The XL 12 and Super XL were Homelites largest selling and best saws they ever made. They were sold from 1964 through 1988. They were a game changer in the saw industry when first introduced, and they were the most copied saw ever made.
The Mantis tillers are a great addition for any gardeners and homesteaders soil prepping tools. They are simple, reliable and well built. Something we don't see much anymore. Thanks for the nice comment and for watching.
It looks like the weather is lousy out your way. They are predicting up to 10 feet of snow in the Mountains. My mantis is still covered up on the front porch. I cranked it up around Christmas and let it run for about 15 minutes, just to get a little oil on the cylinder wall. I won’t take it out until after the 15th of March, so I can have the garden ready by Good Friday to plant.
You are 100% right about the crappy weather out here. We are supposed to have another week or two of really cold and wet weather. As soon as it gets a bit warmer, I will be doing my spring soil conditioning and planting.
The Mantis tillers have been the same for many years for the model like I have. They now have available a broader range of tillers. They can be electric, and 2 or 4 stroke gas engines. Great little machines.
Most of the time I use my Mantis, it is in a garden bed and roots are not a problem, but if I use it where there has been weeds and dead grass, the area between the tines gets plugged up. I have a nice big, super sharp old vintage knife that cuts them off in just a few seconds. There are many ways to clean out the debris, but for my type of debris, the knife is the fastest and easiest way to do the job.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I pull the tines, clean them out and put them back on. I sometimes spray the shaft with some kind of oil, but they have always come off for me pretty easily. I have a kick stand on mine. It makes it real easy to store away. I just stand it up on a piece of short deck board, so it does not damage the finish on my front porch and put it under the cover that covers my push mower, so it stays dry. It fits right under the mowers handle. I use the same chain the chains my lawn mower to the front porch rail. If someone steals it because it is a 3/8” piece of chain and a big pad lock. I am going to soon have a front porch bell that can record anyone that comes on the front porch or rings the door bell. It is connected to one of my IPads via my wireless router. It is called Arlo.
Homesteading is interesting to me. The Mantis tiller is superb but the little Honda 4 stroke tillers are good too. Can't wait to see the Super XL in action. Do you have a DR brush mower? They work great for knocking down those weeds and tall grasses encroaching on your orchard.
The Mantis tillers are excellent mini tillers. It is nice that they have the options of 2 stroke, and 4 stroke engines, as well as electric ones .I ran the Super XL the other day, so it should be ready to cut up that blow down tree as soon as weather permits. I don't have any modern brush cutters, but I have an old Gravely model L mower that needs some engine work that I will get up and running at some point.
That little mantis is perfect for your compost bins. I really like how small and maneuverable it is. The last tiller I ran was my Grandfather's. He had a Craftsman 4 tine, 5 horse. That machine gave you a work out every time you used it! Looking forward to your XL-12 video. Great saw!
The mantis tiller works really well for my compost piles as well as our raised garden beds. I will include some footage of it when I get my beds ready to plant. Years ago, the most common small tiller was the Merry Tiller. They were well made, cheap to buy and shakes one so hard it feels like your teeth are falling out. The XL will be out as soon as the weather cooperates.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 you are right about those big tillers - they beat you to death. I gave my youngest daughter a new Mantis for her birthday, last year, and she took to it like a duck to water. She tilled up her garden and even planted a peach tree with it. Mi thought she might have a problem cranking it but she did not. She has more help than me. Her oldest boy and girl are the right ages for good helpers, so they planted the garden with winter vegetables. Her oldest girl is taller than she is and her boy is a copy of his grandfather - never slows down and is a good little Scot.
Raised garden beds, I didn't even think about using it in that situation. Very versatile machine for sure! I do remember the Merry Tiller, but not the small one, the large one they sold. I liked it about as much as I liked the craftsman, ha! @@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156
The Merry tiller was a standard small garden tiller, but if you wanted to work in a small area, the outer tines were removable, and would be just a little wider than the mantis. It was simply built and light compared to most other tillers of the same size. Some of the tines were terrible. They were just round metal rods. In loose sandy soil they worked fine, but if the soil was harder or had clay in it, you were in for a real workout due to the shaking and bouncing of the tiller. Funny thing, they still make the same tiller today and is a big seller in Not So Great Britain. Go figure !
See, you teach me something every time we correspond. Love it! I had no idea the tines on the big units were removeable. Furthermore, I had no idea they were still being made in the NSGB! ha ha
You forgot to put a little sea salt and some mustard and ketchup in the compost pile 😂. And I’m pretty sure you need to do a muffler mod on that tiller ha ha
I just about put everything else in my compost pile except mustard ketchup and sea salt. I do use small amounts of epsom salt though! As for the tiller, I should probably port it, put on an expansion chamber exhaust and dual carbs, then instead of calling it a tiller, I could call it the Killer-Tiller !
The Mantis mini tillers were the first ones made, and also the best. There are several copies, mostly made in China, that are available. They are very cheaply made and parts availability next to none. Buy the best (Mantis) if you want long term service.
I just got a McCullough 610 All i have is full sinthetic oil what should i do i know you should run non sinthetic oil in it can i just mix 25 to 1 instead
I would not recommend using synthetic oil in your saw. There are many brands of partial synthetic oils on the market today. I would recommend ECHO Red Armor, as it really works great, burns clean and is easy to find. If you are just using the saw for general work, I would use a 32-1 fuel-oil mix. For hard work and hot weather use, use 24-1. Golden Spectro motorcycle oil is another great choice.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks for the response I am 15 and just starting to saw wood and don't know a lot about the saw so if you have tips about it it would be appreciated
The 610's generally just need proper cleaning and regular maintenance. Keeping the chain sharpened properly is necessary to keep the saw in top operating condition. I would recommend looking on EBAY to find an original owner/service manual. That way you will have a complete guide as to proper maintenance, repairs and troubleshooting. These manuals are excellent. They also show how to safely operate the saw and how to process trees, firewood, do branching etc.
I love those old homelite super xl saw
The XL 12 and Super XL were Homelites largest selling and best saws they ever made. They were sold from 1964 through 1988. They were a game changer in the saw industry when first introduced, and they were the most copied saw ever made.
We love our Mantis Tiller it does a great job. Great video brother....👍🤙
The Mantis tillers are a great addition for any gardeners and homesteaders soil prepping tools. They are simple, reliable and well built. Something we don't see much anymore. Thanks for the nice comment and for watching.
It looks like the weather is lousy out your way. They are predicting up to 10 feet of snow in the Mountains. My mantis is still covered up on the front porch. I cranked it up around Christmas and let it run for about 15 minutes, just to get a little oil on the cylinder wall. I won’t take it out until after the 15th of March, so I can have the garden ready by Good Friday to plant.
You are 100% right about the crappy weather out here. We are supposed to have another week or two of really cold and wet weather. As soon as it gets a bit warmer, I will be doing my spring soil conditioning and planting.
Mantis still basically the same today as years ago! See ya next week!
The Mantis tillers have been the same for many years for the model like I have. They now have available a broader range of tillers. They can be electric, and 2 or 4 stroke gas engines. Great little machines.
Needle nose pliers make root removal from tines pretty easy. Leather gloves, too.
Most of the time I use my Mantis, it is in a garden bed and roots are not a problem, but if I use it where there has been weeds and dead grass, the area between the tines gets plugged up. I have a nice big, super sharp old vintage knife that cuts them off in just a few seconds. There are many ways to clean out the debris, but for my type of debris, the knife is the fastest and easiest way to do the job.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I pull the tines, clean them out and put them back on. I sometimes spray the shaft with some kind of oil, but they have always come off for me pretty easily. I have a kick stand on mine. It makes it real easy to store away. I just stand it up on a piece of short deck board, so it does not damage the finish on my front porch and put it under the cover that covers my push mower, so it stays dry. It fits right under the mowers handle. I use the same chain the chains my lawn mower to the front porch rail. If someone steals it because it is a 3/8” piece of chain and a big pad lock. I am going to soon have a front porch bell that can record anyone that comes on the front porch or rings the door bell. It is connected to one of my IPads via my wireless router. It is called Arlo.
Very good video thank you for the video
Glad you enjoyed it
Homesteading is interesting to me. The Mantis tiller is superb but the little Honda 4 stroke tillers are good too. Can't wait to see the Super XL in action. Do you have a DR brush mower? They work great for knocking down those weeds and tall grasses encroaching on your orchard.
The Mantis tillers are excellent mini tillers. It is nice that they have the options of 2 stroke, and 4 stroke engines, as well as electric ones .I ran the Super XL the other day, so it should be ready to cut up that blow down tree as soon as weather permits. I don't have any modern brush cutters, but I have an old Gravely model L mower that needs some engine work that I will get up and running at some point.
That little mantis is perfect for your compost bins. I really like how small and maneuverable it is. The last tiller I ran was my Grandfather's. He had a Craftsman 4 tine, 5 horse. That machine gave you a work out every time you used it! Looking forward to your XL-12 video. Great saw!
The mantis tiller works really well for my compost piles as well as our raised garden beds. I will include some footage of it when I get my beds ready to plant. Years ago, the most common small tiller was the Merry Tiller. They were well made, cheap to buy and shakes one so hard it feels like your teeth are falling out. The XL will be out as soon as the weather cooperates.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 you are right about those big tillers - they beat you to death. I gave my youngest daughter a new Mantis for her birthday, last year, and she took to it like a duck to water. She tilled up her garden and even planted a peach tree with it. Mi thought she might have a problem cranking it but she did not. She has more help than me. Her oldest boy and girl are the right ages for good helpers, so they planted the garden with winter vegetables. Her oldest girl is taller than she is and her boy is a copy of his grandfather - never slows down and is a good little Scot.
Raised garden beds, I didn't even think about using it in that situation. Very versatile machine for sure! I do remember the Merry Tiller, but not the small one, the large one they sold. I liked it about as much as I liked the craftsman, ha! @@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156
The Merry tiller was a standard small garden tiller, but if you wanted to work in a small area, the outer tines were removable, and would be just a little wider than the mantis. It was simply built and light compared to most other tillers of the same size. Some of the tines were terrible. They were just round metal rods. In loose sandy soil they worked fine, but if the soil was harder or had clay in it, you were in for a real workout due to the shaking and bouncing of the tiller. Funny thing, they still make the same tiller today and is a big seller in Not So Great Britain. Go figure !
See, you teach me something every time we correspond. Love it! I had no idea the tines on the big units were removeable. Furthermore, I had no idea they were still being made in the NSGB! ha ha
You forgot to put a little sea salt and some mustard and ketchup in the compost pile 😂.
And I’m pretty sure you need to do a muffler mod on that tiller ha ha
I just about put everything else in my compost pile except mustard ketchup and sea salt. I do use small amounts of epsom salt though! As for the tiller, I should probably port it, put on an expansion chamber exhaust and dual carbs, then instead of calling it a tiller, I could call it the Killer-Tiller !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 🤣🤣
What is this mantis mini I see advertised?
Have you noticed a harbor freight knockoff?
The Mantis mini tillers were the first ones made, and also the best. There are several copies, mostly made in China, that are available. They are very cheaply made and parts availability next to none. Buy the best (Mantis) if you want long term service.
I just got a McCullough 610 All i have is full sinthetic oil what should i do i know you should run non sinthetic oil in it can i just mix 25 to 1 instead
I would not recommend using synthetic oil in your saw. There are many brands of partial synthetic oils on the market today. I would recommend ECHO Red Armor, as it really works great, burns clean and is easy to find. If you are just using the saw for general work, I would use a 32-1 fuel-oil mix. For hard work and hot weather use, use 24-1. Golden Spectro motorcycle oil is another great choice.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 ok i will find non sinthetic oil for it thanks for the response
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks for the response I am 15 and just starting to saw wood and don't know a lot about the saw so if you have tips about it it would be appreciated
Remember, partial synthetic oil.
The 610's generally just need proper cleaning and regular maintenance. Keeping the chain sharpened properly is necessary to keep the saw in top operating condition. I would recommend looking on EBAY to find an original owner/service manual. That way you will have a complete guide as to proper maintenance, repairs and troubleshooting. These manuals are excellent. They also show how to safely operate the saw and how to process trees, firewood, do branching etc.