Thank you Mike, for this great video. I've wondered how well the Mantis 4 performed for a while now. You answered all my questions about this machine without my having to rent it to try it out! I'm going to ask for my Christmas present early this year!
Morning Gardener's Show makes an excellent point; once established, soil should be disturbed as little as possible - so the *soil food web* can improve soil tilth, improve drought resistance, increase soil carbon & fertility, decrease soil pests & diseases, and help plants develop optimal root systems. The soil food web includes microbes, beneficial fungi that work with plant root systems, and other organisms - all are disrupted by plowing, tilling, and cultivating. Commodity crop farmers are re-discovering how no-till with cover crops can rebuild soil while producing high yields with few inputs (little or no chemical fertilizers and the 'cides'). Growing plants for a nursery and in containers like Mike is doing does require moving some soil around, though! In a perfect world, compost piles would remain undisturbed until 'finished' BUT they must have oxygen... so usually that means turning them!
Well, I've been using my Mantis tiller to attack a heavy clay backyard for the past seven years. Did I mention the soil was also filled with tree roots? It was bad. Real bad. But the normal rototiller would not cut through it. The Mantis did. I have the four cylinder. Great little machine. BUT, it's now 15-years old and it's about to give up the ghost. I just noticed a big oil drop in this thing. Heavy deposit on the garage floor. It's coming from somewhere and that ain't good. It's been a great machine. I initially used it on raised beds and great soil, but life changed some years back thanks to a divorce and the Mantis got a much tougher workout. It has been a champion of a machine. I had invested in the best, the four-cyclinder model. I had to really work that thing to amend that compacted clay soil filled with tree roots and rocks, but the Mantis acted like the champion that it is.
Ha, ha! I've been looking for a tool to do just what you did in this video - your compost bin even looks exactly like mine. Now I know what to buy. Thanks!
Mike my soon to be wife bought me one of these. I been wanting one since I , well we, lol, have 4, 4 foot by 8 foot raised beds I bilt, and was tired of using spade and hoe every year to till... come spring I will use... Cant wait. Thanks for your demo..
Yes like he said basically its good for loose soil. People beware if you have rocks in your bed say tennis ball size and bigger if your tiller hits one it kick out the till stop it. That is quite annoying if you these sizable rocks having to restart everytime , guess its a safety factor with this tiller. but once you get those bigger rocks out it will work like a jewel.
Dad laughed at my 2 stroke Sears tiller, I bought it for the flowerbed, I let him borrow it and he's had it ever since, it has tiller tines, unlike yours, when the spike is locked, it'll tear up a spot in the yard for a bed.
So all farmers & food producers have it all wrong? I plow, disc and clod bust every year. But I have it all wrong. So explain it to me how we should be doing it boy.
No till, so your grandkids still have land to till. It can be more profitable also. Watching "living soil" documentary. Money to be made/ more sustainable
![🎤 จับฉลากร้องเพลง x P’ #XXSIVK [EP.1] (2/2) เพื่อนจับได้คำไหน..ต้องร้องคำนั้น เริ่ม! 💓🎶 #MXFRUIT](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1bJvMJXmeS4/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you Mike, for this great video. I've wondered how well the Mantis 4 performed for a while now. You answered all my questions about this machine without my having to rent it to try it out! I'm going to ask for my Christmas present early this year!
Morning Gardener's Show makes an excellent point; once established, soil should be disturbed as little as possible - so the *soil food web* can improve soil tilth, improve drought resistance, increase soil carbon & fertility, decrease soil pests & diseases, and help plants develop optimal root systems. The soil food web includes microbes, beneficial fungi that work with plant root systems, and other organisms - all are disrupted by plowing, tilling, and cultivating. Commodity crop farmers are re-discovering how no-till with cover crops can rebuild soil while producing high yields with few inputs (little or no chemical fertilizers and the 'cides'). Growing plants for a nursery and in containers like Mike is doing does require moving some soil around, though!
In a perfect world, compost piles would remain undisturbed until 'finished' BUT they must have oxygen... so usually that means turning them!
When my parents were building their house we used their mantis to pull the gravel against the house for drainage. Also fun to use.
Well, I've been using my Mantis tiller to attack a heavy clay backyard for the past seven years. Did I mention the soil was also filled with tree roots? It was bad. Real bad. But the normal rototiller would not cut through it. The Mantis did. I have the four cylinder. Great little machine. BUT, it's now 15-years old and it's about to give up the ghost. I just noticed a big oil drop in this thing. Heavy deposit on the garage floor. It's coming from somewhere and that ain't good. It's been a great machine. I initially used it on raised beds and great soil, but life changed some years back thanks to a divorce and the Mantis got a much tougher workout. It has been a champion of a machine. I had invested in the best, the four-cyclinder model. I had to really work that thing to amend that compacted clay soil filled with tree roots and rocks, but the Mantis acted like the champion that it is.
Ha, ha! I've been looking for a tool to do just what you did in this video - your compost bin even looks exactly like mine. Now I know what to buy. Thanks!
Mike my soon to be wife bought me one of these. I been wanting one since I , well we, lol, have 4, 4 foot by 8 foot raised beds I bilt, and was tired of using spade and hoe every year to till... come spring I will use... Cant wait. Thanks for your demo..
Yes like he said basically its good for loose soil. People beware if you have rocks in your bed say tennis ball size and bigger if your tiller hits one it kick out the till stop it. That is quite annoying if you these sizable rocks having to restart everytime , guess its a safety factor with this tiller. but once you get those bigger rocks out it will work like a jewel.
That is such a great Idea, I got one of them Mantis tillers, also got a compost, thanks so much Mike. Rosa
Dad laughed at my 2 stroke Sears tiller, I bought it for the flowerbed, I let him borrow it and he's had it ever since, it has tiller tines, unlike yours, when the spike is locked, it'll tear up a spot in the yard for a bed.
Sears is gone but Mantis is strong.
love mine, it's perfect for weeding vegetable garden beds
Thanks for the info Mike!
That's a cool. I want one now!
How you ever used a Honda mini tiller? How does this compare to the FG 110?
Mine didn't last two months. But they made good on the money back guarantee.
Great job.
100% accurate
After you till the dirt what you do you next.I want to plant grass seeds
Note how easily the tines get clogged up?
2 stroke are power yhea CHAIN SAW
So all farmers & food producers have it all wrong? I plow, disc and clod bust every year. But I have it all wrong. So explain it to me how we should be doing it boy.
No till, so your grandkids still have land to till. It can be more profitable also. Watching "living soil" documentary. Money to be made/ more sustainable
that doesnt even make sense