This concerns the Mantis tiller with the Honda engine (4 stroke), Model #GX-25. I posted a link to the thread where people helped me last year and ONLY use SAE30 oil in it.

First I called the hardware store about 3 weeks to one month ago, and said I didn't want this to happen again (too much oil in tiller). Yes, I was nervous and scared after twice having put too much in and costing me $30 then $40 something for them to clean it out because the warranty doesn't cover that they said. The other 2 times were last year when I was just getting used to it. I do know exactly how to set the tines and edger for what I need to do, till/cultivate/edge shallow/edge deep), and which way to pull it in each situation. It does bounce on me even after I paid someone to break ground this year again, is about all I can do to handle it and does not break sod well at all as advertised, but others know that and ways around it. Sometimes after priming the engine and setting the choke, I do forget to turn the switch on the handle to on.

1. I had the tiller on the kitchen floor where I could see better and my flashlight but had it leaning against the base cabinets.

2. The man in the repair shop told me to lay the tiller on its side all the way to the floor with the engine touching the floor. I had the handles facing me as if I were going to till, then did exactly what he said.

Note: The diagram for how full the oil should look is clear as crystal to me, but it is hard for me to tell from the schematic the position of the tiller for this procedure.

'Check the oil level with the engine stopped and in a level position.' I asked 2 people what that meant to them, and they both replied with the tiller in normal, upright position, engine level to the floor. That was before the latest fiasco.

1. Remove the oil filler cap/diipstick and wipe it clean. (check did so over and over each time I added a little more oil)

2. Insert and remove the oil filler cap/dipstick without screwing it into the oil filler neck, then remove it to check the oil level shown on the dipstick (I did that and wiped it clean every time. It was registering nothing, and I could see no oil deep in the reservoir.)

3. If the oil level is near or below the lower limit (mark on the dipstick, fill to the bottom edge of the oil fill hole with the recommended oil (see page 8). To avoid overfilling or underfilling, be sure the engine is in a level position, as shown, while adding oil. (Upright, it is almost physically impossible to add any oil).

I used a plastic syringe I got from the vet and slowly squeezed some oil into the reservoir, about half of it, checked (wiped clean the dipstick every time) and did NOT screw it back in.

I did this about 2 times. Nothing was registering on the dipstick. So I slowly added a little more, checked, finally I could see a little oil starting to come up in the reservoir. Added a little more. Finally the dipstick read about at the halfway mark, I decided not to chance filling it all the way to the top like in the schematic, screwed the cap all the way in and righted the tiller.

I decided to see with the tiller in normal standing position if it was registering any oil. That could be why I screwed up again. A big puddle of oil ran out onto the floor, this time on the left side of the tiller and not the right like before. I mopped up as much oil with paper towels as I could and came back later to scrub it well with soapy water so I wouldn't slip and fall.

I also wiped any oil I could see on the left side of the tiller (handles facing me), with paper towels, didn't see any spilling out on the right side or dripping off the control wires like before. Decided not to put any more oil in it.

I took the tiller outside and tried to start it. It almost fired up once, quit, then the cord froze, probably forgot to turn the switch to on.

So I didn't want to call the hardware store AGAIN so called my daughter. Her husband is good with tiller engines. They came right over, wouldn't start, told him what to do, bubble showed it was primed, position of the choke on a cold start, etc., took the protective black cover off that is near what I think is the spark plug and cleaned it out with WD40. By now oil is dripping off the wires on the right onto the sidewalk which means I have done it again or something is wrong with it.

After checking he had everything set right, he finally got it started and it smoked until it started running clean. Then he did the border/cultivating I had intended to do but said not to use it any more until I had it checked out which I'm too scared to, oil or no oil, know not to run an engine with no oil. I'm writing it all out and will ask my son to take it in for me and show him exactly the procedure for filling the reservoir. He is more assertive than I am; sometimes I am too nice and was all apologetic about how ditzy they probably thought I was. My regular hardware store, larger, is not an authorized dealer or I would have bought it from them; this is a small hardware store on the other side of town. He is more assertive in dealing with people, I get nervous and shy.

Most people that know about engines would understand better, but if this was your tiller, what would you do NOW?

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread from last year (good help but long)