I could use a few tips on starting the Mantis tiller

[Jerry]

I have played the video many times.  I do prime and choke it.  It seems to be hit or miss. Any tips, Mikey? et al. :'(

[Mikey]

If my Mantis has been sitting around several months without use, I choke it and it usually starts to sputter on about the 2nd or 3rd pull.  After that initially sputter, I then take it off choke and pull again and it fires up. 

I have had trouble starting mine on only two occasions and these were the causes.

Dirty Air Filter:  My air filter was pretty dirty and I removed it, swirled it around in a coffee can with gasoline and reinstalled it.

Time for Tune Up: After some 3-4 years of use without any kind of trouble I started having trouble with it starting.  I took it in to a Mantis-approved repair shop and they gave it a $35 tune up and it has worked fine ever since.

I suggest removing the spark plug and see if it is fouled.  If it is fouled then your gasoline:oil mixture is likely too rich in oil.  If the plug is just wet, dry out the ignition chamber with a hair dryer, or let it air dry and try it again.

[Jerry]

Will do Mike. I recall you were pleased with yours..
thanks

[Jerry]

Im not sure what I did, but she ran fine.  thanks

Jerry

[Mikey]

How does it do with your clay soil?

[Jerry]

I have only used it in the veggie garden.  The soil there has great tilth.  many years of ammendments.
I will try it elsewhere.

I knew you would respond.  I was counting on it

[Sandye]

The Mantis can even handle clay soil.  When I first got mine, I tested it on the clay (concrete, in my opinion) soil they had used to fill in around the house when we had it built.   It pulverized it very nicely!   
The soil in the rest of the yard (that wasn't covered by that junk they trucked in) is nice, crumbly, black Kansas soil.   

[Jerry]

It did fine.  I got in some Bok Choi and cabbage.  The tiller is in the photo, barely.

[Pa Nancy]

We have one of those. My dh has put it thru a LOT more than it should be used for and it works like a champ. Our hard Pa. clay dirt here is no problem for it. He even used to to fix a damaged up yard afer moving a trailer thru it, and it worked great.

I for one have trouble starting it. I can restart it after it is warm,but after sitting cold I can't get it to start. Dh doesn't have a problem though. 

[Mikey]

I'm glad to hear it can handle clay soil.  My soil is sandy and it of course rips right through it but I had heard on some gardening forums from some folks with hard clay soil that the Mantis was too light and would bounce around too much rather than digging in.  The lightness of the Mantis is exactly why I bought it. 

[Sandye]

Mikey, the Mantis does bounce on the clay (concrete) soil.  You just have to work at it a little harder and longer than you do with sandy soil...but it will pulverize it.     I bought mine because it is light, also.  The DH has a Troy-Bilt for the veggie garden...although he doesn't know how to use it anymore.