Me and Mantis. We have a history and I think you should know about it.
I lost my father in 2003 and my mom 363 days later. It’s life, something we all deal with eventually. They were extremely independent people but in those last few years, they needed help with some things.
Like yard work. One evening I was over helping my dad with some things in the yard and he asks me to roto-till his little garden. The conversation went like this . . .
Dad; “Will you roto-till the garden for me?”
Me; “Sure, I’ll bring my tiller over tomorrow.”
Dad; “I have a tiller.”
Me; “You have a tiller????
Dad; “Yeah, your mother bought it for me. Ordered it through the mail.”
This was back before the Internet or in the very early days when most people didn’t even know what it was.
Me; You bought a roto-tiller through the mail?
Dad; “Yeah, it’s a small one.”
He goes into the shed and brings out the smallest roto-tiller I’d ever seen in my life!
When I saw that thing I just smiled. I mean I really smiled because I couldn’t believe that this would actually run, let alone til the ground.
His was the 2 cycle model, probably the only model Mantis made back then. Still very suspect of this tiny machine I thought; “What the heck! I’ll take it for a spin.”
One of the first things that I noticed is that it had a handle so you could pick it up and carry it like a lunch box! What? I picked it up, couldn’t believe how light it was, set it in the garden and started the engine.
Holy Cow!
When that thing started up and those tines started spinning and immediately started digging into the soil in his garden I couldn’t believe my eyes. That thing was like a roto-tilling monster!
I went from amused to highly suspect to absolutely blown away with amazement. I was so impressed that I immediately became a fan of Mantis and I really have been a raving fan ever since.
After my dad died we had the chore of going through his stuff, mostly his tools, etc. and we came to the Little Mantis Tiller. My brother used to borrow it all the time from my dad so he too was a fan. We both had a need for and could use the tiller.
I told my brother; “You take it, and I’ll just order one for myself.” I did buy my own Mantis Tiller and I’ve been bragging about it ever since. We’ve featured it in a number of videos.
Many of Our Members have purchased Mantis Tillers on my recommendations because we use them for cultivating, preparing new grow beds and mixing topsoil.
But this article is about . . .
The Mantis 4-Cycle Plus Tiller/Cultivator
A review actually. Just looking at this photo I’ll tell you this . . .
- The machine was very easy to assemble. All we had to do was put on the handles, the kickstand and the tines. And add motor oil.
Do not forget to add the oil! - The tines are reversible. One direction is for digging and tilling, the other direction is for cultivating. Very easy to do, just pull the spring pins and switch the tines from side to the other.
- If the tines get all plugged up with vines, weeds or other garden debris the problem is easily solved. Simply pop off the tine and slide the entangled mess right off the spindle.
- The kickstand! The older models did not have a kickstand. This makes storing the tiller so much easier.
- The handles can be folded down easily, that makes storing the machine even easier.
- Lightweight! This machine only weighs 24 lbs.
- This machine has a 4-cycle engine! That means that it runs on regular gas only, no mixing oil with the gas. 2-cycle machines require a fuel mixture of gas and oil. This is a huge advantage for people that don’t have other garden tools that require 2-cycle fuel. Regular gas is all it needs!
- The motor is a Honda® engine. Very easy to start! Runs smooth and about as quiet as a gasoline engine can run.
- I love the new soft-grip handles and the under the handle throttle that operates as smooth as butter.
- The on/off switch is right there on the right-hand handle grip, opposite the throttle.
- No cumbersome levers! No gear or speed selector to fuss with. Simply start the engine and start tilling. You control the speed of the tines with the trigger-like throttle. Awesome!
Check out this machine in action! Watch the movie . . .
Do I seem overly impressed with this machine? Maybe I am. But I’ve been a big believer in these Mantis products for a long time.
I really don’t like to do negative reviews of products, so if I encounter a product that I really don’t like, I simply don’t mention it.
Check the price of this machine here.
For instance. I’ve got two orange wheelbarrows that I have deemed to be absolute junk. I paid something like $140 each for them. The handles broke on both. One of them broke on the first day we used it.
Cost me $35 for new handles and a half a day to replace them. And now the tubs have cracked on both. Not cracked, they broke! The lip broke off!
I’m really mad about those wheelbarrows. If I’d paid $59 I’d say I got what I paid for. But I paid full price for them and for the same money I could have had Two Jackson Wheelbarrows! Yeah, I’m a big fan of Jackson Contractor Grade Wheelbarrows.
So when I find a product I really like, I brag about it.
But when I get stuck with a product that I don’t like, I secretly fume about it and as I’m typing this I realize that I need to take those orange wheelbarrows to the dump because every time I look at one of them my blood pressure goes up!
Throwing them in the dump would be a liberating experience!
I brag about Mantis Tillers because they truly have impressed me!
As soon as the ground thaws I’ll add a demonstration video of this machine in action. (note, the ground has thawed and the video has been added above. I’ll tell you this about these small Mantis tillers.
- If you have 40 acres to till this is the wrong machine.
- But if you have a vegetable garden I think this is a must-have machine because they do a nice job of tilling and keeping a garden weed-free.
- The machine is lightweight, easy to handle, easy to carry if need be.
- The machine is small and easily maneuvered around. Trust me, I’ve got a small rear tine tiller that I also use. But if I get it in a corner it’s multiple, slow maneuvers to get it out of that corner. And if I turn it at all while going down a row of plants the tiller guard swings over and cuts up my plants. And if I till right up to the fence, which I often have to, more slow, awkward backing up, trying to hold the reverse lever while fighting with the handles. It’s a good tiller, but not an easy thing to use. And if I need to take it from the front of the property to the back I might as well pack a lunch because it is slow, slow, slow. And disengaging the wheels is a job, something I never want to do again!
- So yeah, maneuverability is everything.
- Let’s be realistic. This Mantis 4-Cycle Tiller/Cultivator only weighs 24lbs. That’s a good thing. But on really hard-packed ground, it’s going to bounce around and probably have difficulty breaking that hard ground. But if you get to the ground in the spring when it’s soft, then you can easily and quickly keep it worked up for the rest of the season and every season to come. In the demo video that I will post here, I will use the machine to break some fresh ground so you can see what it will do.
- I don’t think that Mantis ever mentions this, but I use my Mantis tiller to actually move soil. Yes, move soil. As it tills it kicks soil out the back. Not all over you, but out the back. So when I have a pile of soil to move or at least level off, rather than shoveling which I’m not that good at anymore, I simply let the tiller walk into the pile and then I pull it backward moving the soil toward me as I back up. It really works well for this! I’ve leveled off all kinds of piles of soil doing this. For me, this is a huge thing! I’ll put a video on this page showing you how that’s done.
- This machine actually moves fast if you want it to. Quite easily controlled by you. Unlike my rear tine tiller that craws at a snail’s pace, I can let the Mantis tiller work at any speed that I want it to. That’s a great feature if you are cultivating. When cultivating you only need to disturb the soil a little bit to keep the garden weed-free. This machine allows you to do that very quickly.
- It’s small, easy to turn, super easy to maneuver. You can easily weave in between plants in the garden. That means that you will spend a lot less time hoeing the garden.
Using a Mantis Tiller to Level a Pile of Soil.
This video has a little of everything. Pam making a sign for the donkeys, rare footage of The Donkeys as babies, and the Mantis Tiller moving soil.
Keep in mind, this is my old, 2-cycle Mantis tiller. As soon as I make the video of the 4-cycle machine I’ll add it to this page. Right now the ground is frozen!
Watch the movie!
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I’ll respond appropriately.
where do I buy this joyful little tiller?? I am 80 and need it badly for my little garden
Loree, just got to the Mantis.com website and order one.
Mike, love your videos, but you goofed with the electric video on this page. It is the gas model, same as the one further down. I would really like to see the electric Mantis video.
John,
You are right! I used the wrong video, deleted the one I needed and need to re-shoot it. Stay tuned, I’ll fix it.
Happy to hear your Mantis experience was a good one. I have several raised beds that comprise my garden roughly 240 sq ft in all. My Mantis was bought in 2007, the 2-cycle version back then. I did not ever “break ground” with it but used it to chop and mix soil, compost, and small amounts of sand in those raised beds. At first, I was very happy with my Mantis purchase. I made the mistake of letting some gas containing ethanol sit in the tiller for about 6-8 weeks and it would not start. The local repair shop was very reputable and second generation, somewhat a pillar of the community and I’d always been treated fairly there. When I brought the Mantis in, they told me they would repair it, but I would have to pay for the repair; they had several “in warranty” claims with Mantis and were simply not being paid for any of them.
Just a couple of months after buying the Mantis, I spent another $110 for a new carb and labor. I began to read that many others were having similar problems with gas containing ethanol. The seals, O-rings, whatever were being ruined by the ethanol and in short periods of time. I began to seek out “No ethanol” gas and put fuel stabilizer in that gas in addition to the high quality 2-cycle mixing oil. I worked as an oil chemist for five years and I can tell you that anything but name brand mixing oil is very risky. I was able to use this same gas/oil mix in my trimmer, chain saw, and Mantis and had no more fuel issues for the next 9 years. Reading this? Check your owner’s manual to make sure of the mix ratio your equipment requires. I was able to use the same in all my 2-cycle machines.
My Mantis developed an issue after about four years where it did not want to idle once it got hot so I had to keep it revved up when lifting from bed to bed. I only needed the tiller maybe four times a year since I mulch instead of cultivate. Nonetheless, it got the job done so I fought it. Other than the chrome handles rusting badly in 1-year, the tiller looked good and ran as described (when hot) for years. I finally bought a different brand of 2-cycle that’s a little heavier, has a more powerful engine, and was somewhat less expensive. I am on my second year with it and I’m very happy with it. I keep the soil rich in these beds and never break ground with a small tiller. This one should last another decade, maybe more.
Dennis,
Without a doubt, ethanol fuel is an issue in all small engine. I use a stabilizer in all of my power equipment. So far so good. I’ve had my 2-cycle Mantis for so long I can’t even remember when I bought it.
Mike, I have two 2 cyclew Mantis tillers and have liked both of them because they were repaired by the Mantis company. Sent them in, got it back like brand new! Now that Mantis is owned by someone else, I can’t find a place to repair them. Any ideas?
Mike,
Give them a call and see what they say, I would think any Mantis dealer should be able to repair them or send you to somebody that can.
My Mom bought her Matis about 30 years ago. She died at the end of 1996 and my daughter wanted it.. I let her take it. I bought a new electric model in 2009, it’s the best. I’m like you, I can’t rave enough about it.
I love mantis tillers! Bought my first 2-cycle one some 30 years ago- but after constantly having to tune it and only getting 10 minutes of actual use before having to tune it again I bought myself an electric one! Oh the sweetness! And my neighbors are amazed how quiet it is! My special use is to dig holes to plant my fruit trees. The mantis will dig the hard soil loose, I shovel it out and mantis digs again and again making hole digging easy as pie! I have tilled my gardens, moved soil, and tilled in a trailer full of manure. Mantis is my garden buddy! I’m excited to hear about a new gas mantis with no oil mixing, but I’ll just stick with my electric one.
I also have a old Mantis two cycle. I have had this for at least sixteen years. It’s great for tilling and as you mentioned cultivating. It’s small size makes it easy to maneuver around the garden and even though it is small it is powerful and tills the soil great. I have also used it for digging holes to plant trees and mine came with a wheel and another blade for edging flower beds. It’s a great little machine.
We just purchased a Mantis battery powered tiller. This little guy has wheels on the rear, making it a lot easier to deal with. It is lighter weight than even the tiller you review here, and works great, too! It claims the battery runs it for about 30 minutes and recharges in 90 minutes. We haven’t tested it that far yet, but as we have small areas to till, we don’t think it will be a problem for us.
Nola,
That sounds great!
We bought that not long after your video – it’s fantastic.
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Mike I have one of the earlisr Mantis tillers. Mine you have to mix gas> love it too. It only weighs 10 lbs.
A woment could use it althugh my wife doesn’t or wont. The only thing I dont like is the on and off are too close and I am forever switching it off while I am using it. I Love you site but I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada. Love to the donkeys my Grandaughter has two.
Ed Mankelow
Ed,
Enjoy the tiller! We do have Canadian members. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Hi, Mike.
We have very solid ground with lots of clay. When I first started using my Mantis years ago, it did bounce like crazy. But I realized that if I held onto it to keep it from running off, it jumped higher with each bounce, and then dug deeper into the ground each time, and broke up the ground in no time. I’d spent three days jumping on a shovel to prepare a garden area that I could have done in 45 minutes with the Mantis. Love that little machine! They’re so good that someone took the risk of getting caught to steal mine during shipping, and the company had to send me a replacement;
Thanks for all the good info.
I know about heavy clay soils and totally agree with you about how well the Mantis tiller works….I’ll be getting mine out this weekend!
Thanks Aggie, it’s great to hear from others who also think this tiller is capable of doing the job.
I have the old 2 cycle model. It was great when it would run but that doesn’t last long’ Took it to an “authorized” dealer. They kept it for several months and got it back doing good for another short while. The previous comments might make more sense but too much trouble to send it back to mfg. I tried fixing it myself and gave up patience. Maybe I will try it again this spring. The 4 cycle and new mfg probably better but I considered mine a cute toy with no reliable use.
Bob,
I’ve had my 2 cycle for years and use it a lot. Big thing, do not leave gas in the tank for a long time. It gets stale and gooey.
I bought the corded electric model – no gas, no oil, no fumes, no starting problems, no battery to run down – just plug it in and go. And talk about QUIET. I can hear cars drive by my house while I’m running it and my garden is a long way from the road. It has plenty of power – just need to use a little caution so you don’t run over the cord. I had a gas model but used it infrequently and had it in and out of the shop because of the ethanol gas in our area. I like the electric model so much better. If it plugs it shuts down, remove whatever is plugging it up and hit the reset button, you’re ready to go again.
That’s awesome Donna, I will be reviewing that machine soon! Or maybe the one that I have is a newer electric model. Stay tuned.
I purchased my Mantis when they were first sold. I bought the electric one because I didn’t want to mess with gasoline. I STILL LOVE IT!
It is absolutely a work horse….. great for us females to use.
I saw your Mantis post a few years back so after shopping around locally decided on Mantis. I liked the 5 year warranty and free freight. I bought one and got two. it was a new software glitch at their end.
Got it in last week and love it. Still waiting for the shipping label to send the second one back. I probably would not have gotten Mantis if I hadn’t seen your posts.. thanks for your BYG business opportunity and all the helpful post from you and all the contributing members
I am sure that you know by now that you he beautiful, pictured hydrangea is a rough leafed hydrangea. One of the few hydrangea that benefits bees. It has both fertile and I fertile flowers:)
Whoops, excuse typos???? I meant to sat that the rough leafed hydrangea has both fertile and infertile flowers. They are good for my honeybees. Most hydrangeas provide neither pollen or nectar.
Mike, I have two old two cycle Mantis tillers, since the company has changed hands, I odn’t know where to take them for repairs or refurbishing. It used to be that you could just pack up the engine and send it to Mantis, and for one price, they’ed return it to you like new. Don’tknow if that still happens or not. Any ideas? I’m a big fan, but I don’t know about buying another one. Iv’e seen that they have an electric model not as well.
Mike,
I would visit their site and contact them or one of their dealers. The dealers should be able to help you out.
Mike
Feel free to call us at 1-800-366-6268 and one of our customer service representatives will try to help you with any parts or helping you get your unit repaired. – Team Mantis
I love my old 2 stroke Mantis! Best garden tool I own!
mike
Feel free to call us at 1-800-366-6268 and speak to a member of our customer service team to help you w any parts or getting your tiller repaired – Team Mantis
Hi, Mike…thanks so much for your knowledge and this website! Love your story about your parents and the Mantis… My parents are both gone now, as well….miss them like crazy, but all part of life….another reason why I like gardening so much,a lot of childhood memories gardening w them and planting their favorites!…I received a Mantis tiller last yr from my sweet husband..love it and so easy and perfect to keep the weeds down like you mentioned! I have a question about fruit trees. We planted several apple, cherry and peach trees. This is the 4th yr and I want to make sure they are healthy and productive. What do you suggest? Thank you!!
Nancy,
I’m a big believer in not “over caring for” plants. I plant them and let them do what they know how to do. Fruit trees need pruning in the winter and some of the fruit might need spraying, but keep in mind, organic growers do very little spraying. You almost have to research each one using the terms fact sheet in your search.
Any particular reason why you like the 4-cycle over the electric tiller?
PS I enjoy your posts very much.
Molly,
I’ve never use the electric model. For me it wouldn’t be a good fit because the areas that I till are far from an electric supply. But if your yard is small enough that you can reach everything with a cord then I’m sure it would be fine and probably much lighter than the 2 or 4-cycle models.
What’s the difference between tilling and cultivating! I have my Dads Mantis. It’s an old one, but still runs great and does an excellent job! I love it for my garden and my flower bed.
Sherry,
Tilling is turning the soil for re-planting. Cultivating is just loosening the soil just enough to interrupt weed seed from sprouting.