Kitchen Garden Forum

just brought off e bay and i can say best buy i have ever brought

Used mine today after it sitting in the barn for 10 months. Started first pull. Wonderful. Turned in the compost/manure put on each deep bed last autumn.

Thank you all. Your comments have been a great help. From the problems some of you have had with the petrol ones I am going to go for the electric version. Many many thanks.

How are the tillers on a bed system? They're not raised beds, just sectioned off squares on the lottie?

Some others on the plot have them but they always seem to be cutting out/not starting etc.

Hello Lizzie
They would be well suited to this. These sort of machines can easily be picked up and turned round with two hands after a short run then you're ready for the return run. They're also easy to use along an edge. My little Honda starts easily and idles away quietly between runs waiting for the next job.

John

I spoke to Mantis today. The tiller does chop up worms. I guess I will have to dig over my plot and take out the worms before using it. Kind of defeats the purpose but will keep me fit !

Have just spent the morning playing with my new (2nd hand) Mantis, once I realised why I couldn't start the blooming thing (one of the leads to the motor wasn't connected properly my husband gleefully pointed out, me thinking I'd bought a dud! )


Had great fun doing one of the raised beds, and making a planting trench for my newly purchsed fruit trees, very easy to use. then gave it a bit more of a challenge, Ivy infested hard soil; took a bit of time to get the technique to make it dig more deeply, but still good results.


I found it quite easy to take the 'pin' out to take the tines off without any tools, the Ivy did get wound around quite a bit, but wasn't bad, took a lot less time than if I'd dug by hand. Overall I'm quite pleased with it, now I've got the hang of starting it!

Happymouse...don't forget to use a RCD on the electrc ones....Incase you trim the cable.

Chopped up works if i remember from my school Biology just gives you two worms????


Deb P.....and what is the technique to make it dig deeper??

What I did was pull it back towards me,(like hoovering!, then forwards slightly again, I found the more you pulled back, the deeper the tines went. I was able to dig quite big holes quite quickly like that.

The electric Mantis seems to have disappeared from Mantis adverts at the moment. Does that mean there is a problem? Meanwhile my petrol one sits in the shed, never getting used (offers?. If I want to do anything like that I use my bigger Benassi, it's really too big in the tunnels but its Honda 4-stroke is totally reliable and will run at any speed.
Allan

I'm now tempted to buy a Honda instead of Mantis....but....someone said Honda only cultivate down to 5" (Mantis down to 10" ) Is this right ?

I cant get my Mantis to dig to 10".

Hello Happymouse
I don't think that this can be right! They are very similar sized machines. I have a Honda FG200 and it really is a superb machine in every way - a 'best buy' in my books. If you search around on the web you can get them for a similar price to the Mantis.
Do remember though that this type of machine is for getting cultivated soil into a good tilth ready for planting or sowing - they are not in the same league as Merry Tiller type rotovators.

John

I totally agree I have an old Mountfield 3hp that I use to break-up the ground then use the Mantis before I plant.

I totally agree I have an old Mountfield 3hp that I use to break-up the ground then use the Mantis before I plant.