's
got me wondering if the thing would be appropriate in that regard.

"Doug Kanter" expounded:

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.


I love mine, I've had it for five years now, it starts every time I
ask it to G and does exactly what I need. We've got a bigger
Troy-built that we use on the large veggie gardens, and to break sod,
etc. but for the smaller raised beds the Mantis works well.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

"Doug Kanter" expounded:

I've heard that (about size), but based on past experience, I'll be using it
to create NEW garden space, but not for ongoing maintenance. This is what's
got me wondering if the thing would be appropriate in that regard.

I wouldn't want to break sod with it.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 13:49:18 GMT, Doug Kanter wrote:
Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.

I have the electric version, and it's worked well for me in heavy clay.
Hate 2-cycle engines, and have no real need for a tiller capable of handling
large spaces (I'd hire a neighbor with a tractor for that sort of thing).

I've dug 40x40 gardens by hand... it's not so bad if you put down
occlusive mulch to kill the sod first. I suspect the Mantis is probably
going to get really boring if you're going to use it to create large beds...
its strength is in "detail work".

I"ve got a Mantis with a 4 stroke Honda engine. It works great. It's
not what I'd recommend for the first till in a big garden though. Rent
a big rear tine for your first time and then use the Mantis after
that. It"s usable in a very small space so works out well for flower
beds and cultivation.

"Ann" wrote in message
...
"Doug Kanter" expounded:

I've heard that (about size), but based on past experience, I'll be using
it
to create NEW garden space, but not for ongoing maintenance. This is
what's
got me wondering if the thing would be appropriate in that regard.

I wouldn't want to break sod with it.

Do you own one?

"Ann" wrote in message
...
"Doug Kanter" expounded:

Anyone have one? I'd appreciate comments pro or con. They're cheaper than
renting one three times around here, and at least according to the promo
material, they're much easier than trying to wrestle with the bigger
units.
I'll be using it to create a 40x40 vegetable garden, and as many flower
beds
as I can find time to fiddle with.


I love mine, I've had it for five years now, it starts every time I
ask it to G and does exactly what I need. We've got a bigger
Troy-built that we use on the large veggie gardens, and to break sod,
etc. but for the smaller raised beds the Mantis works well.

Ann, have you tried breaking sod with it? What were the results? What kind
of soil were you dealing with?

"Doug Kanter" expounded:

Do you own one?

Yes I do. I've tried to break sod with it, it worked, but it was a
struggle. The Troy-built Pony works much better G.
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************