Little Tiller

[rcreech]

When I seed...I have always used my 20" slice seeder or larger seeder to get as close to the sidewalks and/or house.

I then HAND RAKE the last 6-8" and it sucks! :cry:

I am looking at getting either a Mantis or a Stihl tiller.

Do any of you have any info or feed back on either of these products?

Which one is the best, most reliable, best for the money, easy to use etc?

Thanks,
RC

[a plus bob]

I use a Honda harmony last forever work great for small areas.Also good for fluffing mulch.I know its not a brand you mentioned but I consider it to be the best out there.also its 4 cycle no need to mix .

[4.3mudder]

I plan on getting this year the kombi cultivator for my Stihl power head. They work out great because I have tried them before, but are not made for soild jam packed clay or hard soil. They are great for planting new flowers and getting everything tilled again for new flowers.

[Heatman]

I bought a Mantis over 10 years ago at an auction for $75. It was like brand new and it still runs great! My has a 2 stroke echo on it. I'm just a homeowner and don't use it alot but it always starts right up. I honestly can't remember the last time I even changed the spark plug.

[4.3mudder]

I bought a Mantis over 10 years ago at an auction for $75. It was like brand new and it still runs great! My has a 2 stroke echo on it. I'm just a homeowner and don't use it alot but it always starts right up. I honestly can't remember the last time I even changed the spark plug.

My grandfather has one and loves it. Always runs, even sitting up for months at a time.

[White Gardens]

I have the yard boss cultivator tiller for the Stihl kombi system.

I love it, on the end of my string trimmer I can finish grade areas I'm working on.

[LawnSolutionsCP]

When I seed...I have always used my 20" slice seeder or larger seeder to get as close to the sidewalks and/or house.

I then HAND RAKE the last 6-8" and it sucks! :cry:

I am looking at getting either a Mantis or a Stihl tiller.

Do any of you have any info or feed back on either of these products?

Which one is the best, most reliable, best for the money, easy to use etc?

Thanks,
RC


When I did lawn renovation work. We would use the Still Yard Boss with the standard tines. They work GREAT to rough up the ground. You walk backwards with the engine at full speed and it makes a great seed bed. It is about 8" wide.

We used 2 guys and 1 seeder. Guy #1 would edge everything with the Yard Boss, then #2 would run the seeder one time around the edge then back and forth. Guy #1 would take a blower on low speed and lightly blow the seed and thatch off the sidewalks and driveway along the edge where the yard boss roughed the edge.

End result in a new lawn that looks like you rolled out grass like it was carpet. Edge to edge of nothing but new grass.

Proper edging is what seperated the men from the boys! Only takes a few minutes if you have the right tools and give great results.

NOTE: with the Still Yard Boss, watch for thatch build-up under the plastic cover over the engine. Thatch will get in there and over heat the engine. Just check it before and after the season to keep it clean...other than that, they are light, compact (handles fold easily), very nice controls to use. No need to weight or attachements if used for seeding. They make a thatch cover with their dethatcher attachment but it makes the unit bulky and hard to see what you are doing.

Just my 2 cents and 150+ renovations of experience.

[Exact Rototilling]

Mantis sells the straight cut slice tines they say are for aerating. They will work for slice seeding just fine in areas you can't get a bigger seeder in. I also use it for touch ups in low spots where my Bluebird S22 [yes old school seeder] misses a spot since the swath is fairly wide. I would get the GX25 Honda version since it weighs a bit more for downward pressure.

I also have The Honda FG110 tiller which I use more for actual tilling but I think the Mantis will give you greater flexibility.

I don't know about the other brand - never used it.

I do hope at some point hope to have the need for the lawn solutions power seeder - I just didn't do a very good job marketing overseeding last Fall.

[rcreech]

When I did lawn renovation work. We would use the Still Yard Boss with the standard tines. They work GREAT to rough up the ground. You walk backwards with the engine at full speed and it makes a great seed bed. It is about 8" wide.

We used 2 guys and 1 seeder. Guy #1 would edge everything with the Yard Boss, then #2 would run the seeder one time around the edge then back and forth. Guy #1 would take a blower on low speed and lightly blow the seed and thatch off the sidewalks and driveway along the edge where the yard boss roughed the edge.

End result in a new lawn that looks like you rolled out grass like it was carpet. Edge to edge of nothing but new grass.

Proper edging is what seperated the men from the boys! Only takes a few minutes if you have the right tools and give great results.

NOTE: with the Still Yard Boss, watch for thatch build-up under the plastic cover over the engine. Thatch will get in there and over heat the engine. Just check it before and after the season to keep it clean...other than that, they are light, compact (handles fold easily), very nice controls to use. No need to weight or attachements if used for seeding. They make a thatch cover with their dethatcher attachment but it makes the unit bulky and hard to see what you are doing.

Just my 2 cents and 150+ renovations of experience.

Every video I have seen for both the Mantis and Stihl is in lose dirt!

How do these things do in the "real world" when you are working in tight hard clay soils?

How do the baldes hold up?

Is the wheel attacment or weights needed?

Thanks,
RC

[LawnSolutionsCP]

Blades are very durable. They are made from a spring steel and obviously heat treated. They. Hold up very well. We didn't even wear the tips of the tines. They are sharp, offset teeth instead of the traditional tiller tines.

For seeding the weights and wheels are not needed. I used to run 2 renovation crews. The 2nd machine we purchased had the wheels and we ended up taking them off.

If you plan on using it for minor landscape tillimg the weights will be needed. The unit is very light which makes it easy to use.

David

[fl-landscapes]

How do these things do in the "real world" when you are working in tight hard clay soils?

How do the baldes hold up?

Is the wheel attacment or weights needed?

Thanks,
RC[/QUOTE]

I almost hate to admit it. Not sure why but that mantis just looks like a homeowners toy. But I will tell you it works great in compacted soils and prepping perimeters for seeding or bed prep for sod. These machines will dig! The only problems I run into is with St. Augustine grass because of it's thick stolons it tends to get clogged in the tines and will stop it in it's tracks sometimes.

[LawnSolutionsCP]

Same on the Yard Boss. Only anoying this is when vines or runners wrap up in the tines.

Is't too bad to clean. They won't stop it but will wrap up to fully cover the tines after a while and then you have to stop and clean it so it will cut the ground.