What do you mean by clogged?? Are you talking about the fins of the engine?? I have been using it to dig 15" deep holes, I never have problem of blocking the fins. If you have the Echo engine, you might have to dust off or change the air filter often. I have the Honda engine, I wash my foam filter all the time because the engine is so close to the dirt and dust get into the filter. If you have to much dust, maybe you should wet the ground a little before tilling and cultivating.

Be patient, it really takes time to get use to using the tiller. When I first got mine, I use it for dethatching, that work very very well. I use it for tilling, I have a hard time make it not jump. It takes pratice, it is a very useful tool.

In the future, you might want to consider buying the dethatcher tines. It work so well.

Just the other day, my gear box jam. I bought direct from Mantis, they are just going to ship me a new gear box and they have me put the old one in the box that come with the new gear bos and they will come and pick it up. That is service. I read a lot on Mantis, this is unusual problem so I won't worry about it.

Thank you yungman, that's a very helpful start.

I was trying to break up/dig up some grass so I could dig a hole. The grass, which is pretty short, kept getting wrapped around the insides of the tines. Once or twice there was some kind of berry vine caught in it too.

I believe you're right about getting used to it -- I need to use it many more times and get a better feel for how it works.

Hey gargy if you are cleaning up a overgrown lot you might be better off starting with a lawn mower. Tall grass will get rapped around a tiller's blades very easily and stop it. A tiller will chop up the dirt but it is not too much good for a lot of grass. Just make sure you walk the lot picking up anything that might damage the lawn mower or get thrown out at you. If there is a lot of stuff on the ground pile it up or get a wheel barrow and haul it off....good luck on your lot.....DT

I see, if you have grass that long, I think you better use a string trimmer or mower to cut it down first. There is no way to prevent long stuff from winding onto the tines. Even my big tiller have the same problem.

If you don't have either mower or string trimmer, only other thing you can do which might not make that big a difference: turn the tine around( left to right and right to left) so it will be in cultivate mode. The tine tend not to catch the grass as much.....at least that's the theory!!! The tine will chop the grass smaller and hopefully not jam onto the tines. But even if this work, it will be slower. You really better off with a mower first then use the Mantis to till the soil. If you are going to work on the lawn, you are going to need a lawn mower and a string trimmer. These are pretty much a must.

Good luck.

Thank you. I'll look into dethatcher tines. That really sounds like a good idea. As does walking the lot.

I certainly have my work cut out for me.

i have an older honda engine tiller can't find air filters live near woodstock ontario got any sugestions