[andimac]

hi,

I am thinking of buying a tiller as I am about to take on an allotment in addition to the veg plots in my garden.
I've seen lots of comments about the merits of differing types and so now I'm confused!
Would very much prefer a secondhand one on the basis of cost but I'm confused between different manufacturers and model types/engine sizes etc.
Does anyone have any suggestions based on their own experiences? The soil in my garden veg plot is quite clay heavy but I can already see an improvement from all the manure/compost and organic stuff I've added.
I suspect the allotment plot will need a good bit of work and a lot of turning and working soil to get a good tilth.

[R Tallentire]

Firstly I must declare an interest, as the Merry Tiller man, the more Merry Tiller owners the better for me. Contrary to another post on this subject, they are still available new, but the UK importer aims them at the hire shop market.

There are three basic types of Tiller, the "rear tyne" such as the old Howards and many new Chinese makes, the "mid tyne" like Merry Tillers, and the smaller, Mantis style machines which have become popular recently.

I haven't used the rear tyne type, they are easy to use and cover the ground quite fast, but seem to leave the tilth a bit lumpy and take up quite a lot of room for storage. The mid tyne type can make a fine tilth even from hard clay, if used when the soil is just moist enough, they dig deeper than either of the other types, but are slow and take practice before you get good at using one. Again I haven't used one, but the Mantis style machines have a lot of admirers, however I suspect hard clay will test this type of machine, and note that many "fans" of them state that they dig the plot over first, which seems to me to miss the point of having a Tiller. They take up less room and are more easily transported, important if the Allotment is some distance away.

[jonnyjamup]

hi, I've bought a secondhand mountfield powered by a briggs and stratton 3.5 classic engine,four tines although you can take the outer two off if you wish,have just changed the spark plug,air filter and diaphragm,starts first time,will dig down to the exhaust if you let it,an oldie but goldie.

[Headgardener22]

Followng up Tallentire:

I have a Mantis Tiller and used it for over 10 years. It struggles on the heavy clay at the allotment unless the soil is "just right" (about two days a year ) so I dig the ground over first and use the Mantis to turn it into a finer tilth. As to whether this misses the point of having a Tiller, I couldn't say. However, when I took over the plot, it had been rotavated for many years and I found that about 9 inches down it was solid yellow clay. This clay reforms after a few years if its not broken up with good helpings of compost/manure added. So whilst others at the allotment have substantial rotavators and cultivate the whole plot, I have chosen to dig over only the raised beds where I grow things and a Mantis is perfect for turning the top couple of inches into a tilth for seed & seedlings but I wouldn't try to use it instead of digging.

[jaydig]

I tend to agree with Head Gardener.  When I first took on my plot it was a nightmare.  Only little patches of it had been cultivated at all, and the rest was a compacted clay, weed ridden jungle.  Having spent the first few weeks in digging out all of the weeds, I paid another tenant to go over it with his heavy rotavator.   I carried out this system for about three years, gradually ridding the plot of weeds, but I likewise found that the ground a few inches below the surface had been compacted into a hard 'pan'.  After checking, I found that the advice given by all professional gardeners is that constantly using a rotavator on clay or heavy soil is not advised, without hand digging once a year to break up the pan.

I find that if I dig over the area once I have cleared a crop, and then use my Mantis, it isn't any trouble to do. The only heavy digging needed then is at the end of the season, when I need to dig over the ground where I've had paths between crops.

This method suits me, but everyone is different, and everyone has to find the way best suited to themselves.

[Growster...]

One thing worth knowing about the Mantis, is that if you reverse the tines, you have a useful way to clear the annual weeds from a new plot. It just tears them out, roots and all, and you can then get at the soil proper! I'd make sure that there isn't any couch grass, or other perennial stuff first though!

I agree though that a rough dig beforehand makes it work much more efficiently, but it's light to use, therefore easier on an ageing frame like mine...

[andimac]

Thanks for the replies everyone,

I've been looking at either a secondhand Mantis or Merry if I can get one at a reasonable price without also having to pay a massive postage premium for living 12 miles outside the main city of the Highlands!
Thanks too for the warnings about how to use it as I have a fairly heavy clay soil so the comments on a hard pan forming and about how good the Mantis might be are relevant; although I'm happy to fig it over a bit before using the tiller.