A Tough Little Tiller!
Written: May 23 '07 (Updated May 20 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to start, quiet, powerful, no gas fumes.
Cons: The cord is somewhat bothersome, but it definitely beats a pull cord and gas fumes.
The Bottom Line: It is easy to start, quiet, small enough to maneuver around plants, and tough enough to break through clay and rocks.
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| cgkel's Full Review: Mantis Tiller |
May 2008 UPDATE
I would buy it again, in a heartbeat! It has been a year now, and the tiller is working very well. I have used it to make new flower gardens and most recently to remove a large area of ground cover. I would not want to give up my Mantis.
Why did I buy a Mantis?
We moved into a new home with no landscaping, in an area with rocky clay soil. I craved pretty surroundings and my husband abhors yard work. So I decided to get a tiller that I could handle.
After reading the ads and literature for Mantis tillers, I checked it out on Epinions to see what actual users had to say about it. Since the majority of the Epinions were quite positive, I decided to go try one.
Why choose the electric model?
That was a no-brainer for me for two reasons. 1) To be sure I could get it started by myself; and 2) to avoid gas fumes, which are a migraine trigger for me.
Okay, now where might I get the best price?
Mantis sells their Electric Model 7250 for $349. That price includes shipping plus a free border edger and kickstand. They also include a 2-year warranty and a lifetime warranty against breakage of the tines.
I bought mine on eBay from 3guys_a_dog. They sell a lot of Mantis tillers, and have 100% positive eBay feedback. Their price, with shipping and insurance was a total of $309. They also include the kickstand and border edger. As an added benefit, they put the tillers together before shipping them out.
What is in the package when it arrives?
3guys shipped it out immediately, and it arrived at my door within 48 hours. Here is what was included in the box:
The tiller (kickstand installed), and the tines
Border Edger Attachment (a separate tine, plus a small tire)
Registration Card and Owners Manual (Good information in an easy-read format)
Assembly video (No need to open that since 3_guys already handled that part.)
There was also one thing in the package that I did not expect. I had to laugh when I found a nice thank-you letter wrapped up with a ribbon and a dog treat – from their dog to our dog. Really cute! We do not have a dog, but the neighbors do.
Since I had never operated a tiller before, I read through the manual.
Here is how to operate it
Put on a pair of boots, unless you are not very fond of your toes.
Loop your extension cord through the built-in extension cord holder to help prevent it from being disconnected.
Plug it in and place the cord where you are not going to run over it.
Pick a speed. It has three speeds, and Mantis recommends using Low Speed until you get used to the feel of the tiller.
The dead switch and power button are both located on the right handle. Just squeeze them to start the tiller, and hold on!
My experience so far with the Mantis
As promised, the tiller was just about ready to go. But in order to fit the tiller back into the box, they put it together with the handles folded down and held in place with two large bolts. I could not get those bolts out of there to save my soul. So I had to wait for hubby to come home and put the handles into operating position.
Other than that, the only parts that were not installed were the tines. The manual explains how they should be installed - one way for deep tilling, and the opposite way for cultivating. They attach very easily and are then secured with tine retaining pins.
Then we took it out back to an area where he had already removed the sod and turned the soil with a shovel. We worked the area for about half an hour or so with the Mantis. It dug in, threw out the big stones, and broke the soil up nicely.
Uh-oh, this is not good!
Then we took it out front to enlarge the planting area around a tree. After about 5 or 10 minutes, the tiller abruptly quit, as if the power had been interrupted.
There is a circuit breaker on the tiller, but it was not popped. None of the house circuits were thrown, and the tiller did not work when attached to different power sources. It just totally quit after approximately 45 minutes of moderate use. Not good!
Happily, the story does not end there.
Absolute Excellence in Customer Service
I sent an email to 3guys and included our phone number. That was Friday evening.
Jeff from 3guys left a nice voicemail on Sunday morning, saying that they would make it right, one way or another. He called back Monday morning, asked a few simple questions, and then made arrangements to have the defective tiller picked up and a new one sent out - with no further expense to us. He said that they sell a lot of Mantis tillers, and problems like this are very rare.
I would highly recommend 3guys to anyone who is purchasing a Mantis. Their feedback rating on eBay is pristine, and they handled my transaction and the subsequent exchange with the utmost of courtesy and professionalism.
The replacement
The replacement tiller arrived a few days later. And we have been giving it a good workout. We have tilled up two large flower beds so far. The Mantis chews through grass and weeds, hard, dry clay soil, and spits out some big rocks. I did one of the beds myself and have also used it to work around existing plants in established flower beds.
I rated the durability of the tiller at the medium point due to our very limited experience with it. However, based on my conversation with Jeff, plus what I have read and the way it digs through our hard, rocky soil, I am hoping to enjoy it for many years to come.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cgkel
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Location: Pennsylvania
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Retired early and loving it! I enjoy the grandchildren, graphics, and tending the flowerbeds.
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