Source for Mantis Tiller?

?OK, I give up. I have had an eBay search running for many-months and I've haven't found a bargain.

Any ideas on good deals would be appreciated.

I want the 4-stroke model which has probably made my "frugality" search quite a lot narrower

The distances in my garden are too long for Electric model, and I have read many people saying that the 2-stroke is a pain to start etc. etc. (no surprise there, all our 2-stroke kit has that habit).

So, full whack, I'm looking at £339 inc kick stand and border edger.

Any better deals to be had?

Which attachments do I need?

I presume I don't need the wheels as the thing doesn't way much?

There is a servicing kit for £17.50 (which will probably save me postage & hassle buying now rather than later)

I think I need the Plant Protector kit £38 so that I can push plant leaves etc. out of the way when I am "weeding" the borders

I figure I may need the Lawn Care Attachments (Aerator & Dethatcher) £129 [available for £70 if bought as the Lawn Care package] although our lawn is large, so I may be better off hiring an "industrial" version once a year?

Other things that caught my eye, but I don't know if they are worth spending money on, are the Tine Detangler and the Weed Reducers. I used to own a BLack & Decker electric tiller - similar concept to the Mantis I reckon - and it used to regularly get jammed up with weeds tangled round the shaft and stones caught between the blades - but I'm sure it had nothing like the power of the Mantis, and the tines were of an unsophisticated shape, will I need this?

These guys seem to regularly advertise the basic 4-stroke on eBay for £279 - save £60 / 17%. They have got quite a few completed sales, but haven't got very many feedbacks (although all are good) ... I expect if anyone had had a bad deal they would have left feedback, so probably a good sign ... not sure its worth the saving though ... says "Ex demo" and I can't believe they have that many ex-demo machines, so presumably returns that have been fixed / whatever and shipped.

 

Hi kristen,I think Helofadigger is the one to ask about the Mantis because I think she has recently bought one so she should be able to put you right.:thumb:

.Good Luck with your choice:thmb:

 

Don't bother with the scarifier/ aerator, it will be farr too narrow to be effective on a large lawn. Hire a scarifier once a year, use without the collection box then run a mower over to pick up the thatch.

 

Thanks Pro

"use without the collection box then run a mower over to pick up the thatch."

Wouldn't have thought of that ... I'll keep it in mind.

 

The factory outlets were founded in order to sell "second-hand" the machines which are returned under the Distance Selling Regulations (as they have been opened, they can't be sold as "New"). So the machines are "As New". There might be a few Ex Demo machines among them.

 

"The factory outlets were founded in order to sell "second-hand" the machines which are returned under the Distance Selling Regulations"

Doh! Silly me ... I didn't look at the eBayer's Shop Name - "MantisOutletUK" says it all really.

Thanks Larkshall, I think I'll save myself the 60 quid after all!

 

Hi Kristen the ex-demo ones available are where the 'buyers' have returned the tillers for no other reason than to get their money back, nothing to do with the quality of the Mantis at all although you do have to be careful because 'they' may claim that some of the machines has had light use and the pictures clearly show another view!

Although Mantis claim it will dig to 10 inches deep the ground does have to be dug over quite well at first as the large lumps of soil will get stuck in the tines and the machine jumps about a bit too if your not carefully but that's just one of the cons of it being so light.

We had to buy the two-stroke one because Bob never checks the oil levels on blooming things and yes it's a few pounds cheaper too, if it's a pain in the neck to start then that's ok too as Bob's a proper boy and likes messing around with machines.:hehe:

Before we brought ours we did have a mess about with our allotment buddies tillers the Mantis (it was a 4 stroke one) won hands down simply because it would do the end job so to speak and be light enough for Bob to whizz up and down the aisles.

You really don't need the wheels (I think these cost something like £40 extra!) the machine only weighs about 9kg so not too heavy at all and of course the handles fold down as well.

We brought ours with a kickstand, lawn edger and servicing kit I it cost us £269.Hel.xxx

 

Thanks Hel. All the beds I want to use it on are dug, so that shouldn't be a problem. We didn't keep on top of the weeding last year, and to be able to nip in between the young shrubs that are growing (and are yards apart to allow for their final size) will be terrific. Also to "prep" the beds for vegetables and so on.

Sounds like its the right-tool-for-the-job I'll go and give the piggy bank a shake!

 

Well we finally unwrapped Bob's new girlfriend Mary 'Mantis' yesterday and after Bob's little play about I was allowed to put this little lady through some tough tests.

The tiller comes part assembled and isn't hard at all to set up just remember to not remove the cardboard box bottom because this allows the tiller to stand up while you fix the rest of the parts to it.

To begin with 9kg doesn't sound much but when you have to carry it a short distance (our allotments are just off our little estate) that 9kg can seem like a heavy suit case without the benefit of rolling wheels, so if you get a tiller really think hard before getting one heavier than 9kg because it will take it's toll on you.

The little tank may seem tiny but believe me that juice goes a very long way we did think it might do a couple of small beds but in order to run the juice off (before we went home) we ended up doing 4 beds two of which were 30ft x 19ft!

The ground must be dug before the tiller can work it otherwise it will bounce about like a rabid dog even when dug the forward motion can sometimes feel like a pair of wayward German Shepherds (I would have said Rottweiler but our Rottie was very well behaved unlike our passed G.S.) pulling your arms off and this is with the 2-stroke engine!



You can see from the pictures I really gave Mary a good going over look at the size of the clumps, please note I don't intend to abuse her like this in th future but I just wanted to see what 'she' was made of!



On the other hand in semi well dug soil while in the reverse motion the tiller glides through the soil just like a hot knife through butter and leaves you soil good enough to sow carrots in.

I would also leave a good 12 inches or so between the rows so you can whiz up and down the rows to keep your plot weed free.

I would suggest to anyone thinking of buying a tiller to maybe buy the 2-stroke version and the £100 and odd pounds you save instead on buying the 4-stroke version I would buy a second hand rotavator because at least that way you will have a heavy plough to mix in manure and give the ground a good couple of turn a few times a year and the tiller to use the rest of the time.Hel.xxx.

 

Thanks HelofaTiller! I've got my wallet out as I type ... so I'll let you know how I get on.

 

It arrived this morning, has been assembled, and put to work already!

 

So Kristen what do you think of it?Hel.xxx.

 

" what do you think "

I think the ground was too wet, I am too impatient, and I'll try again in another couple of weeks when it has dried out.

But so far I think that:

The 4 stroke if very quiet, starts easily, behaves nicely - as I would expect.

I think the mantis bounced around like a Bronco - even thought the ground I tried has been bug (indeed, it was rotavated last summer). I'm not sure I'll feel confident to guide it between rows of Veg / plants in case it jumps and eats something!

And I think it would be better if it had handlebars that could be turned so that you could walk alongside it, rather than behind it.

But I also think its early days, and I'll report back when I've had a more representative go. If it will weed the large bare areas between my shrubs and amongst the herbaceous I'm planting this Spring, and prepare the veg patch raised beds, that'll do me

 

Did you pull the Mantis towards you while moving backwards over the ground, this is essential to keep it dug in to depth and stop it bouncing. I use the Electric model and it doesn't bounce around unless you let it go forward. I'm sure you will get the hang of it very soon.

 

Yes I agree with you Larkshall at the risk of sounding a little cheeky the 'pulling back' method is best for the Mantis not only does it till the soil so nice and fine but it also covers up you foot prints! Hel.xxx