Reviewing The Mantis, The Small Tiller, For Small Gardens
Posted: Monday, February 09, 2009
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
I have been privileged to operate a number of different garden tillers in my lifetime. Some good, some not so good. But with a good quality tiller, you still need one sized to match that need for it. In my earlier years I owned two great tillers. My first was a Sears product, a regular front tined tiller with a strong engine. I have forgotten the horse power, but about as big as Sears had at that time. I was strong enough back then to wrestle the thing when it encountered hard clods, roots or rocks, and it was strong enough to handle them also. So we, together, turned up and pulverized some soil.
My garden size had dwindled from about half an acre to about 20 X 20 feet. I tried to dig it up with a shovel and a hoe, but that proved too much also. I had an elderly lady cousin, who was also a lifelong gardener who had purchased a Mantis tiller. About the size of a tiny stick vacuum, and not much heavier. After seeing her with the Mantis and raising a pretty good small garden, I approached her about how she liked it and if I could use it some. She was quick to praise the machine for it's good performance while informing me that I was welcome to use it anytime since she was about ready to retire from gardening. Her only complaint with it was that it was too difficult to start. She had become unable to hold it steady while pulling the rope starter strongly and smartly as it required.
Hers was a few years old already and when I borrowed it, I found her complaint to be valid. The engine on the tiny machine is a 2-cycle like the ones on string weed trimmers, and as most folks know those things can wear you down by their stubbornness when it comes to starting. So I cleaned it up good, replaced the spark plug and did every other thing I knew to entice it to start easier. It helped a little, but I was still always too tired, by the time I got it started, to do much plowing.
My cousin admitted that it was much easier to crank and start when it was newer. I am convinced that she was accurate with that. And the little fellow did a reasonably good job in digging up the ground for you and was quite easy to handle. Now, with all that said, let me tell you the improvements that have been added to the new Mantis and why I think you'll love it when you get one.
(1) The hard to start worn engine on my cousin's tiller was like she and I...old. The have now a new "easy-to-start" engine. I believe them. It has a pushbutton primer which squirts a little gas into the carburetor. I know for a fact that this is a vast improvement. I have a weed-whacker now with one of those and it is much easier to get going. I'm extremely thankful. My days of jerking a rope time after time is about over.
(2) They now have a throttle-activated centrifugal clutch. That means that the tines do not turn, until you rev the engine up. That is a big help. Now you can get it in place near growing vegetables before it tears them up.
(3) Very compact design, allows you to squeeze into tiny places, even between some plants without damage.
(4) Lightweight, the entire rig weighs only 20 pounds. I can even carry it myself. And they say it is 20 pounds of pure muscle. I believe that also.
(5) 10" tilling depth! That is fantastic. You won't find a large tiller that will do much, if any more than that. But it is designed so that there is nothing to keep it from digging on down if you need it.
(6) High speed operation. The tines turn up to 240 revolutions per minute which is adequate for getting the work done quickly. They claim that a 30 X 40 foot garden can be cultivated in approximately 20 minutes. I expect that is accurate.
(7) Their warranty is unbelievable. One year for any reason...if you aren't satisfied bring it back. Five year regular consumer warranty. And listen to this: If the tines ever break...ever...they will be replaced free.
This is one product which I personally and wholeheartedly believe you'll be happy with if you aren't expecting it to do the work while you sit under the shade.
They also have an electric model which seems to be a very capable machine, yet, you have the cord to deal with. It carries the same warranty as does the gasoline model.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Joel,I still dig my garden by hand as I actually enjoy it but now I admit to wearing a back brace. A friend gave me her tiller but it is heavy. Never bothered with it but your advice is making me think differently. My soil is called marl - a smelly, disgusting green/orange clay (hence the name, Marlton, New Jersey) that I have dug up through the last 12 years and gradually replaced with a good mushroom mix. Incidentally, while I don't live in Marlton, my property sits on a vein that stretches down the state several miles. Oh, to have good pure dirt would be a blessing. Of course the rest of the state has the good stuff which is why our corn and tomatoes are renowned!I love chatting with other gardeners. Such a joy to talk to those who share the passion. Thanks for your excellent review.NancyHi Nancy,Thanks for reading and commenting. And yes, I have always had a passion for fresh vegetables. When I was a lad, times here in the south were HARD. We were forced to raise our own food or go hungry. We were fortunate though, we had the land and the mules and Dad had five boys. So we raised a lot.Also, since marriage I've lived all over. We lived in southeastern North Carolina for some 15 years and I had a ball! I raised a half acre garden, the land there is very level and sandy loam with NO rocks!!! You could dig it up with a shovel or hoe, but with my big Sears tiller, I really raised a garden.I believe you will really like a Mantis tiller. I don't have one at present because I have nothing but my back yard to till. But I am seriously considering doing just that.
hi joel,do you realize how much you know?a jack of all trades, you know something about everything, and you can write a whole article on those things, make it interesting, and pass the knowledge around, thank you.i hope you are enjoying life,my best regards,sueHi Susan, thanks for the comment and compliments. It is not that I know so much. When you are 78, you've been exposed to an awful lot. But although I'm familiar with a lot of things, I don't know enough to write an article on them. I have to do a lot of research and reading to get up the details that I present.
Interesting article, and sounds like a great product - its always a good sign when manufacturers are willing to back up their promises with such a comprehensive warranty!Hi Ben, yes, it sure is. I always question any product's quality when they say, 30 day limited warranty. Thanks for the comment.
I bought a Mantis 20 years ago and it has run perfectly since new. It starts within 2 pulls if you push the primer bulb a few times and set the choke for a pull or two. I have greased it once a year and cleaned the air filter. That is all it needed in 20 years. The same spark plug isstill in place. This thing works great. Best buy out there. No common in today's junk market! Everyone Irecommendedit to had the same experience. Roger EkstromThanks for commenting Anon, I have to agree with you. It is a rugged little outfit and has made a place for itself, especially for us seniors who can't wrestle those big ones anymore.
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