Me, My Wife and The Mantis Tiller.
Written: May 17 '04 (Updated Mar 29 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight. Easy to use. Fits in small area. Perfect for my Wife to use.
Cons: Gas ratio. Clogging tines. A bit pricey.
The Bottom Line: I recommend the Mantis tiller for anyone looking for a tiller for smaller tilling jobs such as between rows in gardens or flowerbeds.
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| Steelfan's Full Review: Mantis Tiller |
Yesterday, a very rare thing happened at our house. My Wife asked me to show her how to use a power tool or in this case a garden power tool. She has at least 5 flowers beds around our house, and is having a bit of trouble controlling the weeds. So she asked if I would show her how to operate our Mantis Tiller. After I got over the shock, I gave her a quick overview and away she went. I must say that she handled this little guy pretty well. I realize that many things have already been said about this tiller, but I think that I can add a little more.
My Mantis (Oops, I mean our Mantis).
The Mantis is powered by a 21.2 cc. two cycle engine which start easily by pushing the priming bulb about 3 times, pulling the choke, and pulling the cord. Most times it starts on the second pull. There is a kill-switch on the handle for shutting down the engine. The tines are about 8 ½” across and are curved and twisted for maximum tilling. They rotate at up to 240 RPM only when the throttle engaged. These tines are easily removed with by pulling a cotter pin and are guaranteed not to break. The throttle is on the handle and has a locking feature for longer tilling jobs. The bicycle type handles curves inward and backward to make holding the tiller easier. This handle bar has a 6” gripping area with covers, and the bar that meets the tiller is about 45” for those taller people. The tiller can be carried by the plastic handle which is mounted on these bars. This tiller only weights about 20 Lbs. I also got the Edger attachment with this tiller which I have no use for. It is still in the box.
Starting and operating the Mantis.
The pre-starting procedure was discussed earlier, but I found a nice little way to make things easier. Since this tiller is so lightweight, I found that by holding the tiller with my left hand and resting my left leg over the bars, then pulling the rope with my right hand that the tiller does not move. The main problem is the tiller wants to move when you pull the cord, this little hint helps stop that from happening. Operation is pretty straight forward. Once the tiller is started just squeeze the trigger to start tilling. For the best tilling results, you should pull the tiller toward you. Using it almost like a rake or a hoe, but being careful not to pull it onto your feet.
What I like.
Our Mantis is about 3 years old, and I have a bunch of things that I like about it. First, the real reason why I bought it which is this tiller fits perfectly between the rows in my garden even later in the year when my plants are full grown. Before I had this tiller, I used a hand cultivator. Also the tines are easy to remove, but still loosen the soil very well. The removal of the tines is very important, and is something that I will address in the next section. My Wife can handle this tiller with little problem. This fact saves me from helping her in her flowerbeds (Yuck). It’s lightweight and easily carried or hauled if need be. The addition of the carrying handle is quite a nice feature.
What I don’t like.
First thing that I will mention is that weeds and grass get tangled in the tines too often. Also if you do catch a stone most times it ends up between the tines and the guard causing you to remove the tines to get it out. Next the gas ratio is different from my LawnBoy mower, so I need two different mixes of oil/gas. The Mantis uses a 50:1 ratio and the mower uses a 32:1. I have a 1 gallon can for my tiller and a 2 gallon can for my mower. Still I wish that it used the same mix. Thirdly, the tiller can bounce in hard soil or if you catch a stone. Sometimes this bouncing damages the plant that you are tilling around. I usually lose at least one plant to this every year. Last but not least, you can pull this tiller onto your foot. I have not did this yet, but I came close a few times. Please be very careful when pulling the tiller toward you. I almost forgot this tiller is a bit pricey. We bought our tiller through Ebay from a dealer in Texas for $229, but shipping costs offset some of my savings
I still recommend the Mantis.
For those who are looking for a tiller to do small tilling jobs, this is the tiller for you. Or if you are like me and have a larger tiller that is sometimes too big for the job, this tiller is perfect. This product does most of what it says it will, and sometimes even more. The likes in my case far outweigh the dislikes, and I can live with all of the little problems. This little guy saves me time and energy every year. And now my Wife is even using it which is a big help to me. I’m as happy as can be that I don’t need to till those flowerbeds anymore. Happy Tilling!!!
Thanks for checking out my reviews!!!
Steelfan
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Steelfan
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 in Home and Garden |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Kent Dobson
Location: Central PA
Reviews written: 170
Trusted by: 183 members
About Me:
Casual Woodworker and Novice Handyman. Tools and Lawn/Garden are my favorite areas. Go Steelers!!!
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