The "mantis choir" will probably kick in after I post this. I bought a mantis, hated it and ultimately sold it. You reverse the tines for the tiller/cultivator swap. However, you don't steer a mantis, it bounches ahead, then you drag it back forcing it into the ground. I'm used to steering power equiptment, not wrestling with it. Also, there's no way to adjust depth other than how long you hold it in one place.

"Fish or Fowl." A rear tine tiller does a much better job of tilling, the only consideration to cultivating is you can adjust depth, provided you set your rows wide enough. e.g. I have a rear tine, 26" to "cultivate" with it, the veggie rows have to be about 36" apart, as the plants do overlap the "balk" of the rows.

The small tillers, everybody makes them, are essentially cultivators unless you want to "till" a small raised bed or something, otherwise you'll be there forever. If you get one of those, get one with rear wheels and a depth or "drag" stake. If it doesn't have wheels, hit a rock and it'll bounce into your veggies. May still do that as they tend to be a higher rpm but the wheels help.

If you're not tilling sod or hard packed soil, the old dependable front tine full size may be the way to go. They do a reasonable job tilling in previously "disturbed" garden soil, and you can take off one or two of the outside tines to adjust width for cultivation. They have a depth stake so you can adjust depth so as not to disturb veggie roots. All you want to do is remove weeds/grass and "aerate" the top inch of soil to break up crust. Front tine units aren't self propelled, the tines do pull you along while tilling, getting it to or from the garden is by pushing or pulling. A few have a "reverse" which reverses the tines, but fundamentally, you spend some time "muscling" it.

I have a 60 X 60 garden and have the big rear tine for prep in the spring, and turning under "whatever" for replanting during the season. Also have a small tiller/cultivator for just cultivating. The small one may take two trips in the row in the early season. Having two makes life easy.

Small cultivators tend to be two cycle, however seeing more four cycle's every year. If you're comfortable with two cycle engines, probably be a bigger selection.

If you have transportation, rent the big one in the spring get your garden worked up and have a cultivator for the rest of the year. The cultivators can "spot till" for replanting during the year. A good rear tine is probably $600-700 compare to $50 once a year.

Troy bilt was purchased by MTD I believe, not a bad tiller, but it ain't the Troy Bilt a lot of us remember.

One consideration is weight of the unit, the cultivators are very light and can be easily handled which is good news. Bad news, if you're trying to "till" being light and having higher tine rpm they do bounce. Obviously, won't "till" as deep or as steady as one weighing 200 lbs.

Good luck,

Ev

I went ahead and ordered that man test before I read your post of above. still good information though thank you.

It'll probably work fine for you, they have a tremendous following. IMHO, they're loved by folks who "moved up" from a spading fork to mechanized tilling.

One very important, absoloutely critical, "don't pass go" thing is TREAT THE GAS. The ethanol in modern gas does a lot of damage to small engines. Two or four cycle, buy Stabil or equivalent and put in empty gas can then add gas. Make that a mantra or something and you won't have problems.

Have fun,

Ev

Good to know about the stability of didn't know it affected ethanol.thanks