Reviews:

happy gardner

This product is everything I wanted for keeping up with the weeds in my garden. It works better than I expected and fits between the rows really well. I would highly recommend this item.

Manufacturer's defect

The Mantis tiller arrived with a defective carburetor / throttle system. I received it on April 19 and it has never functioned properly; it has been in the repair shop of a local dealer virtually ever since, which is very frustrating. Most distressingly, the specific defect appears to be fully anticipated by the manufacturer. That is, this precise malfunction (but only this one) is specifically described in the Mantis owner's manual (at p. 8), although no guidance is provided regarding how to fix the problem. Obviously, this defect has occurred with sufficient frequency to warrant inclusion of this written description, but for whatever reason, Mantis has been unable or unwilling to effect a cure. My entire experience with the Mantis tiller has been very disappointing, given its putative high quality and its $450 price.

Disappointed in Amazon

I bought this tiller last year March 31,2009 it was shipped to me April 1,2009. I used it in my garden last year and this year I tilled once with it. The second time I started this tiller it cranked great but the tines would not turn. I called Amazon and was told that their warranty was for one (1) year. I reminded the lady that it was only over a year by a few days but she said there was nothing she could do. She told me to contact Mantis so I called them and was told that yes the tiller was warranted for 5 years if I had bought it from them and not Amazon. After we chatted for a few minutes she told me that I could take it to a dealer and they would pay for the repair. The problem was that the dealer was about 75 miles from me. I finally agreed to make the drive. First I called the dealer and got directions and ask when would be a good time to bring the tiller up to his shop and he told me that they were covered up on Monday and Tuesdays so it would be better later in the week. He said that he would have the parts and I would not have to make two trips because he could fix it while I waited. I called back on a Wednesday afternoon and was told to bring it Thursday Morning. I arrived at the dealers place at 8:35 am. I was told that I had talked to the wrong man on the phone ( there were only two men in the shop) the one man said that the person I talked to didn't know anything and I should have talked to him! There were no parts to fix the tiller and I had to leave it with them. Thursday April 29, 2010 I called to check on my tiller and was told that they are still covered up and they would call when it was ready!
I'm very disappointed in Amazon, I have been a customer for 10 years and placed many orders with these people but I don't think I will ever buy anything else that a warranty could be a problem. I may not buy ANYTHING from them but I can't say for sure at this time because I'm so upset!!!!!!

Great for small planting beds!

I purchased the 4-cycle Mantis, and it was fairly simple to put together. Once I found the primer to force gas into the lines the engine started right up. Restarts only took one easy pull. The tines really churn up the dirt, and you can dig down 10-12 inches. I had clay, rocks, and sod with plastic mesh to mix up. The clay caused the Mantis to bounce, alot! Pulling back on the Mantis tilling a 5 foot area, and then slowly moving forward tilling the same area a little deeper was the only way to get down deep. Sometimes I had to go over the same area a couple of times to get an even depth, but it was some pretty hard clay. Not any more, the clay is all broken up and mixed with the good dirt.

The plastic mesh did get wrapped around the tines pretty bad, but I had installed the weed reducers and I had the weed detangler tool to help get the mesh out. I had to stop many times and clean out the mesh and clay buildup, but it was a nice break from constantly pulling back on the tiller.

The one disadvantage to the tiller is that it contantly wants to take off on you, and you are the only thing stopping it. It requires alot of forearm and upper body strength to keep pulling back on the tiller at all times. Working the tiller from side to side and back and forth seemed to provide the best results. If you have a big area to till, I would recommend investing in a rear tine tiller that you can walk beside and guide with one hand. If you have a small, or raised, planting bed (3-4' across by 8-15' long#, then the Mantis will work fine. Unfortunatly, my garden was more than twice that size and took me about 8 hours to till #day and a half). Your arms may be sore for a couple of days, but it is a good workout, and your planting beds will look great.

I haven't tried the border edger yet, but the kickstand was very handy to have. Wear ear protection, even the quieter 4-cycle was loud.

Not too big, not too small -- just right!

For years I've used a Troy-Bilt tiller to till our garden. But I am the only one in the family who can use it. And since there are tilling needs throughout the year, and I am often on travel, we tried, and were disappointed by, those cheap tiny tillers at home improvement stores. But we are very happy with our Mantis tiller (we got the Mantis 7262-15-02 4-Cycle Honda Gas Powered Tiller/Cultivator with Border Edger and Kickstand), and here's why:

This tiller is smaller than normal tillers, but larger than those tiny home improvement store tillers. The big tillers are too big for everyone to use and the really tiny tillers only seem useful in flower beds with potting soil. But everyone in the family can use and control the Mantis tiller. Also, it is strong enough to use in the garden. Not too big, not too small -- just right!

We really love the convenience of not having to mix the gas and oil. They are separate, and that's a lot less hassle.

The handle is not too tall, which means the everyone in the family can use it comfortably.

We found the engine to be much quieter than either the Troy-bilt or the tiny home improvement store ones.

There are a decent number of tines, and they really do the job of tearing into the soil.

So we really enjoy our Mantis tiller, especially since anyone in our family can use it throughout the year.

(review by Kendall Giles)