Sorry for the delayed response. You have to pull the tiller in reverse to make it work properly, I see a lot of people walking forward with them. It's kind of funny.
Found your video because I just bought one from a yard sale. It had a $30 price tag and I got it for $15. I can't wait to play with this in my wife's garden beds. I didn't know how expensive a brand-new one costs, so I guess I got a really nice deal. An older gentleman had it but his grand-kids were taking care of his garden so he didn't need this anymore. :-) This video was very encouraging!
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it. One thing I recommend is upgrading the complete carburetor and air filter assembly to the echo version. You can get everything from Amazon for under $40. The mantis I'm using in the video has the upgraded air filter assembly.
With the skyrocketing prices coming to the food market, I started a good size garden this year. First tiller was rented, but a friend suggested I look for one of these. Thanks for sharing!
Mantis does such a wonderful job on prepare your soil for flowers cutting up compost it’s just unbelievable. Thank you very much for the video brother, have a blessed day.
Some people say a little tiller does not have enough horsepower to till up hard ground. I picked up a neglected tiller last year and restored it. It is a little four cycle tiller but it has plenty of ponies to till up my garden. You may have to go over and over hard ground but it will till up the soil. It is a lot better than muscling around a big four cycle tiller.
Thank you for your comment. A lot of people's impression of the mantis tiller are from people that have never used it. A full size tiller can make short work of a big garden but there's nothing better than the 20 lb mantis tiller if you just have a small garden or flower bed to till.
My Mom and Dad bought me one about 25 years ago. I just gave theirs to my son. Back early I wasn’t very cautious on fuel and ethanol fuel is as rough on these as anything else. I try to run non ethanol fuel these days and 3 carburetors later. It’s a GREAT tool for yard work and lawn maintenance too. The aerator tines that are straight are great for patching and overseeing the lawn.
This one I'm using here is from 1994 and from my experience, these engines were built to last. I've also gone through a handful of carburetors as well. I've never used it as a lawn aerator, but I do have the single-sided hedge trimmer accessory that works pretty well.
When you’re not using it (more than a month or more), take the fuel line off and put another hose down into some two cycle oil, and the other too the carb, and pump the primer bulb until the carb is full of two cycle oil and the excess starts to flow from the return. This will help neutralize and move out the fuel and keep the diaphragms pliable. Reassemble as it was and when you go to use again just use the primer to move the oil out. The small amount will be fine returning to the fuel tank.
I own a echo mantis tiller best little thing . I got it at a grauge sale best thing I look for a sales is things that don't run then it's gold after I own it
Great video! Im about to rent one of these this weekend to turn over the soil in my garden. The backbreaking shovel method is too painful. Does this tiller get in deep or does it only scratch the top so to speak? and I assume this is too strong to scratch the dead grass top layer and I should stick to a rake?
Thank you. If you're starting with grass and weeds visible, you need to take a string trimmer and cut it down to the dirt before you start tilling. Makes it a lot easier. If you're going to be tilling an area that was previously a garden, you will have no trouble tilling down to 6 to inches deep. It really does a great job of even bringing dirt up to make the rows. You just drag the tiller towards you and it brings the dirt up. Really nice piece of equipment
Doesn't go deep enough. A Ruris or a Steinhaus would be a better choice for the experienced farmer, although those brands are probably only available in Europe since they are made in Germany and not in China, like this piece.
As an experienced Gardner, the best tillers on earth today are the BCS tillers. Nothing better. The mantis tiller is a great tiller for home garden use and is made in Japan, not China.
The mantis has spring steel tines that won't break. If the rock won't move the tiller will just bounce off, but if it's a potato size rock it will dig it up. If you're going to buy one of these, I would get a gas powered one because of these spring steel tines the battery version does not have them.
I have owned a Mantis since 2008 and just bought a new one. My first one was new when I bought it. These machines are the Best !
The one I'm using is from 1994 and still runs great.
Did you switch to a four-stroke model or stick with the two stroke
@@sololawnprofessional No, I bought another 2 cycle Mantis 2 stroke.
Brilliant video, first time I have ever seen anyone use a tiller in the correct way. Brilliant mate.
Sorry for the delayed response. You have to pull the tiller in reverse to make it work properly, I see a lot of people walking forward with them. It's kind of funny.
Found your video because I just bought one from a yard sale. It had a $30 price tag and I got it for $15. I can't wait to play with this in my wife's garden beds. I didn't know how expensive a brand-new one costs, so I guess I got a really nice deal. An older gentleman had it but his grand-kids were taking care of his garden so he didn't need this anymore. :-) This video was very encouraging!
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it. One thing I recommend is upgrading the complete carburetor and air filter assembly to the echo version. You can get everything from Amazon for under $40. The mantis I'm using in the video has the upgraded air filter assembly.
With the skyrocketing prices coming to the food market, I started a good size garden this year. First tiller was rented, but a friend suggested I look for one of these. Thanks for sharing!
This is a great tiller that will last a lifetime they sell them in two cycle four-cycle and now battery powered.
Mantis does such a wonderful job on prepare your soil for flowers cutting up compost it’s just unbelievable. Thank you very much for the video brother, have a blessed day.
I really appreciate your comment. The Mantis tiller is also really great for doing seasonal flowers in garden beds.
Some people say a little tiller does not have enough horsepower to till up hard ground. I picked up a neglected tiller last year and restored it. It is a little four cycle tiller but it has plenty of ponies to till up my garden. You may have to go over and over hard ground but it will till up the soil. It is a lot better than muscling around a big four cycle tiller.
Thank you for your comment. A lot of people's impression of the mantis tiller are from people that have never used it. A full size tiller can make short work of a big garden but there's nothing better than the 20 lb mantis tiller if you just have a small garden or flower bed to till.
My Mom and Dad bought me one about 25 years ago. I just gave theirs to my son. Back early I wasn’t very cautious on fuel and ethanol fuel is as rough on these as anything else. I try to run non ethanol fuel these days and 3 carburetors later. It’s a GREAT tool for yard work and lawn maintenance too. The aerator tines that are straight are great for patching and overseeing the lawn.
This one I'm using here is from 1994 and from my experience, these engines were built to last. I've also gone through a handful of carburetors as well. I've never used it as a lawn aerator, but I do have the single-sided hedge trimmer accessory that works pretty well.
When you’re not using it (more than a month or more), take the fuel line off and put another hose down into some two cycle oil, and the other too the carb, and pump the primer bulb until the carb is full of two cycle oil and the excess starts to flow from the return. This will help neutralize and move out the fuel and keep the diaphragms pliable. Reassemble as it was and when you go to use again just use the primer to move the oil out. The small amount will be fine returning to the fuel tank.
I own a echo mantis tiller best little thing . I got it at a grauge sale best thing I look for a sales is things that don't run then it's gold after I own it
I'm always looking for the good stuff at the yard sales myself. One of my best purchases so far was a cherry stihl MS250 for $25
Great video! Im about to rent one of these this weekend to turn over the soil in my garden. The backbreaking shovel method is too painful.
Does this tiller get in deep or does it only scratch the top so to speak? and I assume this is too strong to scratch the dead grass top layer and I should stick to a rake?
Thank you. If you're starting with grass and weeds visible, you need to take a string trimmer and cut it down to the dirt before you start tilling. Makes it a lot easier. If you're going to be tilling an area that was previously a garden, you will have no trouble tilling down to 6 to inches deep. It really does a great job of even bringing dirt up to make the rows. You just drag the tiller towards you and it brings the dirt up. Really nice piece of equipment
Doesn't go deep enough. A Ruris or a Steinhaus would be a better choice for the experienced farmer, although those brands are probably only available in Europe since they are made in Germany and not in China, like this piece.
As an experienced Gardner, the best tillers on earth today are the BCS tillers. Nothing better. The mantis tiller is a great tiller for home garden use and is made in Japan, not China.
I have bought used. How do I check the hours on it?
There's no way to tell how many hours it has on it. They should last at least 300 hours or a lifetime depending on how much you use it
What happens when it hits a rock?
The mantis has spring steel tines that won't break. If the rock won't move the tiller will just bounce off, but if it's a potato size rock it will dig it up. If you're going to buy one of these, I would get a gas powered one because of these spring steel tines the battery version does not have them.