[Yorkie]

Posters on another thread on here indicate that the Mantis tiller (as opposed to a heavy duty rotavator) doesn't cope well with undug clay soil.

[Christine]

Rotovators are fine once you have your soil in order. It's taken me years on one allotment (well since February 2007) to get the clay to the point where one would be useful. And as I plant a lot of things as seedlings it's hardly necessary.

On the plot I'm renovating the spade has been the only item as someone had levelled the plot and left it full of assorted metal objects, carpet, bits of old fence, plastic bags, remains of old greenhouses, old garden netting, perspex sheets and nettle/dock/dandelion roots from the dawn of time.  And that's what I can remember.

Soil is impoverished so a wagon load of manure and a plough would be more use than a rotovator.

[ptarmigan]

a Mantis tiller wouldn't even make a dent on my clay soil - and it's not bad clay soil!

[Aidy]

My honest opinion is to ensure the plot is clear of those nasty weed roots, once it is clear (to a point) then the rotovator can save you a lot of work and backache, unlike some I get no satisfaction having dug my plot knowing for the week ahead I age 2 decades by the way I walk!

My self I changed plot last year, there was a lot of couch and marestail on it, that is now cleared to a point,  so once the crops finish this year and nothing is being replanted in that space I shall use my tiller to turn the annual weeds that germinate through the autumn a couple of times, it will still have a winter dig to continue clearing the marestail that will  carry on growing from someones back yard down in oz!
As has been said soil is also a factor but I know of member who uses only his rotovator on his plot and it is in very good nick.

[grendel]

my 2.5hp rotovator can handle most things, it will turn grassy weeds into the soil, but it usually needs a couple of passes to do a really good job, then after the hard work is done I turn over the soil regularly, just before I plant I will rotovate to a fine tilthe, and give the rest of the unplanted areas a going over just to knock back any weeds that are thinking about coming up, after about 3 passes the whole plot is easier to work with, the remaining work can be accomplished with a hoe and a rake, - the rake is my best planting tool, the end of the handle gets used as a dibber, or to create a furrow for the seeds, - saves a lot of bending.

[Casey76]

It's taken 2 weeks (or there abouts) of working in little bits day by day to do this:





This is about 11m x 5m

This was dug over by hand picking out the roots, then rotavated in two directions.

I'm starting planting tomorrow

[Trikidiki]

Looks good. Sit down, have a well deserved cuppa and admire your handiwork.

[Snoop]

Very impressive. Happy planting!

[Yorkie]

Wow, impressive