Great Little Machine
Written: Nov 14 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Small, light weight, easy to use. Really does the job.
Cons: 2 Cycle engine, very noisy.
The Bottom Line: This machine is really only for small areas. If you have a small area, this is the one for you.
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| dalepar's Full Review: Mantis Tiller |
Last week I did my fall tilling and put away my Mantis for the winter. Made me want to write a review for here.
I do not have a very large garden area, so certainly do not want a large tiller. I had borrowed my neighbor's Mantis in 2003 and was impressed that a small machine like that did so well. In 2004 I had decided to take out some lawn and expand the garden beds. It was time to buy my own machine as I would be using it more, and really wanted to have it on hand for me to use whenever I wanted.
BUYING - I ordered mine online after checking several sites that offered it, including the Mantis site. I ended up buying it from Tool King. As I recall they were offering free shipping. Surprise, it was on my porch two days later! Turns out it shipped from a warehouse across town. I would recommend that you check the internet and buy where you feel the most comfortable. Most everyone offers a edger attachment at no charge. I got one, but have never used it.
ASSEMBLY - The unit is shipped basically assembled. All you have to do is install the tines and secure the handle into the use position. It is really quite easy to be ready to use.
USING THE TILLER - First you must by 2 cycle oil, and mix your gasoline. Follow the directions.
You can set the tines one direction for tilling, and by flipping them over from left to right, the tines are then set for cultivating. The tines do not dig in as deep in the cultivating setting. I have only used the cultivator once, and it seemed to work fine. As to tilling, this little machine will surprise you! We have heavy clay soil and have been in drought for two years. The soil was pretty hard, and I was also tilling up an area of old lawn that had not been tilled in 40 years. On the packed clay, the first pass (yes, it did take several passes on hard soil) started the breaking up process. On the next passes, the machine could really dig in and break up the soil. Which it did beautifully. It is great if you need to dig a large hole, etc.. Just keep removing the loose soil and then break up the next layer with the machine. I had to remove an old post that was set in concrete. I just kept working around the concrete and removing the dirt until I had exposed about half of the buried post.
THE UPSIDE - For a person with a small garden area this is a great investment. It really does work. It is light and can be carried anywhere. It is small so that storage is not a problem, you can hang it on a wall or whatever.
THE DOWNSIDE - Why they want to use a 2 cycle engine is beyond me. Because of the engine, you must use a oil and gasoline mixture. This mix does not keep well, even though I bought an oil that was supposed to include a stabilizer. The engine is VERY noisy, so be sure not to till early on a Sunday morning. Also, if you are going to use the machine a lot, the 2 cycle engine will have a shorter life than a 4 cycle. I have not changed the factory carburetor settings, but do find that the engine can be hard to get warmed up enough to idle when the weather is cool. Have to keep restarting it and letting it idle. Also a downside is that the tines do get clogged easily. Especially if you have plants or grass in the area you are trying to break up. The tines are easy to clean up and unclog, as they can be removed very quickly and easily.
COMPARISON - I looked at other small tillers before I made my purchase. The Mantis is great for SMALL yards. If I had a larger area I would get a small tiller with a 4 cycle engine. The best I found in that category would be the Sears or the Honda.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dalepar
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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