Allotments 4 All

Hello all .I have nearly compleated digging over my allotment and have taken out loads of weed / couch grass / stones / glass /etc . I have the chance to buy small 2 stroke mantis  for £100 plus p&p.Just wanted to know if anyone had experience of using one of these good /bad points please let me know . Thanks .A T B .Roy

super little machine you cant go far wrong with these, I use mine almost daily

I have a 4 stroke because I did not want to mix fuels.  It took a bit of getting use to, but now I would not be without it.   I leave a wide space between my rows of pots. and earth up with it.

I have an electric one. You may think they are too light to keep in to depth, but because you pull them towards you instead of walking behind, the upward movement of the tines keeps them down to depth. The large number of tines makes a very fine tilth.

I thought about buy a mantis, but decided on a 2 stroke earthquake, a super small machine. I already had a 6.5 which I am well satisfied with, now looking at the larger version.
I found the mantis bounced about to much.

I've got three rotavator/cultivators and I find it's horses for courses... ground breaking then the small machines don't do it, my Howard 400, basically a half-d=width, half-power Gem) will, two, maybe three passess will turn most soil into a decent tilth and will definitley turn in all the manure you can lay on the last pass. For smaller spaces then a small rear-tine machine (I have a Howard 200) will do a really good job, if only cos the mass keeps it down. Rotavators that rely on the tines to keep the unit moving (Merry Tillers, Norletts) can be very bouncy when on dry soil, as my father pointed out to me, "It's like trying to rotavate with a Springer Spaniel" tween that and the 200, but ... The small machines should be called tillers (as the Mantis is) or cultivators... they don;t break deeply into the soil but wll take soil thats already in cultivation and till it.... the Mantis has good press and a lot of fans, I quite like my Ryobi Expandit unit in this role although the Mantis would overlap a lot between that and the 200.... buy one secondhand for a sensible price (monitor ebay) and if you don't get one with it then you'll be able to sell it on without too much of a loss....

chrisc

Quote from: Squashman on May 06, 2011, 19:46:28
I thought about buy a mantis, but decided on a 2 stroke earthquake, a super small machine. I already had a 6.5 which I am well satisfied with, now looking at the larger version.
I found the mantis bounced about to much.

Perhaps I didn't explain properly. You walk backwards with the Mantis pulling it towards you, NOT walking forwards and following it. My land is very heavy clay and the Mantis does not bounce about when used correctly, as explained in the video supplied with it.

ive got an howard 350 that i use at the end of the year to turn everything over, but for the rest of the year i use the mantis its a fantastic wee machine. and as already been said makes a fantastic job of earthing up pots and is a very good weeder.

Hi to you all and thanks for your replies.Ive just had 20mins with the mantis at  the lotty broke up the soil a treat on the parts that i had dug over to get the couch / docks out .If your thinking of getting one DO ! . Fantastic tool you wont be disappointed  Thanks again Roy

Quote from: tomatoada on May 06, 2011, 17:52:11
I have a 4 stroke because I did not want to mix fuels.  It took a bit of getting use to, but now I would not be without it.   I leave a wide space between my rows of pots. and earth up with it.

Same here.  Also got some attachments - planter and furrower,  border edger and an additional set of tines.  Not sure which set of tines comes as standard because I ordered therm as a job lot.  I use mine loads and have just done my borders in our back garden.  Wouldn't be without it. ;)

Totally agree, I have a two stroke and would not be without it, ideal for all the light tilling or cultivating work on a lotty once the heavy digging or rotovating have been done, :)