Topic: Mantis 4 stroke tiller

[diamondgirl]

Anybody used or have experience of this little machine?  I'm thinking about investing in one for allotment and garden use.  Never used one before so would appreciate any advice you can give.   :-\ 

[johno]

Hi

I have the two stroke and I find it very good as long as your ground is not to hard I tend to turn the ground over first then use the machine

[Melbourne12]

We have a rotavator, but one of our allotment neighbours has a Mantis tiller.  As Johno says, it's not strong or heavy enough to turn over soil that has hardened, but it produces a beautiful tilth after the rough digging and weeding has been done.  It's also good for working compost or manure into the soil.

One thing that I have noticed is that if you overdo it with a Mantis, the top layer turns into too fine a consistency, and the next time it rains it forms mud, which then hardens into a pan. 

[Columbus]

Hi Diamondgirl, Hi all,  ;D

(I`m back,  ;D I`ve never been away but I got bumped out a while ago and couldn`t get back in, I also got locked out of the forum at work).


I plan to order a 4 stroke Mantis in a couple of days. I`ve been digging the half-plot pumpkin patch since the ground thawed enough but my joints are much worse than they were so I`m planning to get some mechanical help.


I`ll let you know how I get on with that.

Col

[diamondgirl]

We have a rotavator, but one of our allotment neighbours has a Mantis tiller.  As Johno says, it's not strong or heavy enough to turn over soil that has hardened, but it produces a beautiful tilth after the rough digging and weeding has been done.  It's also good for working compost or manure into the soil.

One thing that I have noticed is that if you overdo it with a Mantis, the top layer turns into too fine a consistency, and the next time it rains it forms mud, which then hardens into a pan. 

Our allotment has been ploughed by Reg - a neighbouring allotment holder who takes part in ploughing competitions too :)  So, it now needs fining down before planting - thanks for the heads up about overdoing it.

[kt.]

I got my brand new 4 stroke mantis 6 weeks ago.  FANTASTIC!!!! Don't know what took me so long uuming and aaring about getting one.  At the time the mantis website were doing a deal:  £339 for the 4 stroke, kick stand and border edger.  I paid £399 and got the planter and plough as well as the previous as a package deal.  

I have only used it once so far but will use it again this week.  I cultivated some land to put my onions in and it took me minutes what would of usually taken 30-40 minutes.  I am well pleased with it.  Well pleased.  :) :) :)

My only advice at the moment is not to remove the cardboard from around the engine as this will help steady the machine when you put it together.  Do not pay the £30 to be delivered assembled.  It will takeyou only 10 minutes.

[diamondgirl]

I got my brand new 4 stroke mantis 6 weeks ago.  FANTASTIC!!!! Don't know what took me so long uuming and aaring about getting one.  At the time the mantis website were doing a deal:  £339 for the 4 stroke, kick stand and border edger.  I paid £399 and got the planter and plough as well as the previous as a package deal.  

I have only used it once so far but will use it again this week.  I cultivated some land to put my onions in and it took me minutes what would of usually taken 30-40 minutes.  I am well pleased with it.  Well pleased.  :) :) :)

Well, that makes me feel so much better.  I took the plunge and ordered mine this afternoon having dithered for months!  Also went for the package deal.  Can't wait for it to arrive now.  Thanks a lot for your comments.  :)

[diamondgirl]

Hi Diamondgirl, Hi all,  ;D

(I`m back,  ;D I`ve never been away but I got bumped out a while ago and couldn`t get back in, I also got locked out of the forum at work).


I plan to order a 4 stroke Mantis in a couple of days. I`ve been digging the half-plot pumpkin patch since the ground thawed enough but my joints are much worse than they were so I`m planning to get some mechanical help.


I`ll let you know how I get on with that.

Col

Look forward to hearing how you get on with it.  I've taken the plunge and ordered mine now - will let you know how it goes  :)

[Columbus]

Hi all,   :)

As I was saying ...  I ordered the four stroke version from the website.

It came within a week of ordering and it was easy to put together the day after it arrived, but I wish I`d watched the DVD that came with it.
The next weekend I got petrol for it and had a practice on soil I`d already
dug.
It stopped after the first six feet and I thought it was dead. The engine was running but the tines weren`t going round much the the amusement
of my audience who thought the little machine wasn`t up to the job.

It turned out there was a rock trapped between the tines and the drive column. Once I`d removed it everything was ok again. I was able to  practice controlling the machine and get out a few missed roots.

I soon went over the half-plot sized pumpkin patch and tried it on the small areas I had left and it coped easily with these. Those parts had not been dug in more than five years and were hard compacted. The Mantis stopped for a second time because of a trapped rock and later I pinched the throttle cable when I folded down the handles.

The real test was when I started on my big top-plot which had been mostly neglected since I harvested my spuds last year.

The soil on our site is very light especially when its dry but later I will be using the Mantis in some soil left by Anglia water after last years pipe laying across half my top-plot. This soil is much heavier than we are used to and is now compacted and weedy.

I was expecting a threatening letter off the council and I was quite embarrassed by the state of the top plot as I had put all my time into the two lower ones. Now I can avoid that and I`ve started planting.

I am very happy to say I cleared half a plot in three days using the Mantis, a rake and a sieve to shake the weeds out. I have had no back ache or other joint pain. All the doubters are now impressed as my work rate and the difference in the plot is amazing for all to see.
I have learnt not to let the Mantis go too deep on the first pass as it shreds the weeds. Unlike a plot neighbour with a larger rotovator I don`t want to shred and bury the weeds I want to get them out.
At the end of every day I put it on a trolley and wheel it to a nearby friends house as I can`t leave it on the site overnight. I will be ordering the set of wheels available from the Mantis co asap.

No I don`t have shares in the company.
If you are thinking of going along the mechanical route I can
recommend the Mantis.

Col

[Busy Bee]

I too have been ummming and arring over whether to buy one or not. After reading this i'm convinced. All i gotta do now is persuaded hubby lol.  :) :)

[davyw1]

Don,t know if you have a Maxwells DIY in your area but they do a mighty fine Royal rotorvator at £199.00