small tiller

vaskeet

vaskeet

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looking at a small tiller for weeding the garden looking at the mantis 2 stroke or the sthil mm56 anyone have experience with them pros or cons
 
I recently bought a mantis from @Heavy Barrel because my wife wanted something like that for maintaining the garden. It is really light and manageable. She loves it. We got it for planting rows and tilling in weeds between rows (“cultivating”?) after the garden has been initially tilled by a heavy tiller.
I will still need to use the full size tiller on new ground (like when we expand the garden). She has used the mantis to prepare rows in areas we planted last spring, that had been sitting over winter with nothing but grass/weeds growing in them.
it sounds like from your post that you understand the limitations of a small machine.
The only other feedback we would give is that tall weeds or grass can get wrapped around the tines, and you need to take the time to clean them out periodically. Removing the tines makes this easier. The tines also can be manually turned in one direction to help with this, so if you clean it sooner, you don’t have to remove the tines. Once my wife realized this, she started cutting down the tall weeds before tilling an area.
She is really happy with it after understanding the limitations, and when to take her time vs. thinking it will dig last years ground instantly, don’t force it so it won’t bounce around, etc.
 
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DangerRuss said:
I recently bought a mantis from @Heavy Barrel because my wife wanted something like that for maintaining the garden. It is really light and manageable. She loves it. We got it for planting rows and tilling in weeds between rows (“cultivating”?) after the garden has been initially tilled by a heavy tiller.
I will still need to use the full size tiller on new ground (like when we expand the garden). She has used the mantis to prepare rows in areas we planted last spring, that had been sitting over winter with nothing but grass/weeds growing in them.
it sounds like from your post that you understand the limitations of a small machine.
The only other feedback we would give is that tall weeds or grass can get wrapped around the tines, and you need to take the time to clean them out periodically. Removing the tines makes this easier. The tines also can be manually turned in one direction to help with this, so if you clean it sooner, you don’t have to remove the tines. Once my wife realized this, she started cutting down the tall weeds before tilling an area.
She is really happy with it after understanding the limitations, and when to take her time vs. thinking it will dig last years ground instantly, don’t force it so it won’t bounce around, etc.
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I use a 60 inch befco tractor mounted tiller on the kubota l3700 to break up the ground. I am looking at the small tiller for weeding between rows instead of so much hoe time
 
I've an older mantis that's lives in the garage and hasn't been used in years. My mom used it two springs for the flower garden around her house, I used it an hour or two. I haven't got around to ordering a carb kit, it has very low hours. I'll let it go for $125
 
Get Off My Lawn said:
I've an older mantis that's lives in the garage and hasn't been used in years. My mom used it two springs for the flower garden around her house, I used it an hour or two. I haven't got around to ordering a carb kit, it has very low hours. I'll let it go for $125
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I would have been interested except its 4 hours each way driving time
 
We use a mantis. You can cut bed edges with it, edge sidewalk with it, weed rows, and I take the tines off one side and use it to make planting furrows in the garden. Mine sat for 10 years plus. I got it out last year and the primer bulb crumbled when I pressed it. Got a kit from Amazon with new carb, hoses, extra primers bulbs, carb gasket, and spark plug for $17. Spent a few minutes putting it on and it fired right up after 10 years. Used it last night to make furrows for planting beans and okra
 
I have the same size in a Stihl in the combo package. If its a loose bed dirt its fine . Any harder clay and it just bounces around. It is the exact head on the MM56. I would have to see your application in size and compaction to suggest the Stihl. I attempted to churn up bare spots om the back yard. All it did was make a luttle dust.
 
Honda makes a small one similar to the mantis, thats what we have. It works great so you may want to check those out too.
 
i have an older mantis that I got from Dads when he passed. the primer bulb rotted off of it but it seems to have good compression and was empty of fuel when I got it. I guess it's worth fixing to hear all this testimony from y'all.
 
Ikarus1 said:
i have an older mantis that I got from Dads when he passed. the primer bulb rotted off of it but it seems to have good compression and was empty of fuel when I got it. I guess it's worth fixing to hear all this testimony from y'all.
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HUZTL C1U-K54A Carburetor Repower Kit Air Fuel Filter Gasket for 2 Cycle Mantis 7222 7222E 7222M 7225 7230 7234 7240 7920 7924 Tiller Cultivator Echo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B6GTGM...abc_WXP7KFD3RTYR2EDJD616?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
 
got the Sthil MM56 with wheel kit. The wife used it this morning (I cant use it recovering from shoulder surgery ) We use the tractor mounted tiller to break up the garden
then we plant the Stihl is to weed around plants and between beds. We plant multiple small garden plots instead of a big one
 

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The mantis is what I would suggest , Echo also makes an identical unit. I used to work for an Echo distributor and the Echo/ Mantis are basically identical. Echo provides engines for the mantis and mantis provides the gearbox and tiller to Echo. I have used one for years. All little tillers can get clogged with grass and weeds, but the Mantis spring tines are easy to clean and replace if and when you wear them out
 
Ikarus1 said:
got one on the way. Thanks man!
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Put the carb and new fuel lines and pickup on her and a new plug and she fired right up!
827bd092192507bbac06dd6a7dac826d.jpg
 
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Spartan01 said:
Anyone close to Gibsonville with a Mantis I could borrow?
I have a small yard I want to till and seed.
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I have one you can borrow but I’d like to advise against seeding a yard right now. Wrong time of year for growing new grass
 
Late to the conversation, but we got Mom a Honda FG series lady tiller seems like a decade ago, and besides having to replace the carb, it has been an absolute workhorse. She uses and abuses the hell out of any lawn equipment, so if it can survive her, that's solid praise.

I did have to drill a 3/8" hole in one of the tines to access the grease box since that thing was not coming off the spindle, otherwise, great machine.
 
Spartan01 said:
Anyone close to Gibsonville with a Mantis I could borrow?
I have a small yard I want to till and seed.
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I have an electric tiller that does well and I'm 5-10 minutes from Gibsonville of you want to borrow it. Tilled a couple of 10x20 beds for my parents with it. Not ideal for a whole yard, but it is free.
 
cold1 said:
Honda makes a small one similar to the mantis, thats what we have. It works great so you may want to check those out too.
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+1 for the little Honda tiller. We have one (needs a transmission key) and my parents have one. Digs really good and leaves fine dirt. Easy to handle. The engine runs and starts well. I bought it, didn't use it for several years and it started right up.

The key broke on dirt that was so bad I wound up using a bobcat to dig it up before tilling it.
 
I use this with my string trimmer motor

1624308078939.png
 
NCMedic said:
I've seen this at Lowes and my one trimmer has the attachment capability.
How does it work?
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It's great if you're not trying to deal with clay. If the soil is hard it helps to turn it with a shovel first then till.
 
My family rotates the Mantis between 6 families. It really is the cats meow for homeowner use. It had a crumbled primer bulb for years, but a few yanks with the choke on and it always fired up.

Then someone replaced it and it crumbled in a year.

But everyone can use a mantis, the big tillers are too heavy for the wife to use it. When she wants the mantis, I get it out, expand the handles and walk away. She tills and I don't.
 
I've got one of the Stihl units, was my moms before she passed. It died mid-job two years back and I just set it aside 'until later'. This month the neighbors asked to borrow it so I got off my butt and paid $14 for a new carburetor and such off amazon. It bolted right up and they used it for about 4 hours, and I've since put another hour on it and now it's drained and awaiting next season.

Bummer Stihl won't sell parts for these things easily, but there is a reason for all the chicom stuff on ebay/amazon. Someone is going to provide parts to people who want to fix things.
 
Jayne said:
I've got one of the Stihl units, was my moms before she passed. It died mid-job two years back and I just set it aside 'until later'. This month the neighbors asked to borrow it so I got off my butt and paid $14 for a new carburetor and such off amazon. It bolted right up and they used it for about 4 hours, and I've since put another hour on it and now it's drained and awaiting next season.

Bummer Stihl won't sell parts for these things easily, but there is a reason for all the chicom stuff on ebay/amazon. Someone is going to provide parts to people who want to fix things.
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They will sell parts to anybody very easily. But there has to be parts to sell. I've been waiting on parts for over 6 months for some customers any my own stuff.
 
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