[LILLILEAF]

Hi Every one
 Just wanted to know a bit more about this type of machine,are they as good as they say?,is it the best one to buy?.
 Are they worth the expensive price tag?
Would anyone buy a 2nd hand one?
Any information would be great,Lillileaf

[Headgardener22]

I've had a Mantis for 13 years and it does a job. HOWEVER, as I always say, it only works at my allotment (which is heavy clay) for a couple of days a year. If the grounds too wet it doesn't dig in, if the grounds to dry it bounces off the hard lumps. On the days when the soil is "just right" it rapidly creates a fine tilth (which then goes rock-hard when it rains) but is the perfect time for working in compost.

Mine's a two stroke and I couldn't comment about the cheaper versions.

Buying a 2nd hand one depends upon your maintenance skills.

Would I buy one? Probably yes, my allotment is 2-3 miles away and there are frequent break-ins to sheds so I don't leave anything valuable there. I would prefer a "proper" rotovator but getting one to the allotment would be very difficult but the Mantis goes in the car easily.

[Goneterseed]

Our allotment assoc has just bought a new 4 stroke mantis for the members use.
It is probably the most popular purchase we have made. 20% of our plotholders are female and it is light enough for everyone to use, including us old biddies. 

It wont do the deep digging but makes easy work of the prep of the soil in spring.
I dont think I could justify the cost of a new one just for my own use, but as a joint project it gets full marks.

A good 2nd hand one could be a good investment as they are well built and spares are available for them on their own website.

[Growster...]

I'd recommend a Mantis any day, mine is a Classic four-stroke, and very reliable.

It's not a rotovator, and struggles in deep wet ground, and also very dry weedy soil as well, so I always dig first, to give it something to 'bite' on!

I also have the wire path-brush attachment, which is pretty effective on our old brick paths. The lawn edger is only OK, and probably not worth the cost, but the set of wheels for moving it around is pretty good, and I use them to cart the thing about half a mile to The Patch.

Mrs Growster has just bought me a set of furrow tines, but I haven't used them yet, and I hear that the plough isn't much to write home about. We sent it away for a service this year, and for a reasonable sum, it came back as good as new!

However, all things considered, for the actual job of getting soil in tip-top condition, especially after a winter dressing of manure, it does a great job and will turn your soil very efficiently! It's not difficult to handle, and a push/pull motion really does get the soil churned up! I can't handle a full-blown rotovator any more, and a Mantis fits the bill perfectly.

As for price, well, it's a neat little Honda engine, and very well put together, so you're getting a premium machine. I'd suggest a second-hand one would probably be OK, but seeing some of the prices on Ebay, I'd try and save up for a new one (which is what we did)! The guarantees are pretty good too!

[jaydig]

Absolutely agree with everything Growster says.   I wouldn't be without mine. They're certainly not cheap, but it's the best investment I ever made. It save me hours and hours of work getting the soil ready for sowing and planting.  The thing to remember is that it is a tiller, and not a rotovator, and it isn't built to do the work of the heavier machine, but is perfect for what it is designed for.

[Growster...]

Just a quick update, Lillileaf, I used the furrow tines today, and they really do get down to some proper depth! I'm highly impressed!

It really means that if you can draw a trench first, then go again along the bottom of that afterwards, you're getting pretty close to a double-digging scenario and breaking up the 'pan' of subsoil which is often consolidated after continued tilling!

Also, there being only two tines, the engine has no trouble coping at all, and I did give it a bit of a seeing-to!