Mini tiller/cultivator/edgers?

[wdn]

Friends,

I am looking to purchase a mini tiller/cultivator that can have an edger attachment. Looking for your advice if you have owned one of these before.

I want to turn over an existing 1200 square foot garden surrounded by a hedge. So -- can't get a tractor in there. I also want to edge a 400' driveway once in a while, and around the shrubbery beds also. A big rear tine tiller is out of the question because we need the edger and my wife wants to use it for weeding also.

The models I have looked at are the Mantis tiller, the Honda Harmony FG-100, the DR cultivator, and the Troy-Bilt mini tiller. All of these are in the 20-30 pounds range, have a 1.5 to 2 HP engine. The Honda and the Troy-Bilt use the Honda 1.5 HP 4 stroke. I am leaning towards one of these because I am not a big fan of 2 strokes. The Mantis uses an Echo 2 stroke, and the DR uses a Robin (Subaru) 2 stroke.

Any experiences with these models you'd like to share? Thanks.

 

[skent]

I have the Mantis. Have had it for 8 years now. Use it all the time between rows once the beans and taters are up. Always starts very easy and guns great!.

Once a few years ago, an Aunt who was visiting wanted to "help" us with our garden, she got the Mantis out gassed it up and proceded to till for 15 or 20 minutes. When I got home from work and saw that she had used un-mixed gas I figured the engine would be toast. I drained the gas and refilled with mixed fuel, sprayed WD40 into the spark plug hole and carb, and started it up. The lil' thing ran great and has never given me a problem.

Tines are guarenteed forever and engine has a three year warrenty.

Once the garden is tilled, it works great. If ground is hard, it just bounces around.

 

[RichZ]

I have a mini-tiller left over from when we lived in suburbia. I forget the brand, but it's one of the main ones. If your soil is rocky, forget it. Small rocks, even pebbles get stuck in the tines. You spend more time stopping it, and prying out the rocks than you do tilling. If you have no rocks in your soil it would be fine, but if you do have rocks, get yourself a larger rototiller.

 

[Alan L.]

I bought the Honda FG100 or whatever the model is a couple of weeks ago because my wife wanted it to use in her flower beds. For her it had to be easy to start and easy to use.

She was going on and on last night about how much she loves it. The 4-stroke engine makes it real easy to deal with. The tilling capability is amazing considering it only has a 1.5 HP engine and only weighs 27 pounds.

I took the opportunity to point out to her the good feeling it gives a person to utilize nice tools, and she agreed. Hoping to squeeze some mileage out of this in terms of more implements.

For $300 at Home Depot it seeme like a good deal and the Honda quality is obvious in assembly and use.

She wanted it for a flower bed, but when I got home last night, she had tilled up a 10 by 15 or so small garden for tomatoes and peppers. Said it only took an hour.

It has a handle down on top of the engine to grab it with and move it. Comes with transport wheels, but they aren't necessary - its too easy to carry.

I used it for few minutes last weekend and am really pleased with the purchase.

Don't get one of these for a huge garden, but for fairly small areas its great.

 

[kyoders]

wdn,

I used a Mantis a great deal last year, mostly because it was all we had. I've been quite impressed with what it can do, given it's size. As others have said, it gets jammed with rocks pretty easily, but they are also pretty easy to clear, compared to other larger ones I've used before. The only thing I don't like is it being a two cycle. If I were in the market for one now, I would probably favor a 4 cycle. Oh, and the kill switch on it is a pain where they put it on the handle. It's real easy to get to, but sometimes too easy. I have no experience with an edger attachment for it, if there even is one.

I just got a 4' tiller for my Kubota, so hopefully I won't have too much more experience with it, except for where the tractor can't go.

Kevin