I am thinking of getting a mantis tiller. It seems a bit small to me
to do everything claimed. They look like they would work well in
cultivated soil, but I am not so sure how they would fare in clay or
uncultivated soil.
Anybody own one or have any advise?

Thx....

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 19:52:05 -0400, luriko wrote:

I am thinking of getting a mantis tiller. It seems a bit small to me
to do everything claimed. They look like they would work well in
cultivated soil, but I am not so sure how they would fare in clay or
uncultivated soil.
Anybody own one or have any advise?

Thx....


I tried out my neighbor's Mantis and thought the construction was not
all that good. I like the Honda tiller better which is about the same
size and cost.

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 19:52:05 -0400, luriko wrote:

I am thinking of getting a mantis tiller. It seems a bit small to me
to do everything claimed. They look like they would work well in
cultivated soil, but I am not so sure how they would fare in clay or
uncultivated soil.
Anybody own one or have any advise?

Thx....


I tried out my neighbor's Mantis and thought the construction was not
all that good. I like the Honda tiller better which is about the same
size and cost.

I agree..the honda is alot better build and runs better

"luriko" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of getting a mantis tiller. It seems a bit small to me
to do everything claimed. They look like they would work well in
cultivated soil, but I am not so sure how they would fare in clay or
uncultivated soil.
Anybody own one or have any advise?


I have rented the Mantis and two Honda models. I didn't like the Manis
because it was too loud and bounced around a lot. By the time I was done my
arms and back were tired just from trying to control the thing and my ears
were ringing from the sound. It might be fine if your soil has already been
cultivated, but not for tilling a new bed for the first time or a job of
moderate size The similar sized Honda was a bit better, but only marginally
so. I found the next size Honda to be superb for a small job. It was quiet
and easy to handle, not bouncing all around. It also did a much better job.
Here is a link:
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/M...ModelName=f220

I don't know how it compares in price to the Mantis, but it sure was a lot
better. For as much as I use a tiller, it is cheaper to rent an adequate
one than to buy an inexpensive, but unsatisfactory model.

"luriko" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of getting a mantis tiller. It seems a bit small to me
to do everything claimed. They look like they would work well in
cultivated soil, but I am not so sure how they would fare in clay or
uncultivated soil.
Anybody own one or have any advise?

I have a Mantis and it works well. I have clay soil and it chews through
it. The only problem I've encountered is when stringy weeds wrap around the
axle. Mantis sells a little tool to get these out, but it is a pain in the
butt. So, I would not recomment the Mantis for breaking new ground where
there is a lot of stringy weeds.

Working in the garden, or in areas of short grass, the Mantis performs very
well. Since this is my primary use for the machine, I am a happy customer.
It starts quickly and sips the gas/oil mix very frugally. In fact, I have
had difficulty trying to get it to run out of gas.

I am using it to dig a trench tonight to bury an electrical line. That is
one function that I hadn't anticipated. Digging in my clay soil with a
shovel tends to burn a lot of calories (and build a lot of calluses).
Digging AFTER loosening the soil with the Mantis makes the job as easy as
scooping cheerios. I saved more than the price of the Mantis by NOT renting
the trencher that I was planning to use.

So, yes, I recommend the Mantis.

I had a Mantis and it consistently had engine problems after the first
summer. After the repair costs far exceeded the purchase cost, I tossed
it and got a Honda, which has performed flawlessly for quite a while.

However, for uncultivated clay soil, either of these is too small and
would take forever to do any decent sized plot. I would suggest renting
a larger model for the initial tilling, and add enough humus or other
organic matter to get the soil in good shape. Once the soil is amended,
the smaller tiller is great for tilling, or even weeding and edging.

luriko wrote:

I am thinking of getting a mantis tiller. It seems a bit small to me
to do everything claimed. They look like they would work well in
cultivated soil, but I am not so sure how they would fare in clay or
uncultivated soil.
Anybody own one or have any advise?

Thx....

--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

"luriko" wrote in message
...
Anybody own one or have any advise?

By the way, there is also the one-year trial period to consider. You can
use the Mantis for a year and then have them come and get it, if you don't
like it. There is a lifetime guarantee that the tines won't break, so you
can get new ones if they do break.

The engine will continue to start easily, if you follow the maintenance
instructions. If you are lazy and let old gas gum up in the engine, you
will probably have problems like some others have reported. Any gas engine
will have the same result from the lack of maintenance.

The dethatcher attachment has done wonders for my lawn. I expect to see
several more Mantises in my neighbors' yards this summer.

Non-Starter wrote:
"luriko" wrote in message
. ..

Anybody own one or have any advise?


By the way, there is also the one-year trial period to consider. You can
use the Mantis for a year and then have them come and get it, if you don't
like it. There is a lifetime guarantee that the tines won't break, so you
can get new ones if they do break.

The engine will continue to start easily, if you follow the maintenance
instructions. If you are lazy and let old gas gum up in the engine, you
will probably have problems like some others have reported. Any gas engine
will have the same result from the lack of maintenance.

The dethatcher attachment has done wonders for my lawn. I expect to see
several more Mantises in my neighbors' yards this summer.





If you *don't* let old gas gum up in the engine, you still might have
problems -- but they won't show up until next year after the trial
period is over. I have lots of 2-cycle equipment, and the Mantis is the
only one that gives me problems. I finally gave up on it and bought a
Honda.

Best regards,
Bob

"luriko" wrote in message
.. .

Anybody own one or have any advise?

By the way, like a lot of very successful products, the Mantis has a group
of people who like to convince you that it is not as good as it really is.
There are good reasons why so many gardeners own the Mantis.

The only way for you to know the truth is for you to try it out, and let
them pay to take it back if you don't like it.

Non-Starter wrote:
By the way, like a lot of very successful products, the Mantis has a
group
of people who like to convince you that it is not as good as it really
is.
There are good reasons why so many gardeners own the Mantis.

Don't confuse successful marketing with good products. McDonalds sell a
lot of hamburgers, but few people, even among their regular customers,
would say McDonalds has a good hamburger. (And I'd suspect that most of
those who think it's a good hamburger simply don't have a large enough
frame of reference.)

Call up a non-gardening friend or relative, and tell them you got a
mini-tiller, and half will say "you mean like a Mantis?", and the other
half wouldn't know what you meant unless you compare it to a Mantis.
That has a lot to do with the continued success of the Mantis despite
better alternatives like the Honda.

The only way for you to know the truth is for you to try it out, and
let
them pay to take it back if you don't like it.

Sure. Why not. It's only your time and trouble invested.

On the other hand, unless you can compare it to something, your frame of
reference is only your expectations. If it meets your expectations, it's
good enough, and it doesn't matter if the Honda exceeds your exceeds
your expectations because you'll never know.

That's why people ask for opinions from others, and why the opinions of
those who've tried both mean more than a one year trial. Ten of those
folks know far better how well a Mantis stacks up than a hundred people
who can only say the Mantis met or exceeded their expectations, but have
nothing to compare it to.

When it comes right down to the bottom line, if your argument is that
it's good because they sold a lot of them, that's really not a very
convincing endorsement unless. We're talking power equipment, not pop
music or fashion.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Compare the newest tax preparation software apps:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/taxes/index.html

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:50:13 -0600, zxcvbob
wrote:

Non-Starter wrote:
"luriko" wrote in message
...

Anybody own one or have any advise?


By the way, there is also the one-year trial period to consider. You can
use the Mantis for a year and then have them come and get it, if you don't
like it. There is a lifetime guarantee that the tines won't break, so you
can get new ones if they do break.

The engine will continue to start easily, if you follow the maintenance
instructions. If you are lazy and let old gas gum up in the engine, you
will probably have problems like some others have reported. Any gas engine
will have the same result from the lack of maintenance.

The dethatcher attachment has done wonders for my lawn. I expect to see
several more Mantises in my neighbors' yards this summer.





If you *don't* let old gas gum up in the engine, you still might have
problems -- but they won't show up until next year after the trial
period is over. I have lots of 2-cycle equipment, and the Mantis is the
only one that gives me problems. I finally gave up on it and bought a
Honda.

Best regards,
Bob


My neighbor has a Mantis. It started just fine for two years, then he
had all kinds of starting issues.

Phisherman wrote:
On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:50:13 -0600, zxcvbob
wrote:


Non-Starter wrote:

"luriko" wrote in message
m...


Anybody own one or have any advise?


By the way, there is also the one-year trial period to consider. You can
use the Mantis for a year and then have them come and get it, if you don't
like it. There is a lifetime guarantee that the tines won't break, so you
can get new ones if they do break.

The engine will continue to start easily, if you follow the maintenance
instructions. If you are lazy and let old gas gum up in the engine, you
will probably have problems like some others have reported. Any gas engine
will have the same result from the lack of maintenance.

The dethatcher attachment has done wonders for my lawn. I expect to see
several more Mantises in my neighbors' yards this summer.





If you *don't* let old gas gum up in the engine, you still might have
problems -- but they won't show up until next year after the trial
period is over. I have lots of 2-cycle equipment, and the Mantis is the
only one that gives me problems. I finally gave up on it and bought a
Honda.

Best regards,
Bob



My neighbor has a Mantis. It started just fine for two years, then he
had all kinds of starting issues.


That's probably when the plastic base of the carburator warped.
(whoever heard of using plastic for a carburator? It warps due to the
heat from the manifold)

Bob

"Non-Starter" wrote in message
...
"luriko" wrote in message
.. .

Anybody own one or have any advise?

By the way, like a lot of very successful products, the Mantis has a group
of people who like to convince you that it is not as good as it really is.
There are good reasons why so many gardeners own the Mantis.

The only way for you to know the truth is for you to try it out, and let
them pay to take it back if you don't like it.


I did try it and was unimpressed. I also didn't think that much of the
equivalent Honda, although it may be better engineered. If I were going to
use a tiller very often, I wouldn't get the Mantis simply because it was too
loud and vibrated too much. It also had a tendency to get large stones
jammed in the tines. Since I only use a tiller once a year, sometimes less,
it seems more economical to rent one and let someone else deal with the
storage and maintenance. As others have pointed out, the Mantis and the
smallest Honda are more like cultivators than tillers. For cultivating a
bed that has previously been worked and amended, I can use the cultivator
attachment for my Ryobi.

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 08:52:57 -0500, "Non-Starter"
wrote:

"luriko" wrote in message
...
Anybody own one or have any advise?

Mantis was the first to produce these mini-tillers that I was aware
of. Since they apparently were the first to market, they have a
pretty good following. I have one that's about 10 years old, but it's
harder to start than my other 2 cycle engines - but it's an old
carbeurator without the priming bulb, so that may have something to do
with it.

Consumer Reports just did a review of mini-tillers. IIRC Honda was
the one they liked the best. Mantis came in in the middle of the
pack. I didn't read the article carefully since I'm not currently
shopping for one, but I think the features they liked about the Honda
were that it was a little heavier so it tilled easier, was eaiser to
start, and didn't require mixing gas and oil.

RWL


******* Remove NOSPAM to reply *******

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 23:27:21 GMT, Phisherman wrote:



My neighbor has a Mantis. It started just fine for two years, then he
had all kinds of starting issues.

One of the things that's worked for me was to remove the screws to the
jets and squirt carb cleaner in the holes if it's hard starting in the
Spring. You have to screw the jet in first and count the number of
revolutions until it bottoms out. That way when you put it back in
after spraying out the jet passages you know how far out to back out
the needle to get it to where it had been before you removed it..

RWL


******* Remove NOSPAM to reply *******