??'s on MANTIS TILLER???

My hubby wants to know if anyone that has one knows the size of the motor-how many cc's? I am ready to order it!!;]
any info here would greatly be appreciated!
thanks
dori

Dori, Dh knows the answer to your questions, if no one else answers you by the time he gets in, I'll post it. I can tell you how much I love it though. It is one of the best investments I've ever made (garden wise). It is really a good little tiller. I have a bigger tiller too, but it is the Mantis I really use. Perfect for flower beds and raised beds. It is so worth getting. Lisa

How far down will the tillers go? I will need to dig down about 2 feet. Is this possible?

**Dori, DH can't remember the size of the motor and the plate on the tiller is all worn out and we can't read the size. We looked through our papers we got in with the tiller and can't find it there either. Sorry!
**Louisa, Mantis tillers are not good for breaking "new" hard ground. It is best if you use a big tiller for that. But they are great at working the ground in your beds from season to season. They can dig up to 10" deep. They also have many different attachments you can get for them, like a lawn dethatcher, border edger and planter/furrower.

AH-HA! Found it Dori (i was on a mission to find out, LOL)it is a 2cycle, 21.2 cc engine. You can check out the web site:www.mantisgardentools.com Bye, Lisa

Lisa - So which one do I need?

Louisa, I would say both. A big one for breaking up new ground and the Mantis for after.You will use the Mantis more in the long run. If I could only buy one, I'd buy the Mantis. That is how much I love mine. It is so useful because it fits in such tight places. It is great for incorporating compost in your beds. It is light, easy to use. I just can't go on enough about it..Lisa

Love my mantis too!!!

What's the make of the 'big' tiller?

Yes, I love my Mantis, too. It's just great for breaking up sod for new beds, also, but if I get a new load of compost spread on the garden, and want it really dug down, I usually hire a fellow to bring his big machine. But the Mantis is so light, and does a great job, that it's ideal for me, an older gardener.

I'll have to disagree with you on this,Lisa. I break new sod all the time with our Mantis. We have heavy praire sod, AKA black clay. If the original vegetation on the soil is heavy, mow it really close & rake it off. Maybe even scalp it with a weed eater. You may want to make one small opening in the soil with a spade to get it started but I rarely do that. As for the 2' depth, if you continue to remove the loosened soil it will keep digging. Usually we go about 8" deep on the original dig. We love our Mantis.

Leaflady - That's just what I needed to hear - thanks so much. I'm getting too old for heavy stuff :-)

The Mantis is also ideal for mixing compost piles a layer at a time after they are about 1/2 broken down, also very good for mixing compost and goodies into your planting rows just before you put the seeds in.

I think I'm more worried about getting down into the solid red clay that exists on the new property. Thanks so much for your views and especially to NotMartha for opening this thread.

I love my Mantis. It's all I've used to convert about an acre to gardens---a little at a time, of course. It's lightweight and handy, and the video that comes with it tells you how to work on it yourself.

We have had our Mantis less than one year, and we don't know why we waited so long. We were really surprised at the tork of such a small machine in our red clay. When we saw what the Mantis could do, we give the 'big' tiller away. Way too heavy and cumbersome. I can pick up and carry the Mantis anywhere I need to, a very good investment for us.

OK - A Mantis it is! Thanks:-)