Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Honda Four-Stroke
- Reversible Tines: Till or Cultivate
- In the Garden
- The One Gripe: The Kill Switch
- Who It’s For
- Final Thoughts
- FAQ
Introduction
Everybody has seen the commercials, so our editors got a Mantis tiller and put it to work on a garden bed full of clay, rocks, weeds and roots. This is a refresh of our original Mantis 4-cycle tiller review, with the video front and center.
The Honda Four-Stroke
One of the best features is the Honda four-stroke engine. There’s no gas to mix, and Dan said it puts out about a horsepower. In the video it started on one pull, ran quietly and didn’t smoke. Dan called the build quality good and said he likes the unit a lot.
Reversible Tines: Till or Cultivate
Down at the business end are the tines. The neat trick on the Mantis is that you can flip the tines around. One way it tills, and turned around it cultivates, which is handy for weeding.
In the Garden
Dan worked a bed that he called an extreme example: clay, rocks and hard ground, plus roots from bushes they had pulled out. He spent about an hour getting it ready and was down about six to eight inches. To dig deeper, you just turn into the soil, and the job gets easier the more you work it.
The tiller weighs about 24 pounds, according to Dan, so it’s easy to handle. Mantis also offers attachments, and Dan mentioned edging. For storage, loosen the two hand bolts and fold the handlebars so it stands upright.
The One Gripe: The Kill Switch
The only thing Dan didn’t like was the on/off switch location on the handlebars. As his hands moved up the handles, he kept hitting it and shutting the tiller off.
Who It’s For
If you garden in raised beds or small plots and want something light that starts easily, a mini tiller like this makes sense. See more of our tiller reviews, our cultivator reviews, and our gas-powered tool coverage. For current models, check Mantis’s tiller lineup.
Final Thoughts
The Mantis 4-cycle tiller is light, starts on the first pull, needs no gas mixing, and the reversible tines let one tool both till and cultivate. Dan said he was trying to find bad things to say about it and couldn’t, other than that switch. It became one of his favorite gardening tools.
FAQ
Do you have to mix gas and oil?
No. This Mantis uses a Honda four-stroke engine, so there’s no mixing.
How much does the Mantis 4-cycle tiller weigh?
Dan said it weighs about 24 pounds.
Can the Mantis cultivate as well as till?
Yes. Flip the tines around and it switches from tilling to cultivating.
How deep can it dig?
In the video, Dan had worked the bed down about six to eight inches. To dig deeper, you turn into the soil.
What didn’t our editors like?
The handlebar on/off switch was easy to bump, and Dan kept shutting the tiller off by accident.
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