What small tiller, mantis or ?

[Kyle_in_Tex]

That's the exact right answer and what I've been doing for MANY years in my gardens,

VERY LITTLE to no weeding!!

SR

That looks beautiful. Must be almost July in that picture. Stay warm.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have the 2 stroke Mantis. No complaints. Nowadays, I'd probably try and go 4 stroke. That probably wouldn't be as much fun running across the lawn behind it though.

 

[Budweiser John]

I have good luck with my Stihl mini tiller using ‘canned’ fuel. It bugs me to have to pay the long $$ for fuel but with 6 two stroke engines on various equipment the summer would be over B/4 all of them were up nd running. Canned fuel has a lot of advantages.
Mini tillers, albeit labor saving, were never designed to break virgin ground or hard pan so the tractor mounted tiller gets the job done in the spring.
I must admit however, raised garden beds and straw mulch are gradually retiring tilling for weed control.
B. John

 

[tcreeley]

I had a two stroke Mantis. It was great and my wife used it. Very handy. I left the gas in it like I always did, no stabil and it killed the engine. Replaced the carb and went through everything before I took it to a repair guy. He checked it out - dead.

I'd recommend the 4 cycle Mantis. Should have done that the first time- didn't want to spend the extra money. Never was a problem until they started messing with the gas.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I'm leaning towards the 4 stroke mantis.

 

[suspiciousmind]

For the last few years, I've been using marine 2-cycle oil with excellent results. I've had a Troy-Bilt 2-cycle mini tiller for about ten years that is really reliable and does a good job.

 

[Bird]

I don't know how long I had my first Mantis, but I gave it to my grandson and I bought a new one on 2/7/2017, primarily because I'm lazy and the new one has the easy start system so you never have to pull hard and fast. I can just slowly and easily pull the starter rope until the engine turns over. So now, in a year and a quarter, it's given me no trouble at all. Now after I say that, it may never run again, since the gas that is in it, and in the can I use, is as old as the Mantis, and yep it's that old gas that everyone hates because of the ethanol. I do use a double dose of the old original Stabil in my gas.

I did learn on both the old Mantis and this new one that when it starts, you should let it sit and idle and warm up a minute or so before you use the throttle.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have used a bought new 2 stroke Mantis. Never any issues. I would say it starts on pretty much the first pull after months or years of not being used, Probably I would have chosen the 4 stroke if available, but that doesn't always make it more reliable.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have the 2 stroke Mantis and the 4 stroke Honda mini... I like the Honda motor better and I like the Mantis tines better...

Both pretty much sit unused, as I'm a BIG believer in mulch!

Here's what my July corn looks like,

SR

 

[Bird]

That's a good looking corn crop. Incidentally, my Mantis tiller has been used for dethatching more than anything else; a power rake, in other words.