Stihl "mini tiller"

[NewToy]

I finally broke down and bought one of those little two stroke tillers for running through the rows of the garden. I wish I hadn't waited so long to get one. I used to spend 6-7 hours a week to keep it weed free, now it's an hour. Best $350 I ever spent!
John

 

[EastTexFrank]

Neat, aren't they?????

 

[HappyCPE]

Do you find the tiller churning up the roots of the good plants? Doesn't the newly exposed earth have weed seeds in it that germinate and continue the cycle?

 

[NewToy]

Do you find the tiller churning up the roots of the good plants? Doesn't the newly exposed eart have weed seeds in it that germinate and continue the cycle?

I'm not sure about the weed seeds in the turned soil but I go "buzz" it before they get going again. I go around the plants with the manual "claw" for a few inches then buzz the rest. I haven't encountered any "good" roots. Once you get the handle adjusted for your size and get the feel of the thing it's really slick. The weeds seem especially pervasive this year and without the tiller it was becoming a real downer trying to keep up with it.

John

 

[Charlesaf3]

is it reall that much better than a shuffle hoe for weeding?

 

[jinman]

Neat, aren't they?????

I second that. . . and if it has wheels on it, I'd recommend taking them off. I've had mine since about 1994 and I can't kill it. I've replaced the drive cable once and also the fuel primer bulb and hose. That's it. I think it has the original spark plug.

 

[motepoc]

Why not four cycle instead of two cycle?

 

[schmism]

is it reall that much better than a shuffle hoe for weeding?

its certianly quicker. I hand weed around the plants to about 6" radius, then hit it with the mantis style tiller. (mines an echo)

not as effective as hand weeding but i can cover the area in 1/10 the time, and come back a few days later and rinse and repeat if necessary. Usually the 3rd time over the same patch (about a week apart) and there is little to worry about for the rest of the year.

 

[schmism]

Why not four cycle instead of two cycle?

i still have yet to see a 4cycle engine beat out a 2cycle for power to weight ratio. when your talking about hand held items, weight is a serious consideration.

the EPA can pry my 2cycle lawnboys, timmers, edgers, mini-tillers, chainsaws (the list goes on)from my cold dead hand!

 

[charlz]

Do you find the tiller churning up the roots of the good plants? Doesn't the newly exposed earth have weed seeds in it that germinate and continue the cycle?

Same concept as a farmer cultivating corn etc. Do it enough and before they go to seed and you just might reduce the weed seed load in your soil.

 

[NewToy]

I second that. . . and if it has wheels on it, I'd recommend taking them off. I've had mine since about 1994 and I can't kill it. I've replaced the drive cable once and also the fuel primer bulb and hose. That's it. I think it has the original spark plug.

The wheels on the back are too slick. The thing reminds me of a golf bag cart as far as the basic geometry. When using it it it goes to pulling too hard it just takes a little down force on the handles to lift the power head a bit. Once you find the sweet spot for your particular size it's a piece of cake. I recommend you install some wheels.

John

 

[HappyCPE]

Same concept as a farmer cultivating corn etc. Do it enough and before they go to seed and you just might reduce the weed seed load in your soil.

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for... but the wind always seems to bring more junk from the neighbors.

I do like my scuffle hoe as well. But just last evening I accidentally yanked out one of my melon vines. I replanted it, but there will be enough root damage so that she'll never be the same again....

 

[jinman]

The wheels on the back are too slick. The thing reminds me of a golf bag cart as far as the basic geometry. When using it it it goes to pulling too hard it just takes a little down force on the handles to lift the power head a bit. Once you find the sweet spot for your particular size it's a piece of cake. I recommend you install some wheels.

John

I haven't had wheels on mine since the first day I used it, but the way I use it is probably why they got in my way. When weeding, I use mine with a lot of the same motion you would use with a floor buffer: back and forth, left and right. I let the tines just penetrate the ground enough to chop the weeds and aerate the the first 1" or 2" of soil between the rows. I've found that weeds take a long time to get started and then have a growth spurt when their roots are developed. If I can till the weeds when they are small, they don't get ahead of me.

 

[NewToy]

I haven't had wheels on mine since the first day I used it, but the way I use it is probably why they got in my way. When weeding, I use mine with a lot of the same motion you would use with a floor buffer: back and forth, left and right. I let the tines just penetrate the ground enough to chop the weeds and aerate the the first 1" or 2" of soil between the rows. I've found that weeds take a long time to get started and then have a growth spurt when their roots are developed. If I can till the weeds when they are small, they don't get ahead of me.

Do you end up going backwards or forwards through the row? I found the easiest way for me was to use your aforementioned back and forth motion and back up through the row. Either way it's much easier than the previous all muscle method I was using.
John

 

[scott_vt]

Do you end up going backwards or forwards through the row? I found the easiest way for me was to use your aforementioned back and forth motion and back up through the row. Either way it's much easier than the previous all muscle method I was using.
John

Good Evenin John,
They are really slick, I broke down and bought a Toro this spring and my wife loves it ! She uses it in some of her flower gardens and also in her herb garden ! Once I showed her how to operate the thing it was lost to me forever !

 

[Bird]

I don't guess I've seen the Stihl or Toro, But a year ago, I bought a "slightly used fully refurbished" 2-cycle Mantis factory direct for $259. You couldn't tell it had been used. But I've yet to use the tiller. I wanted it primarily for the dethatcher (a power rake) and the aerator and it's a dandy little machine using those attachments. I've no doubt the tiller would be good, too. And I've got the edger attachment, but don't really have a use for it.

 

[jinman]

Do you end up going backwards or forwards through the row? I found the easiest way for me was to use your aforementioned back and forth motion and back up through the row. Either way it's much easier than the previous all muscle method I was using.
John

John, I normally go forward because when I go backwards the tiller's tines tend to dig a trench. Going forward, the loose dirt just fills in behind the tiller.

Here is a picture of some rows of okra I've tilled. I first till on each side of the plants to pull loose dirt in around the plant, and then I come back and till between the rows for weed control. I also have to move my soaker hoses so I don't chew them up with the tiller.

 

[EastTexFrank]

The thing about it that it is so easy to use. Rather than spend 3-4 hours with a shuffle hoe, I can get it done in 30 minutes. When the temperature is 95 degrees outside that means that it is much more likely to get done. I finish up with a shuffle hoe or hand weed around the plants.

The secret, as others have said, is to get ahead of the weeds and stay ahead. They still blow in from the surrounding pastures but done regularly, it isn't too much of a chore. I always remember the old British country expression, "If you let them run to seed, for 7 years will you weed" and it seems to be true, at least partially.

 

[NewToy]

Good Evenin John,
They are really slick, I broke down and bought a Toro this spring and my wife loves it ! She uses it in some of her flower gardens and also in her herb garden ! Once I showed her how to operate the thing it was lost to me forever !

The "newness" of my little Stihl tiller hasn't wore off yet. Maybe next season I'll get the wife checked out on the unit. So far she is perfectly content to observe and have an umbrella drink on the porch while I work it.
Jinman, That's a great looking garden you have there. Those little tillers sure make it easier to keep it looking like that. Good job!

John

 

[jeffinsgf]

I really like the looks of the Stihl. Problem is, I can't kill my old Honda F100. I've had it for about 10 years, and it just keeps plugging. I thought I finally had my chance this Spring. I was tilling really deep and aggressively in some raised beds that I built. The handle on the old Honda cracked and broke (after only 10 years of abuse -- to think of it!). I almost headed to town to get a new Stihl, but the store had just closed, so I got out my welder and stuck the handles back together so I could finish the job. They aren't pretty, but they're working just fine -- so now I have to wait for something else to break on it before I can try out the Stihl.