Mantis electric tiller - I love it! Easy to use. Portable. Quiet.
Written: Mar 25 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great tool for keeping up lawn/garden. Anyone could use it.
Cons: Breaking ground for a large garden? May want to hire out a big tiller.
The Bottom Line: I'm glad I sprung for a Mantis. It makes gardening easier and more fun.
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| CyndiA's Full Review: Mantis Tiller |
Although I use “no till” on my small vegetable garden, I’ve found that the space really needs some tilling between seasons. I also wanted to add an asparagus patch, a couple of flower gardens, and perhaps another small garden plot to keep my heirloom tomatoes from crossing. This meant that I was going to do some real backbreaking hand digging if I didn’t buy a tiller.
I do have a small gas tiller. It’s a cheap model, and I really hate it. The pin that holds the whole thing together shakes out every couple of time that I use it. It’s smoky, smelly, and loud. The worst thing though is that I have one heck of a time pull cord starting it.
Mantis has been sending me sales literature for several years now. Frankly, I wish they were a little less aggressive on the spring campaigns. Still, I did have their product in mind so went online and read more about the little red tiller.
When I discovered that Mantis now has an electric model, I decided that I would spring for a new tiller. I’ve been so much happier with electric over gas with pull cords. Start up is never a problem with an electric motor. Electric is also much cleaner and quieter.
I did call the Mantis company and ask some questions about the electric version. Some years back they had an electric on the market and pulled it. After perfecting the electric design they offered it this second time. So, if you read on the electric version or hear someone talking about it, be sure that they are discussing the new electric Mantis which has been out three years currently.
Another thing to know about the electric version is that some of the Mantis attachments do not work with the electric model. Anything that is NOT ground level is not sold to the electric owners. For example, the lady on the phone said the hedge trimmer was for the gas only model, because the electric does not have the same shut off safety. All the garden/lawn attachments are fine for the electric route, so if you’re looking for lawn/garden help, then you’re fine.
It did take close to two months for the electric Mantis to arrive. My guess is that the company serviced direct buyers over Amazon buyers. Another advantage to direct purchase is that they offer to pick it up at your home at no cost if you decide to return the tiller for any reason. However, the Amazon cost was lower. With an on site discount, the difference was close to $40 and did include the free edger (though the description was not really clear on that). If you do cost compare, notice that Amazon will beat the price by 10 percent if they are not offering the best price.
Assembly was quick and easy. My 12 year old put the Mantis together in about 15 minutes. The only tool required was a 7/16 wrench.
The first time we used the Mantis the bolt holding the metal piece that stretches between the two handles shook out and got lost in the garden. That was irritating, but it was pretty obvious that the nut was not screwed down as tight as it should have been. We bought another nut and corrected that problem.
There are two ways to use the basic tiller. First, you have the till option and second the weed option. To make the change, you pull out the pins and switch the two blade pieces around. That only takes a few seconds. With till, you dig down 10 or more inches. With weed, you go only a couple of inches deep so as not to disturb your roots.
In addition (at least this year), you get an edger in the package. That is a separate blade with a wheel. The wheel runs on the sidewalk with the blade cutting a neat edge. Or, you can put one of the till blades on and cut edge with some tilling beside to give the garden a nice manicured look.
To run the tiller, you must connect a heavy duty outside drop cord. There is a guide on the tiller to keep it out of the way and to keep the cord from pulling out. They also offer a cord holder that looks handy though we did not spring for that this year.
Before starting, select the speed. A slide button on top goes fast, medium, slow. It’s a good idea to try slow until you get the feel for the machine.
To start the motor, you press down on the safety button on top and then pull the trigger below. Start up is immediate.
If you are tilling unbroken ground, it works out better to dig a little start hole. The tiller must have something to grab, and it’s hard to grab solid ground especially with grass or thatch holding it together. Once you get started, you just go back and then forward in sections gradually tilling a larger area.
It does take longer to use the Mantis over a big tiller. My dad can till my small garden in about 10 minutes with his monster tiller while it takes closer a half hour when I use the Mantis. The big advantage with the small tiller is that the ground is broken much finer than with the big tiller. It’s also much, much easier to handle the little Mantis than the big tiller. It might be a good idea to borrow or hire out a first ground breaking with a big tiller but then to go back and really break down the soil with the Mantis. With smaller plots, it’s not really a problem to do the whole thing (even from the start) with the Mantis. But, if you have a large family sized garden, I’d suggest having the space tilled with a big tiller first.
The Mantis does bounce a bit as would be expected with the light weight (under 20 lbs). Once you use the machine for a few minutes, it’s easy to adjust manually and to cut down on the jumping motion. My soil is heavy North Carolina clay, and I’ve never yet seen a hand tiller than did not bounce some. Though the Mantis does bounce a bit, it does a great job breaking down the packed soil. I read somewhere that the machine was actually designed in my state and with clay soil. I can’t swear to that story, but I can say that the Mantis does an excellent job with red clay dirt. I’ve even used it with wet dirt with good results. The blades do get pretty dirty though. They need to be washed after use and sprayed with WD40.
If you have weeds like Bermuda grass (horrible stuff), you can get tangles in the Mantis blades. Since the blades come off with pins, it’s not a problem to detangle. This same fix can be used for small rocks lodged in the blades. This may not seem like a big deal, but my old tiller was really hard to clean out. Mantis is much easier when it comes to blade maintenance.
I’ve been really happy with the Mantis electric. It really worked up my soil—very fine, loose dirt. I then planted my cool season seeds and then put newspaper over the garden and added mulch on top. I won’t worry about the soil until next year when I’ll till prepare again. No till (with a little pre season tilling) has worked out great for my family.
The Mantis also done a nice job edging the no till area, edging the sidewalks and even cutting new ground for my new beds. If I’m not careful, I’m going to end up tilling up my whole yard.
I love the small size and light weight and portability. The boys and I can use this machine with very little effort. It starts immediately and does the job. The handles fold down for storage or to carry this over to my sister’s house or to a friend’s. It’s very quiet and does not shoot out smoke all over the neighborhood.
If you order directly from Mantis at http://mantisgardentools.com or 1-800-366-6268, then you have a year trial and can call them to pick up the tiller at no cost if you’re not satisfied. If you order through Amazon, you don’t have the one year return, but you get a lower price, and you have the standard 2 year warranty.
Customer service is very helpful at Mantis. They will answer your questions and are very knowledgeable. They will gladly send out information and a short video about the tillers. Be sure to ask for the electric package, or you will get the gas packet by default.
If you do order, you get an excellent use and service booklet. Often directions are hard to understand and follow. The Mantis materials are first rate. You’ll also have an order form, so if you ever need to replace parts, you have the information right at your fingertips.
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I am really sold on electric yard tools!
If you are thinking about shifting from gas and pull cords, then you may want to check out my reviews on the following electric models.
I bought the Black and Decker lawnmower last year and have been very happy with it.
http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Lawn_and_Garden-Power_Tools-Mowers-Black___Decker_18__Electric_Lawn_Hog_Mulching_Mower_MM575/display_~reviews
Black and Decker has a weedeater that I really love too. It’s small and easy to handle, but it does the job.
http://www.epinions.com/content_100085370500
I love my Remington chainsaw. It’s not a big one for huge trees, but it’s wonderful for the day-to-day jobs in my yard.
http://www.epinions.com/content_108781407876
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
CyndiA
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 in Home and Garden |
 - Top 50 |
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Member: Cyndi
Location: out in the yard grilling
Reviews written: 1158
Trusted by: 634 members
About Me:
Get some sleep and dream of rock 'n roll - Bread.
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