I had excactly the same problem with my privet edge a few years back but I promptly replaced with escalonia which has thrived. A little vigorous but everygreen, dense with shiney green leaves and attractive small flowers often twice a year.
David

I bought my first Mantis Tiller about 7 years ago and found it very useful on my 1/3rd acre plot. However I did have problems with it cutting out and despite help from Mantis technical and continally replacing plugs, leads, carb filters and jets, could not solve the problem. Quite unlike my Mantis l...