Joe S
7th March 2008, 01:14 AM
http://mantis.com/
I bought it yesterday at Sears and as I was putting it together, I noticed they had given me two right hand tine assemblies so the curvature of the tines on either axle were facing opposite directions. I figured it was a problem so I called sears and the poor salesman didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but graciously said I could trade one from the display, so I did, now the display is wrong.
This evening I finally got to give Mantis the yellow clay test. That thing bounced and bounced and bounced but it never protested- it eventually cut the clay into powder. I was impressed. In reasonable soil it digs just like advertised. I was worried about rocks, but it just rolls small ones up to about 4" diameter out of the way and bounces on big ones without damage, loosening them so I can give them a heave out of the garden.
So, if you get one, if you have rocks and clay it's going to bounce a lot, but so will a big tiller (my old one died), but it seems to handle the job with some patience. Regular soil is no problem. It rips it up fast.
P.S.- mine was $50 cheaper buying from the Sears store than the internet price.
I bought it yesterday at Sears and as I was putting it together, I noticed they had given me two right hand tine assemblies so the curvature of the tines on either axle were facing opposite directions. I figured it was a problem so I called sears and the poor salesman didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but graciously said I could trade one from the display, so I did, now the display is wrong.
This evening I finally got to give Mantis the yellow clay test. That thing bounced and bounced and bounced but it never protested- it eventually cut the clay into powder. I was impressed. In reasonable soil it digs just like advertised. I was worried about rocks, but it just rolls small ones up to about 4" diameter out of the way and bounces on big ones without damage, loosening them so I can give them a heave out of the garden.
So, if you get one, if you have rocks and clay it's going to bounce a lot, but so will a big tiller (my old one died), but it seems to handle the job with some patience. Regular soil is no problem. It rips it up fast.
P.S.- mine was $50 cheaper buying from the Sears store than the internet price.