I got this tiller because we needed to get our raised beds in AND we had to plant a bunch of bulbs before snowfall. It did a pretty decent job of ripping out a section of lawn to extend the garden. Once through the grass, it was pretty easy. I would NOT recommend trying to install a large garden this way, as the grass would clog the tines and would have to be removed. Rent a sod-kicker and then till. Where this tiller really shone was when I double-dug the garden for the raised beds. The first beds took (DW) about 4 hours by hand. The next two took me 40 minutes apiece, and I think they are done better.
The unit seems quite well built and started every time right away. Read the manual, but two-stroke starting is aways turn ON, prime, choke on, pull till you get a "pop", choke off, and start.
In operation, the unit is quite powerful and nimble, and really aerates the soil well. It is a touch noisy, as it is a two stroke. I would recommend wearing earplugs, but it's okay without them too. One reviewer wonders why it is a two-stroke. Basically, it's pretty hard to beat the power to weight ratio of a two stroke. A four-stroke ends up being less powerful, heaver, or more expensive. One reviewer kinda wishes it was a bit heavier. I could see that, as it can skip a bit if you don't watch the power--but I really like the light weight for extended use. Also, tilling is hard work, no matter what the happy lady looks like in the ads. This makes it a lot easier, though.
I bought this as a refurb unit from "Two Guys and a Dog" in Ebay and I could not be more pleased with their quick service. Their quick shipping and the Mantis got me out a bind, and endeared me to the DW (darling wife).
One annoyance is that the on/off switch is placed in such a way that you can bump it to the off position inadvertently. This happened more than a few times.
Recommended:
Yes
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