Tiller recommend?

[ikesmom]

What kind of tiller do you recommend? I bought one 9 years ago and prob only used it 3 or 4 times. The lines eroded over time and dh purchased new ones only to find a crack in the motor last night. We arranged for someone to dump manure and beer grain in our backyard next week and will need to mix it in with the existing clay dirt. I say "dirt" because it is just fill dirt that is hard as a rock..water just pools on top and takes days to soak in.

I am figuring we will probably need to use a tiller at least 3-5 times. I figure it is cheaper to buy one than rent one each time..we are doing our yard in segments..garden, dog run, barbecue pit, and eventually a pond. We already had a guy come and till the whole yard once for $60. It rained and everything compacted down again .

[cristeen]

I have an electric Mantis tiller, and it's great. It's small and light enough that I can handle it on my own (even in our clay soil) - but powerful enough that I was able to dig up our front yard about 8 inches deep. I could have done deeper, but that was enough for my purposes... I believe it goes down to 11 inches.

I tilled the whole yard once N-S and once E-W and then put it away for a week, came back out and did it again to make sure there were no clods left. Then I reversed the blades, added amendments and went over the whole thing once more. Our little yard 10x14 took about 90 minutes the first day and maybe 45 the second.

One hint though - be sure to clean the blades before you put it away. If you leave them caked with dirt, it's much harder to get off later and it's not as effective at it's job.

[ikesmom]

Thanks

Dh actually came home with a tiller he borrowed from a friend..but it didn't run. The friend said he would like dh to see if he could fix it. If he can't I found out Lowe's rents them for a fair price.

[SonomaMom]

I recommend a Mantis too. We've used ours for 6 years and love it.

[lmonter]

Definitely not a Bolens (from Lowe's). Just, don't. Trust me.

Hubby got a new little Echo tiller a week or two ago. He chose that over the Mantis because the Echo has a 5 year warranty, and the Mantis only has a 2 year warranty or something like that. Our big tiller is an Ariens, but I doubt that's what you're looking for right now.

[reducereuserecycle]

can i hear more about the mantis...any complaints on it?

could i handle a mantis while pregnant? do you think it would be too hard? since it is electric i would not worry about the fumes but was wondering if it might jar me too much. also, since the joints on the body loosen while preggo i don't know if it would be a good idea to use a tiller.

i am thinking about getting a mantis and also want to hear about the attachments....like do you ever use them or just the main till feature

[reducereuserecycle]

just noticed there is a 2-cycle, 4-cycle, and electric version of the mantis...which one do you have?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by reducereuserecycle

could i handle a mantis while pregnant? do you think it would be too hard? since it is electric i would not worry about the fumes but was wondering if it might jar me too much. also, since the joints on the body loosen while preggo i don't know if it would be a good idea to use a tiller.

The hardness of the Mantis is dependent upon the soil. If your soil isn't full of clay or rocks, then it's really no worse than running a lawn mower. With clay and rocks though (we have both), it was bucking all over the place - but honestly I wouldn't have thought twice about using it if you hadn't mentioned it.

[garden-gal]

We've used a Craftsman rear-tine garden tiller for close to 10 years now. We've always had good luck with Craftsman yard & garden products. It was a decent price (about $650) for what it's given in return. Never had one small problem with it and it always starts on the first pull of the cord. I also like the fact that you can till with it, put it into reverse and move that dirt around easily with the tine shroud on the rear. I would buy another one if this one ever kicks the bucket.

[reducereuserecycle]

any more input before i order my mantis electric tiller?

[ikesmom]

Well dh got that craftsman to work and he tilled the whole yard 3 times ..at first it was hard because the soil was so compacted. He likes it..esp since it didn't cost us. If we were to pick a new one though we would prob go with a mantis just because so many people have recommended it.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by reducereuserecycle

any more input before i order my mantis electric tiller?

The Mantis engine is built by Echo.
Both have the same engine, same drive and everything - pretty much the only difference is the name and the warranty. The Mantis has a 2 year warranty, the Echo has a 5 year warranty. Oh, and the Echo comes with a kickstand as part of the package. If those are of any consideration for you.