Well . . . I could have chosen an easier pile of material to show off my Mantis Roto Tiller with, but instead I decide to tackle a compost pile that is covered with small tree branches! But at that’s what I had available so I ran with it. Later on as I get my new nursery established I’ll give you some better demonstrations.
I promise not to share your email
Wow!
Dear Mike; We have gone thru ‘2’ Mantis – first one 5 days after the 1 year warranty was ‘OVER’ – the ‘sealed’ compartment went kapooo-yee! (of course Mantis would NOT do a thing/even with my taking photos of several convex beveled worn off gears), Then we bought a used one and installed that onto ours – and it worked only for 2 more hours. We are working up pre-worked flower beds and pre-commercially rototilled (nice loamy fluffy soiled) gardens. We have no sticks-n-stones to harm our tillers.
In comparing the Mantis while we anticipating to purchase YET another one we found that ECHO makes the Mantis but theirs has MORE horsepower along with a 2 yr instead of a 1 yr warranty, than the Mantis. We now have had our Echo for a month over that first year with NO PROBLEMS.
After roto-tilling (deep) our gardens we line out our ‘paths’ with weed barrier and then in the allocated 12 inches of space between we use this little TILLER’s furrower attachment to trench the rows into which we plant our 3800+ Dahlia tubers of 500+ varieties. We also have an edger for our flower beds and find that using it with it’s regular purpose; it is great to fluff up the flower beds amoungst plants, shrubs ‘n trees.
Just sharing our comparison/s. Have a great day; Glenn ‘n Mike, Oregon
Coming from you, I totally trust your judgment on this tool.
Marie
My wife and son gave me an electric version of the Mantis Tiller for Christmas since that is the one I wanted. I bought a 50 ft.12 gauge wire extension cord to use with it. It is just as powerful as the gasoline versions and a lot quieter. Needless to say, I tilled my garden in early Spring with it and can vouch for its effectiveness. I so enjoyed using it, I expanded my vegetable garden area just to have more fun with the tiller. Now you’ve shown me I can use it to turn my compost pile. I hadn’t thought about that, but I will try that soon. May be one of the best Christmas presents ever.
i use my mathis to dig holes when i plant my roses or trees. i also use it to dig trenches for my water lines and i have hard soil. it is the neatest thing that i have used in my garden.
I never thought to use a roto-tiller on compoist until I was turning the pile in 105 degree heat. I got fed up with the pitch fork and then hit me- The Mantis!!! I love that tiller! Great site Mike! Sometimes it’s easy to forget with all the heat and hard work, but you remind me why I’m in the business!
Nice video….I’m looking forward to see how you use it in the garden, both for weeding and rototilling. I have one and have had real problems in getting it to start. There is not a Mantis dealer in my home town. When I get to “the big city”, I always stop at any Mantis dealer and/or large equipment shop to ask them if they have any secrets on making the Mantis easy start. All reply “fresh gas” and 50:1 oil. I obtain new gas each month and still it’s an adventure to get it to start. Once it get going, it’s OK. I’d sure welcome any comments on making it easier to start. Thank you for all you do….Wes
Wes, I had the same problem. After several times of failure, I took the air cleaner off, and to my amazement the machine started right away. I had to do this on 3 occasions and then the machine started right up , following the directions in the manual.
Hope this helps you, Lee
one thing Wes, after the machine starts put the air claner back on before tilling
I also have problems getting my tiller started. I added a teaspoon of gas in the air filter and it started. My husband said I was luckey it didn’t catch fire. But it worked, and I really like my tiller I brough used in a yard sale for 100.00. It sure does a good job in my raised vegetable garden.
Wes,
Make sure you have your choke out the first couple of times you pull the cord. Once it sounds like its going to fire then put the choke in and the 3rd time it will start. I hope this helps you. I had trouble starting mine too and I always prime it 6 times then use the choke then push the choke in just before its fires. Hope this help…..
Nancy
I basically agree, however, I have some comments about he electric model, which I suspect alot of older folks buy. Many of us prefer electric to gas,
I’m on my third electric Mantis, having found out that the motor burns out too easily. Replacement motors are about $80 from Mantis. I use mine alot for ‘sheet composting’: I spread horse manure and shredded leaves about 6″ deep on a 8′ x 10′ patch of Kansas clay, and rototill it to about 12″ deep. I have found it is best to run the motor no more than 10 minutes at a time, and then set it aside to rest for 1/2 hour or more while I do other things. It certainly does alot of work, but the electric motor should be much more heavy duty.
By the way, Mike, how about using an electric lawn mower to run over small piles of dried leaves to shed them? I’m having great luck doing this with my Black & Decker, having had a bad experiance with a $300 chipper/shredder recently. As soon as the bag is full, you just take it off and spread them wherever you want.
Spunky little critter…. I need one of those.
This was great…Thanks Mike for showing us what this machine can do.
I love this idea because I cant turn my compose over myself and most of the time there is no one to help so I am going to buy a Mantis and do the same thing I just watched you do. Thank you Mike I havent been able to read or do anything to much as of yet this year but I am looking forward to July to start something. Thank you for the information and I will get back to you when I am done using my Mantis in my compost bin.
I’m going to have to get one of those.
My tiller needs a rebuild. Can you send me a engine rebuild kit? Or would it be better just to
get a new one?
Byron Cox Jackson, Tennessee
Byron, I took my mantis to the local Sears affiliated mechanic and had the carb rebuilt and a new gas tank put on. this cost $132 and I think it was worth it my tiller runs like new.
Pat, I did the same thing. New carburetor installed and it runs like a charm.
Mike that compost pile is nothing. I’ve had my Mantis for 6 or 7 years. It’s the best $300 I ever spent. I live in Tucson and between the invasive grasses and caliche (a hard mineral in the soil that prohibits roots and water penetrating it), gardening before the Mantis was a nightmare. I used it to rid the yard of the grasses and use it for digging holes through the caliche in order to plant rescued cactus.
I bought my Mantis about 8 years ago and it is still going strong. Wouldn’t want to be without it.
I’ve had my Manthis for so many years I can’t remember when I bought it. Mine has no trouble starting but I do add STA-BIL every time I get gas some times it sets over winter and starts in spring. But I do love it don’t know what I would do without it.
Thanks, Mr McGroarty. I’ve subscribed to your news letter for quite a while now, keep up the good work and keep these informative videos coming!
I am 63 andI have been using the Mantis Tiller for over 10 years on my 5 acres. It is the best tool I have purchased. I have also removed the tines on one side so I can do some very close tilling around my plants like my Day Lilies and other flower beds. On one ocassion I planted a pretty large tree that had a large root ball. I used the tiller and my son shoveled the dirt out of the hole. If I had not had the Mantis tiller it would have taken us much longer, and my son would have been very tired. A great machine and can easly be carried and used by a woman.
I have had a Mantis tiller for about 5 years. There are a few things that you may need to know that could make owning one a better experience.
1) Always use premiuim gasoline. Premium gasoline will make an air cooled engine run cooler. This is often over looked, and hardly ever mentioned buy the dealer, mechanic or the operators manual.
2) Always use high quality 50:1 oil. Don’t even think about buying some no name brand that’s on sell to save a couple of bucks. These tillers are to expensive to risk using cheap oil in your mix. DO NOT use straight gas. It will probably ruin the engine in less than 5 seconds.
3) Do not leave gas in the fuel tank for more than a week at a time. Make it a practise to empty the fuel tank after each use unless you know for sure that you will be using it again within a few days. I thought that I had emptied mine last year and hadn’t. I never did get it running. Finally turned it over to a mechanic friend of mine who said he would repair it if he could use it.
These are amazing machines and well worth the money. If the ground is too hard for them, then it is too hard to grow anything.
I have one and I always have to get my husband to start it for me….it takes several pulls on the cord. I wish they would make one that I could just push a buttom to start it because my husband isn’t always at home so I just have to wait. I do love using it tho’. just wish I could start it without taking him away from his doings…
To: Wes with the hard starting Mantis
I have had a Mantis for several years now. I add gas (50:1) when it runs out, sometimes at 3 year intervals. I pump the primer bulb 4 times, full choke, and it fires on the second pull. I push in the choke lever and it starts on the 3rd pull. I think the primer bulb is the secret, experimenting to find out how many times to push it. Hope this helps!
John and Wes, sometimes it’s best to not push the primer bulb at all unless the machine just won’t fire. Choke it, pull it a few times, take the choke off and it should fire. Make sure you add fuel stablizer to all of the gas that you put in your yard equipment. That way when the machine sits for months with fuel in the tank it won’t gum up.
I have the Echo cultivator/tiller. Echo makes the Mantis. I love this lil guy. I have 4 20×60 foot raised beds with very well amended soil in all of them. It’s all well amended because I also use it to turn my compost pile with everytime I get 4-6 inches of new materials piled on it. I use a long sharpshooter type spade to loosen up the garden beds first thing and the Echo to fluff it right up and break up the clods and then for maintianance between rows. These lil guys actually till full tine debth best if you pull them backwards… try it and see for yourself. My salesman told me this little trick. Either brand is equal and money well spent. I have used mine for 3 seasons and In Abilene, Texas we have very long growing seasons usually from March – October. I use my several times each month.
Wes,are u using the bubble bulb located right in front of carb to prime it 1st..then pull out choke located to front of carb.,pull starter a few times tell u here it try to start shoe choke back in and it should start right up,had mine for 3 yrs.and it starts right up even if gas sits in it for 6 wks.,are u sure u r getting gas mixture right.
I am also a Certified Texas Master Gardner and I took this lil Echo to one of our landscape projects at the Zoo here… The local chapter here purchased a large bulky rear tine tiller several years ago. By the time it got out of our shed at the Zoo and started up I was almost done. I sure got a few looks when about 35 folks in the group that day saw it… but when I fired him up and made short work out of a flower garden replanting … everyone in the group had to have a turn… my salesman called me the next week and thanked me for sending him all the customers… he asked if her could send me something in return and I took advantage of his offer and went in and picked up a new set of tines ! ( 100.00 )
I am a Master Gardener in Massachusetts. Have you or any of your crowd had any experience using the Mantis or Echo in rocky soil. I have seen the large rear tined tillers hit buried rocks (granite) and take off with the operator holding for dear life.
Toi, if you hit a large rock with the Mantis the machine is just going to bounce in the air. On hard packed soil the Mantis isn’t the best machine for loosening soil, but once it lose it does a good job of keeping it that way.
I just came back in from pulling dirt up to my peanuts in the garden with my Mantis. Please warn folks not to get the Troy Built tiller that looks like the Mantis. I made that mistake and the lower gears tore up as soon as I started using it and after factory repair it just tore up again. My Mantis is great.
My Mom had this little tiller, and when she and I bought a place where we could live together, this tiller came along. It is great! On hard ground I just pull it toward me instead of trying to go forward where it will hop all over the place. Once you get the top layer softened up a bit, it’s a breeze. Light weight — just right for a woman to use too. Even I can pick it up with one hand. Great for working the flower beds because it can go into tight places. If this one ever dies, I would sure get another one!
Does anyone know how much the tiller cost? It looks like it’s easy to handle.
Georgine, seems to me they are right around $300.
I rented one last year. They are an awesome garden tool. I want one!
Thank you Mike … That was quite informative, I was looking at this tiller for my small yard and garden, and you convienced me . I will send in the postcard for information and a DVD.
I’ve mine for almost 12 years. I love it .When we moved to a new . ground was all hard clay; By golly I got thru it all. My hubby you will never get thru that with that LITTLE thing.
we showed him. I love would not trade it. It has been used very hard, and long. Had it worked on a coulpe of times. Never cost me much to get it fixed.
I bought mine several years ago and I love it. It has made my garden an easy thing to do. And especially since the blades have a lifetime guarantee. And being a women I have never had a problem starting mine. Its a great little machine!!!!
About the electric motor burning out, have you tried a local motor rewind shop? They may be less expensive. Who knows, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I agree whole-heartedly about your thoughts on the Mantis tiller. I have had mine for four or five years, and it always does the task set out for it. It is terrific for combining fish compost with my compost and garden soil, as well as breaking up the sods. Wouldn’t be without it!!!
I love my little mantis tiller. I have severe arthritis, but it’s small enough and light weight so that I can handle it. The only problem is, all my friends love it to. Your next video could you make video that would convience my friends to buy there own. I’d appreciate it, then I’d have more time to do my own thing instead of begging my friends to return my tiller. What a great machine Thanks Mike
I bought a 4 stroke Honda 110. Great machine!!
Makes me want to become a real gardner.
Check the exhaust on your mantis. There is a screen that can clog up and make it very hard to crank. If cleaning this fixes the problem start using high test gas and top of the line 50:1 oil. NONE of the cheap stuff. Pops
Thanks for demonstrate that machine, so great and inspiring me.
Thanks everyone for all of your great advice, I just bought a new home with a great area for gardening. I was wondering what kind of tiller would be good for a woman to use and now I know. And thank you Mike for having one of the best sites and great people to help.
There is an electric start machine available. It is Earthquake MC43E mini cultivator. It is much stronger than the mantis, has a drag stick and a set of wheels, just like a Front Tine tiller. It can be adjusted from 12 inches wide to 6 inches, allowing it to get in tight places. It is heaver though than the Mantis or other small mini cultivators. I use mine in “Heavy” soil, without a problem. The other “Lightweight” min cultivators do not. I use the wheels in the “Transport” position when I push it around. Also, it costs less.
I am 78 years old with a bad heart. This machine starts without a problem, and is very easy to use. I have a large vegetable garden. I use it to rototill around the plants in order to keep my garden weed free. All I do is follow behind. The thing I didn’t like about the light weight mini cultivators is they “Jack rabbit” around, which is very tiring to me.
I hope that this helps.
Paul Evans
I love my Mantis!! Lightweight and easy to handle, but Mike is right, if you hit a hard spot or a dense clump of roots or sod, it will jump in the air; watch your toes when it comes down. Very powerful for its size.
The Mantis is many tools in one, not just a tiller. You can purcahse many other attachments for it – edger, dethatcher, plow, planter/furrower, aerator, crevice cleaner… Easy to transfer from one tool to another.
For my small yard and garden (< 1/2 acre) it is the only machine I will need.
Over a few years, it will pay for itself by eliminating the price of rental and transport costs. Great investment!
I’ve seen them advertised for years, but didn’t know anybody who had one. I called a local guy who sold them and asked for a demonstration, but they wouldn’t give me one. I wouldn’t buy it without the demo. Now I can know they work! Thanks, Mike!
Sojourner, that’s what I don’t understand. If I sold those things I’d let everybody I could find run one. They’ll fall in love with them.
We purchased our Mantis back in 1988 or 1989 and have had very little trouble with it……other than running out of gas or having a loose wire that even I can fix! I love it and so does my husband. He uses it for a any number of chores, including hilling up potatoe rows and in the winter it is used to break up the ice in our driveway (it’s dirt). I first saw it when visiting friends in VA and was so impressed that when we got back to ME, it was the first thing I ‘had to have’! That’s a great review, Mike.
I love my electric mantis tiller. I saved a lot by buying the factory rebuild on ebay. They honor the factory warranty and they go through a very strict inspection. (more than the new ones)My soil is very hard clay and My mantis cuts right through. Possibly if people are having problems with the motor burning out, it could be the wrong guage extension cord. I attempted with the wrong cord when it was easier to get out and kept blowing the fuse and had to reset.
Here’s a tip on starting: Use synthetic 2-cycle oil, like Amsoil. BUT, most importantly, get a special spark plug, like an E-Series Champion. My brother, who ran an auto parts store for many years, told me about this. These little plugs cost a couple of dollars more, but they make starting little engines a breeze! He said many of the ‘easy start’ mfrg’s were just putting these plugs in their engines, with out doing anything different. They really do make starting easier.
Thank you for that tip. Sometimes I learn more than I share. And that’s the good part.
Mike:
Reading all the responses from your Mantis video really brought back memories. I used my Mantis several years and then it was stolen. Have not bought another one -yet. With #78 coming up, my family suggested I rent one. It is not the same as owning your own.
Loved it while I was using it.
Aileen, I agree. Rented equipment is a pain. Seems that everybody that rents something adjusts the carburetor or something. Very frustrating rentinq equipment.
1st mantis lasted a week. second started dogging out the second day i used it with fresh gas, clean can and new mantis oil.
Mike,
I really enjoy your videos and this one was neat also. I have a tiller like this also and because I am 73 and it is so light, I use it a lot. I appreciate what you do and how you share your knowledge. Thank you so much.
thanks Mike, I’m waiting for mine to get out of the shop. Then I’ll go out to my compost bin and work on it. good tip.
I have had my Mantis for several years and it still gives good service. Thanks for the tip on using it on the compost pile.
Looks way too dangerous for my compost pile. I sure hope you use steel toed boots Mike. I’ll stick to my pitchfork and rake to turn the compost.
Be Careful!
I bought an electric Mantis five or six years ago because I could no longer handle a large tiller.
Best gardening investment I have ever made. I have tilled up flower beds, dug holes for planting trees and tomatoes in areas that for the world resembled concrete. I used it to break up piles of dirt that I had dumped in my yard and that had set up. My neighbors have borrowed it and it has truly been put to a test. It has never given me one minutes trouble and I love it.
Mike,
We use Stihl equipment in our landscaping and home business. Thanks for the video.
I bought a mantis and had trouble with it from the start. Hey Mike, try making a new garden with it. Good luck! Call the company about it if it isn’t working. Good luck there too! It ended up not working at all before the first year was over. If you want to lose weight, your in luck, the mantis will beat you to death trying to break ground.
I now have an Earthquake mini cultivator. Very easy on the body and the work is done in half the time as a mantis. Starts easy, small like a mantis, and does everything and more than a mantis. And cheaper! I love it!
So for all of you that want a good tiller, get an EARTHQUAKE! and have fun gardening!
Thank’s Mike for sharing your video, i had no idea what a mantis was! Since i am learning the gardening Things!
Hello Mike speaking of tiller’s I own a Mantis Tiller and I’m impressed with it.I’v had mine for 10 year’s now.You couldn’t ask for a better machine.When I did my garden it took like 2 Month’s to tear up the ground.After it was just like looking like coffee ground’s No grass could stand in it very long.
I have these spiders in my yard, they are fast and they jump. They seem to be eating my plants both flowering and vegetables. First of all, what are they…they seem to be spiders and how can I get rid of them before they finish off all my plants?
The mantis is not a groundbreaker….although I have used it to make bulb beds alongside my front walk, two passes gave me a nice 1 foot bed for my daffodils….use it for what it is good for and you won’t have problems….I use it all summer for weeding my garden and to keep the soil loose…..if you want a groundbreaker for a new garden or in heavy clay soil rent or borrow a big troybilt with counter-rotating tines to do the work….once you have the soil loose the mantis will work fine…..use the right tool for the job as Mike says in the video and you will not be disappointed….also for all of you that are in tree-hugger states you can go electric or buy the 4-stroke Honda edition that runs cleaner and doesn’t require mixing of gas….I have also heard that the 4-stroke has more torque than the 2-stroke version for breaking up hard soils….
Mike, I am very appreciative of all of the ways you help us. Now to the Mantis. I purchased the Honda 4 stroke model with all attachments 5 years ago. As stated by David, the torque of the 4-stroke is much greater. I am 68 years of age. I live above Atlanta in the RED clay hills of Georgia. The soil is rocky as well. With the complete package of attachments, I have been able to plant trees, to prepare and replant beds of various sizes and depths. Also I have used the trencher to install drainage pipe, both sock covered to prevent clay fines infiltration and perforated pipe to remove excess water in my beds. Another project was installing underground electric pipe and wireing plus water to a 20′x20′ utility bulding. Edgeing and dethatching were also done. I have not had any problems with my Mantis period! I did my research before I purchased. The ground here is unforgiving; hard & rocky clay. The Mantis lived up to the name, aggresive! The Mantis was an investment and the return has been phenominal. It has been easy to use and does not wear out a 68 yr. old gardener and DIY grandpa. Boppa in Ga. Go DOGS!
I love my Mantis, should I say Ours, 3 friends went in together on one. This has worked out well and we are all happy with the Mantis which is of course the smallest tiller I own and probably the most often used.
ditto on the premium fuel, that is what my mechanic said to use too, the plastic fuel carrying parts last longer.