Rototillers-

OK, wife wants of these now. She has become a believer in having the right tools for the job-( Love this woman)
So, in moderately rocky soil, a 4 tine is what I'm after, I think.
Forward tine or rear tine, what do you think?
Not going to be doing very many long, straight rows. Mostly small areas that require lots of short run 90 deg. turns, so maneuverability is a plus. And I don't want a Mantis.
Thoughts? JB

 

I believe you'll have a rough time of it with a full size tiller trying to make "lots of short run 90 degree turns". That's where something like the Mantis excels.

I've never been a fan of front tine. I've used a couple and they always seemed to jump around too much. I eventually settled on a BCS rear tine. I have a few 90's but not many. The rear tine is fairly well balanced and I can lift the tines off the ground and spin it to go around those corners.

 

Front tine for the 90s cause you can get the corners. But be ready to ride that bucking bronc banging into all the rocks !

 

I have a Honda mini tiller for a small garden and love it, makes the soil like powder quick and easy to run, its a small tiller , don't know what you need?

 

I have a front tine tiller. Bought it at a garage sale several years ago for $40. Runs good. I feel muscles I didn't know I had for a couple days after using it. I'd love a rear tine unit but I use the tiller so infrequently now since switching to small raised beds that I can't justify buying one.

 

So I need to rethink the Mantis thing.
Areas I need it for are along fences, tiered flower beds, across the creek in the trees, and where ever I'm told to churn up dirt.

 

Bought one of these last year: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/huskeereg;-43cc-viperreg;-mini-cultivator-ca-prop-65-compliant

It does a very good job and it will surprise you.

Have a bunch of Mantis and Echo tillers at work. They are exceptional machines but roughly double the price of the Huskee.

 

I have had two mantis tillers. The one out now is very different from the one I had. My problem was starting it. However, when it did run, you can't ask for a better tiller. You can change the tines. They are the best for rocky areas. The others with the bent tines get bogged down easily with rock. I had a rear tine tiller that I bought used. It ran a couple years then quit. I spent a few hundred trying to get it fixed, picked it up at the repair shop, paid them and was told something else was going bad and would be another couple hundred. Ran it about 25 feet when that part went bad. Tossed it out. I wish they told me about all the needed repairs before I got into the first fix. Now have two front tine tillers. One medium and one small. Bought new, still run like new. Once you master running them, you can do it with one hand unless you hit roots or rocks. They clean up easily. Only my son and me use these machines. Starts first pull every year. Tillers are excellent at working in compost and other soil amendments. Only thing is remember that when you till the soil, first test it to make sure that a handful of soil, press into a ball, should easily fall apart and not squeeze out moisture.

 

That is a good price. If limited use, not a bad deal at all. But if you use it a lot, I would go to the mantis.

 

For better or worse, I have a Mantis 7225-00-03 on it's way.
I didn't even check to see if it can be set up with a de-thatcher, I hope so.

 

MM- what'd the Stihl run you? I called Murdochs and True Value, but couldn't get pricing for some reason. They both told me they don't carry that unit, so no current pricing was available. Sounded a little iffy to me, but who knows.