Mantis Tiller

Pros: light, mechanically sound
Cons: not for new plot

I have owned my Mantis tiller for four years and it has never needed any work. I actually share it with a neighbor. We have our gardens tilled with a larger tiller, then come behind it with the Mantis to get the beds ready for planting. The only...

Pros: Lightweight, easy to use
Cons: Not made for large areas.

After watching several infomercials on this product, I just had to have it. It is one of the very few products we have ordered off TV, that has not been a disappointment to us.
We've had the Mantis tiller for over 2 years and enjoy using it. Being...

Pros: light weight, good value, works in hard clay
Cons: sometimes difficult to start

I received the Mantis Tiller as a gift this past Christmas. I had been looking at them very seriously for about 3 months prior. My husband was hesitant because we live in Georgia and the ground is HARD red clay with quite a few rocks. My mother-in-law...

Pros: Takes a lot of the grunge out of an otherwise pleasurable hobby.
Cons: A little short for tall people - some back strain after more than a few minutes.

I bought the Mantis two year's ago (1998)to help take some of the "chore" out of my summer hobby. The Mantis was affordable, and it is a work-horse. It is perfect for the homeowner with a small plot. I wouldn't use this if I had to till a...

Pros: Light weight for light jobs. Quick and easy to use but has service limitations.
Cons: Not for heavy soils. Broke tines often and motor siezed just outside of warranty.

Great little tiller for smaller jobs. Purchased this to do a small garden in the north east. Soil is hard and has some rocks (up to fist size) and this little thing did a reasonable job. This is NOT for soil that's difficult to till, though (as it can be ...

Pros: It a tear it up digger with plenty of power for the tuff stuff.
Cons: It also flys- if you're not careful. Weeds and vines love the Mantis tines.

I'm in the mountains of North Carolina where rock and hard clay were born. You don't want to lug one of those heavy tillers up and down a mountain side when you can lift up your Mantis like a suitcase. You want something that's easy to start? I can start...

Pros: Amazingly strong tilling power for an electric device.
You get what you pay for and more!
Cons: None.

I've have had the Mantis electric tiller for a few months now and am thoroughly impressed by it.  All of my yard sections had not been tilled in approx. 3 years, most of which had little to no grass/plants, and the dirt became severely ...

Pros: Manageable, quiet!, no gas fuss, digger! True tine guarantee.
Cons: The limit of my satisfaction has been the length of my extension cord.

Two years ago I was looking for a manageable tiller for my established vegetable garden beds -- the rental 8hp was like surgery with an ax. Clicking around I noted a variety of small tillers that caught my eye, and then a "Mantis Electric Tiller". I ...

Pros: easy to maneuver; tough on hard packed soil
Cons: be careful that it doesn't jump too high and hurt you or someone else

The Mantis Tiller is perfect for small to medium sized tilling projects. It is very light weight but able to handle even difficult hard packed soil. My Mom purchased a Mantis a couple of years ago and she and I have used it to create numerous new...

Pros: light and powerful
Cons: expensive, poor starting

Have had experience with 4 different Mantis tillers. My parents had the only one that was fairly reliable. The other 3 belong to a couple of my friends and I. The three of us have had nothing but problems. The tillers after a year, even with minimal...

Pros: Great when new.
Cons: Starts breaking down after the first year to the point of being unusable.

I've owned my Mantis tiller for five years now. During the first year it worked great. During the second year I started having trouble with getting it started despite the machine receiving recommended maintenance and careful winter storage. Some parts ...

Pros: Does not compact the earth, light weight, fluffy earth.
Cons: Difficult to impossible to start, finicky about gas, I dread trying to use it.

My tiller is nearly impossible to start! I absolutely dread trying to use it because it gives me nothing but trouble. I've tried everything. When I first tried to use it my dad couldn't start it, my boyfriend couldn't start it, and I had to take it to...

Pros: Small but powerful!
Cons: None that I have found!

This little tiller has really served us well. We have been able to till so many things in our yard. We were even able to till a drainage trench to solve a flooding problem. We don't have much room in our garage, so the small size and the light weight...

Pros: Versatility. Ease of use. Light weight.
Cons: Not for large new gardens. I didn't get it 2 years ago.

I was tired of digging out flower beds for my mom by hand. So I decided to give the Mantis a try. I figured with a 1 year warranty there was no risk. It's a great little machine. Unlike a big tiller, I could get in and around plants my mom already ...

Pros: Does a good job if you can start it.
Cons: Hard to start, tines clog with rocks, grass.

I got the mantis maybe 5 years ago. I didn't get to use it at all this past summer 'cause it would never start. It won't bust up a new plot, but I generally turn the soil with a spade, and then go over it with the Mantis, which produces...