Gets the job done
Written: Oct 21 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Performance, versatility.
Cons: Somewhat pricey, somewhat flimsy. (Another person said engineering.)
The Bottom Line: If you have a small to medium space, and anticipate using it regularly, this is a good tool even for the price. No bargain but still good value.
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| davek913's Full Review: Mantis Tiller |
I bought this tiller a few years ago to till around half of our back yard. We have fairly dense soil in our yard, and one area was pretty much without grass. Mantis had a special where you received a supply package, the edging attachment, and a payment plan so I said, why not?
This is an easy to assemble tool, very straight forward. I was ready to go in around a half hour. I was somewhat startled the first time I started it, as it is fairly loud when you engage the throttle. My first thought was, "Man, this sounds like some big old chainsaw."
Once I got the feel for controlling it, I started off. It took me around an hour and a half to till a 20 x 50 foot area 4-5 inches deep. Needless to say, I was pleased. It's fairly easy to control, although it will pull you along some until you get used to it. It tilled the ground fairly effortlessly though. I've never used another tiller so I can't compare it to anything, but for its size it did a very good job, I'm sure. One caveat: Beware roots over a quarter inch or so. We have 8 trees in our backyard, and the area is speckled with roots just beneath the top of the ground. Above a 1/4 inch or so, they will bind the tines up. Smaller ones will wrap themselves around the shaft. I'll address this later.
I said okay. That works for me, and decided to try the edger. Switching from the tiller to the edger was fairly simple. Remove the cotter pins, and switch parts. I previously used a dedicated edging tool, so again, there was a different feel to using it. It did a fairly good job edging the driveway, our front walk and the sidewalk in front of the house. It doesn't leave a very wide border, but I don't need a 3/4 to 1 inch gap by our walks, and it didn't take long at all. Afterwards, I gave my edger to my son in law.
Maintenance is fairly straight forward. After (sometimes during) use, cut or pull away any debris that wraps around the shaft, and clean the tines off. Although the tangling can be a nuisance, Mantis does anticipate this, offering a detangling tool. I'm too earthy for that, so I just use my hands. ;-) I've used it every year I've had it for tilling and edging, and have had no problems starting it, even when it's been sitting over the winter. It's also fairly fuel efficient. I've used it 4 times to till that section of yard (Poor grass growing.), plus countless times edging, and with the addition of a fuel conditioner, have just used up the original 1 gallon can of gas I filled when I first bought it.
One knock I do have on it is the handle. It's somewhat flimsy, will twist back and forth some as you use it, and in my case, the metal actually split where it curves to attach to the body. I repaired this myself, but most people would probably have to acquire a new handle. I can't speak on their customer service as I've never used it, so I have no idea how well they would address an issue like this. If not for this issue, my durability rating for it would be a four rather than three.
Overall, this is a good versatile tool. It is on the pricey side, but most tillers are to begin with. I think most people would say "Pricey for its size", which is more descriptive, but it also does an excellent job for its size. The price wasn't as much of an issue with the payments and the package deal to me, though. I bought it primarily for one purpose, but have used it more than I anticipated. That makes it a good investment for me.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
davek913
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 1 member
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