[Greengage]

Not sure where to post this so Ill put it here. Has anyone used either a mantis rototiller or a Sthil rototiller and what do you think of them.
http://www.equipmentexpress.ca/rototillers.htm
http://mantis.com/

[Anonany]

I bought a Mantis about 18 years ago and it's certainly passed the test of time !

Not having a great deal of strength in the wrists, I can only use it in 5-10 minute bursts, but the Hubby can usually do a good 20+ minutes before needing a break. But then, I think the same would apply to any tiller or rotovator.

To me, it seems to have plenty of oomph and -- in root-free soil -- can easily and quickly get down a good 10-12 inches. Most tree/shrub roots don't bother it as such, but the thinner ones (about 1/4 inch thick) occasionally get wrapped around the sides of the tines, so it's necessary to stop more frequently to untangle the mess.

It takes most stones in its stride (just kicks them aside) but the odd awkward one can jam the tines and bring it to a stop. However, it doesn't happen often enough to create any real problem.

We generally do 2-3 runs of tilling, changing direction each time which, in addition to helping to even out the humps creating by tilling, generally leaves the soil ready to rake and level to a fairly good tilth.

Our usage varies, but is somewhere in the region of 6-10 times a year, usually for between 3 and 5 hours. I can't recall our ever having to get it serviced, but that may be because its designed to get far more use than it gets.

Just a general comment -- which probably applies to all tillers -- If you've any nasty perennial weeds, you might prefer to deal with them before tilling as it happily chops its way through any lightweight greenery in its path. Ideal for "digging in" green manure, but not so good when it comes to spreading bits of dandelion and dock roots !

At the time we were buying, there wasn't a very wide choice of machines but -- of those available -- just about every review I read put the Mantis top of the list when it came to "value for money" and "fit for purpose" ... hence my reason for choosing it.

I can't think of anything else that might be helpful, but if I've omitted some vital piece of information, let me know !

[Greengage]

Thanks for that, I liked the idea of the stil as attachments are available but maybe a dedicated machine would be best, thanks again good review