I really love the mini-cultivators. In another thread I explained that I call mine a 'gas-a-hoe.' It's a gardener's best friend. Back in the mid 80s, I bought a front tine tiller used for $30. It was one of those 5 hp belt driven models that were popular in those days. Mine was great, but had a nasty habit of quitting because the valves stuck. Instead of doing the right thing and fixing it, I'd pop out the spark plug and give the valve a shove with a screwdriver through the spark plug hole. It would pop back into place and I'd be good to go until it stuck again. It was a good excuse to not loan it to neighbors. I'd tell them about the valve and how to fix it and most would tell me no thanks.
My house I had then was built in 1949 and I had a neighbor who had lived there since '47 and had watched my house being built. One day he told me that there were big flowerbeds all around my house with a deep curb 4" wide and 18" deep. They were completely hidden by overgrown Saint Augustine grass. After removing the sod, I found the curbs that defined flowerbeds. I started to use my tiller, but found it too wide for some of the beds that lined a curved front sidewalk. I was dating a girl who had a Mantis tiller and suggested I try it out. It was the perfect size and did a great job, but I didn't want to wear out her tiller. Nearby was a Payless Cashways lumber yard that had a
Ryobi 410r mini-cultivator that was pefect for doing my flowerbeds. This was around 1990 and I was determined to restore those flowerbeds and improve my lawn. I loved the mini-cultivator and ran it for hours and hours putting in flowerbeds. Actually I got a bit carried away and ended up doing terracing with landscape timbers and laying rocks for walkways. Before you know it, another neighbor nominated me and I won yard of the month and then yard of the year in my part of town. All of this thanks to my little Ryobi 410r tiller that worked perfectly hour after hour of use. Of course, that was pre-ethanol days.
This story is getting long, so I'll try to shorten it. I used that 410r for everything you can imagine. I lugged it with me in the trunk of my car to my daughter's house in Oklahoma where I tilled up her flower beds and put in flowers for her. I used it to dig holes and loosen dirt several times. It just seemed indestructible. Fast forward to 2002/2003 when I built my current new house and was putting in flower beds. One day I hit the right rock and the flexible drive-link broke. I went to my local lawnmower repair shop and ordered a replacement, but for some reason, it never came in. Rather than fool with them, I went online and found the link for around $18 and bought it. After that, the tiller worked until 2009. I admit that it was getting worn and vibration had caused part of the handle to break. The carburetor also needed a gasket kit. One day my wife and I were in Lowes and saw the identical tiller with Bolens on it. I suppose MTD had bought Ryobi and was producing them as Bolens and Yardman. One tiller was on display that had some colored tape on the handle and I asked the sales person if it was a floor model for sale. He said he'd check with his boss. The department manager showed up and I told him my story about my Ryobi that I originally bought for $145. Lowes price for the tiller was $229, but this tiller had been returned by the customer as being defective. The guys in the store found it to run fine, but it was now used. The dept. manager told me that if I wanted it, he'd sell it to me for $145 just like I paid for my Ryobi. What a deal! I paid for it and came home with another tiller.
I was thrilled when I fired the thing up and it ran perfectly. I started tilling and suddenly the tiller coughed and died. After some tinkering, I found that with the choke at half-closed, the tiller would continue to run well. I continued to use the tiller this way until this year when it got really cranky. I took the carb apart to find that the fuel pump was not working properly. It actually leaked and sucked air after the tiller warmed up. Since I had a brand new carburetor in my spares, I just swapped them out and replaced all hoses with new ones. The tiller now runs like a whole new animal. As long as I keep filling the tank, the engine runs. Just yesterday, I heard a screeching and noticed the clamp where the engine joins the power shaft to the gearbox is not tight enough even though it is as tight as it will go. It needs something to make it clamp tighter. Because the engine cocked over a small amount the flexible drive is rubbing and squealing. I think I can fix it pretty easily.
So, since 1991/92, I've owned a Ryobi and then a Bolens mini-tiller. I've always considered the Mantis to be overpriced, but that's just me. I have nothing but good experiences with the one I tried. Even so, I don't know of any tiller that has so many positive reviews as the Honda FG110 4-cycle tiller. I'd love to have one. Also Greenworks has a 40 volt battery powered tiller that is interesting. I have their 40 volt battery powered chainsaw and the tiller would use the same battery. It's tempting to get one even if I don't really need it. You know what they say about boyz-n-toyz.
Now, if this is my 'short' post, aren't you glad I didn't do a long post?
