Mantis Gas Mini Tiller/Cultivator, 2-Cycle

Below average performance if you can get it started! February 08, 2012

I bought this unit from Sears. This is not the deluxe model, it does not have akick start feature. To say this is a cold blooded machine is an understatement. Since the day I bought it I have had trouble getting it started. I have many 2 cycle machines and none have this problem. It is less than a year old. I have cleared the gas tank, checked the carburetor, changed the spark plug. It just doesn't want to start if cold! Once running is seems o.k. until you get to the end of the row, and as soon as you release the gas, it dies. A small engine shop just shrugged it off as characteristic of little machines like this. I will say that if warmed up it is easier to start. I used larger tillers in the past and wanted a lighter, easier to handle unit for my small garden thinking it would be handy for my wife...she won't use it because she can't control it. I wish I had a bigger one, now. This thing is o.k. if the soil is loose. If compacted or if part of the path is loose and part it compacted it will bounce all over and twist your wrists.  It will sink to its deepest level and then just sit there until you lift it a little, and then it might hop on top of the ground until it gets another bite.  Heaven help you if you hit a rock or root! If all you are doing is a little cultivating in loose soil, and you have a strapping young neighbor willing to crank on it for an hour, this machine might be for you. My wife has never been able to start it. As I write this I am frustrated after spending another 3 hours on this little contraption. I grew up on a farm and used tillers for years. I do not recommend this unit to anyone.  I really wish I would have purchased a different machine.

Awesome little machine. November 18, 2011

This will be the second Mantis tiller I have owned. The first lasted about 7 years before I replaced it. Replacing it was not due to any malfunctions or mechanical issues. I replaced it to get up with the newer model.

This machine does the work of those big bullies in much less time and with much less back breaking effort. I now own 3 acres of land and I have tilled countless new gardens around my home. This machine will till down to approximately 3 feet and leave you with powerdy soil. I always mix in peat moss when I till to help break up any clay as I get down in the dirt. It also helps to add nutrients to the soil and assists with drainage.

Never do I have a problem starting this bad boy, never. I have tilled areas of land as small as where I needed to plant a new tree to an area of over 500 square feet. All along, the Mantis Tiller hummed along and never lost power. It shut off only when I shut it off.

Comes with reversable blades that limit the depth you need to dig. I use them for any areas of lawn that may have died or are having problems. I keep the Mantis just on the surface and kind of dethatch the areas of concern to loosen the top layer of soil. I rake it out and it's ready for new seed. Easy as Pumpkin Pie!

Watch out if you have in ground sprinklers!!! When I moved into this home, I did not know the previous owners installed their own irrigation system. They laid all of the pipes just under the grass so when I tilled anywhere, I was hitting the sprinkler lines. The mantis is powerful and I cut through almost all nine of my zones. I didn't realize this had happened until I put my sprinklers on and saw the loss of pressure. I mean who puts sprinkler lines right under the grass? Wow!

There is only one thing I have a major complaint about. Mantis for some reason put the kill switch right near the handle where your hands are. If you're working this machine in soil, you're going to hit that switch and the machine will shut off. Yes, it starts right back up, but this is very annoying. Other than that, I have been a happy Mantis customer for over 15 years.

JUNK!!! July 26, 2011

Bought it brand new, and after 2.5 hours I finally got it to start. It ran for about ten minutes, then refused to start again. I promtply took this POS back to Sears and bought a Honda FG110. The Honda is ten times the machine. In todays economy Mantis should be ashamed of themselves for ripping people off. DON'T WASTE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!

Mantis Mini Tiller July 20, 2011

I really like the Mantis Tiller.  It is easy to start, somewhat lightweight and does a fabulous job.  This is my first time using a tiller (my husband tilled prior) and I had no problems starting it or using it.  We have lots of rocks in our garden, so the tiller does jerk a bit, but once those are gone, it should till smoothly.  I highly recommend the Mantis.