heloflyer's Full Review: Mantis Gas Mini Tiller/Cultivator, 2 - Cycle
I have a raised bed bordered with railroad ties in my back yard. After trying to use a hoe to loosen the soil after a Chicago winter, my keen intellect and aching back told me there must be a power tool for this job.
The criteria I set for buying a tiller was as follows:
* It had to be lightweight enough to carry * When weeding and tilling , it needed to fit between tomato cages * The tiller had to have reliable starts * Durability was essential- I tend to break things
The top two choices were the Honda Mini-Tiller and Mantis Tiller/Cultivator. I chose the Mantis because it offered a 2-cycle engine, which is powerful but lighter in weight. The Mantis uses an engine that is made by the same manufacturer for Echo String Trimmers, which are used by professionals everywhere and known for their ability to take a beating.
I ordered my tiller from the Mantis website, but you can find them at your local power equipment shop too and they will put it together and test it for you. I found the Mantis customer service was excellent and they shipped it UPS in a box to my front door. The company goes to great lengths to make assembly and operation instructions very easy to understand. They had video instructions in the box and on their website.
Once you have it outside and ready to go, make sure you have picked up some eye protection goggles as well as a gas can for your two-cycle oil & gas mix. Note: Use 89 octane unleaded gasoline.
Starting: I have used the Mantis several seasons and it never has failed to start. To start, you push the prime button a few times, pull out the choke and give it a few pulls until it sputters. Then, you push in the the choke, pull the cord and the engine starts. (if you don't use power equipment and it sounds complicated- it is really easy and the video shows you how to start the Mantis)
Tilling: Startup is easy and your tiller idles with the blades not turning. You can actually pick it up by the handle and carry it safely to the garden while it is idling. Tilling is similar to the motion of vacuuming. You let it pull itself forward and pull it back to turn over dirt. At first, it kind of chips on the surface but then it really does a nice job of turning the hard soil into soft planting soil.
Weeding: Once those tomato cages are in place, you can run the tiller through every two weeks and it takes the weeds right out. You just turn around the rotating tines so they don't dig in as deep. The blades/tines are held on by a cotter pin and you can easily remove them for cleaning or switching from weeding to tilling.
Cleaning: After you till up all that mud and weeds in your garden, cleanup is a snap. You carry the Mantis over to the water hose and spray off the blades and get the mud off it. I always pull the pins and remove the blades so I can clean them. They are guaranteed for life so don't worry about breaking anything.
Durability: The Mantis is very durable and I have owned it several years. As I mentioned, the 2-Cycle engine is used by Echo for it's trimmers so you won't break it unless you leave gas in it over the winter. I always run it dry at the end of the season. The blades are guaranteed for life so they are not going to break unless you try to till your concrete sidewalk. I think the handles could be a little more heavy duty, but they kept them light so the unit can be carried. All the parts are available if you call Mantis customer service.
Maintenance: Like any power equipment, you need to change the spark plug and do some annual maintenance. Again, if that isn't your joy in life just go down to the garden mower shop and they will do it for you. (But do it!) The Manual that comes with your Mantis is very well written with good photos that illustrate every maintenance step. Mantis even has a kit you can buy for "Handy maintenance items" that makes it a no-brainer to have everything you need on hand.
Fun Factor: Hey, you want to make gardening fun or why are you doing it? I use the Mantis to till the garden and then buy bags of mushroom compost and till that in so my soil is a rich dark color. It is really fun for my wife to can perfect tomatoes every year and to walk out and see a nicely kept garden with no weeds.
Noise: The Mantis is noisy when you run it. It sounds like those string trimmers so when I am working, I put in earplugs and I don't fire it up when the neighbors are having a glass of wine together on the back patio. (Of course if you don't like your neighbors run it on full throttle during their moments of quiet respite)
What if you don't like 2-cycle engines? If you prefer to just put regular gas in your tiller and have it start on one easy pull of the cord, buy the Mantis with the optional Honda Engine. The Honda small Engines are world renowned for being the easiest to start and are very reliable.
Lightweight: Just 20 pounds. Easy to lift; convenient carrying handle Reliable Easy-To-Start Engine: Commercial-grade two-cycle engine with pushbutton...More at Sears
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