 | Brand Mantis Model 7250-15-02 Listprice $349.95 Price $369.00 |
The Mantis 120-volt electric tiller with border edger is a lightweight, 3-speed tiller. It digs down 10 inches and weeds a 30-by-40-foot garden in just 20 minutes. It features one-piece die-cast gearbox and a double-insulated motor. At just 20 pounds in weight, it is easy to start and easy to operate, with the ability to cut through hard sod, compact soil or tangled weeds. Its fold-down handles and compact design make it easy to store. The tiller is backed by a 1-year warranty, and a lifetime warranty covers the tines against breakage. ....read more
Mighty Mantis
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I didn’t expect this to work as well as it did. I was cultivating packed clay to install a new no-mow lawn in a 20X40′ area.
I only thought I would be able to scape the surface. Wrong. Not only does it dig deep almost effortlessly, it is quiet!!
Although I had to have someone else assemble it, I am very happy with this new tiller.
Extremely Poor Customer Service and Support from Mantis – Buyer Beware!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I puchased this product from Amazon which was suppose to include the kickstand and border edger.
The package was poorly taped.
Installation was not the smoothest. Mantis needs to include longer bolts since the ones included it barely threads to the nut.
Everything arrived except the metal blade for the edger… I got the wheel part only.
So I figured that I should call the manufacture first since most manufactures would send out missing parts without question. Boy, was I WRONG! The customer service rep “Michelle’s” response was “did you purchase it from us? if not return it to the vendor you purchased it from.” She was extremely rude and unprofessional and refuse to send out a $3.00 part stating that it was not their fault and is “too much trouble”. She also stated that if I’d had purchased a lands end shirt from Sears and is missing a button, would I call lands end for the missing button or return it to Sears. WHAT THE HELL…. its like comparing apples to lemons! The bottom line is Mantis would not support anyone who did not purchase it directly from them.
This is also extremely disturbing and worrysome to me if I ever need them to honor their product warranty!!!!
So after that phone call I was very tempted to throw everything in the box and have Amazon pick it up for a refund. Amazon’s rep was very professional as usual and offered to overnight another whole unit (since they do not carry parts) and just have me take out the missing parts. They will also arrange for a pickup of the returning unit when I am ready. ***Excellent service from Amazon as usual***
So now I am just hoping the replacement box will have the edger blade.
I have not turned on the unit yet but I would rate the craftmanship as 7 out of 10 for the price of $345.00.
Will update when I receive the replacement unit and if I decide to keep it and actually use it.
So far I would rate the product and the manufacture ***Not Amazon*** 1 Star for the initial overall experence.
Use It Every Day!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Yes, I use my Mantis tiller every day to loosen up my horse stalls. Not typical use for a device like this, but it works fantastic.
My horse stalls have a sand base, and running the tiller over them every day keeps the sand loose and the stalls fresh. I’ve been using this tiller in my stalls for several months now, and it’s running like a champ. It gets the job done done quickly and better than I could do with a rake.
Didn’t break much ground…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
My wife and I are starting a new garden and were looking to till up a portion of our yard to prepare for planting. I liked the reviews for the Mantis, so I decided to check it out. Not sure if I was using for something it’s not designed for, but for me it just couldn’t get the job done. Basically, instead of really digging into the ground, it spent a lot of time bouncing up and down off the grass and soil, unable to penetrate in. I called it the psychotic rabbit. Maybe you are only supposed to use it on cultivated soil, but for me that defeats the purpose. once the soil is softer and conditioned it seemed like it would work fine, but I decided to get a walk behind tiller to really dig things up.
So, if you’ve got tough soil and sod that you want to tear up, I’d look elsewhere.
Nice little tiller
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought the electric version of the Mantis mainly because I didn’t want to deal with gasoline and oil. I live in the country and I find it much more convenient to handle electrical tools (despite the cords)
I have found the tiller to be very handy. It’s lightweight, almost silent, and does a fantastic job of tilling provided the conditions are right. It does have trouble if the dirt is too moist. I have even broken new sod using the Mantis, you do have to go over the ground quite a few times — and grass and roots get caught in the tines so you’ll need to clean them out.
Overall I’m very satisfied with the tiller. You do have to make sure you have long enough extension cords though and occasionally it can be inconvenient to make sure you don’t till over the cord!
(The reviewer was compensated for posting this review. However, the opinion stated in the review is that of the reviewer and the reviewer alone. Further, the reviewer independently selected this product to review and has no affiliation with the product maker/distributor, Amazon or the review requester.)
Excellent!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love the Mantis tiller! It is easy to use and powerful. This tiller cuts through grass and sod. It’s perfect for tilling in close areas or in between plantings. I would highly recommend the weed reducer part that can be purchased separately.
Awesome garden tool
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Here’s a summary of my experience:
* I bought this a couple of weeks ago and it arrived before the due date.
* Assembly of the main piece was a snap. 45 mins all by myself (middle-aged woman) and I was out the door, digging up my lawn. (After all the comments about the kickstand assembly, however, I did not stop to put that on, as I wanted to try out the tiller before sunset. I’ll install the kickstand later, since I now understand how useful that will be.)
* Assembly instructions and diagrams were great! Very, very easy to follow.
* One week into usage, the tiller has worked flawlessly thus far. It took me three hours to till the same size patch as the one I had dug previously over several days using a hoe and shovel – and it resulted in a far superior result. I even went back over my previous effort and the difference was like night and day. I can’t wait to start on the garden.
* The first time out, be sure to take your tools out with you so you can tighten/retighten any bolts that come loose. After an initial re-tightening of all bolts and fasterners, I have had to re-tighten only the plastic handles periodically.
* I would agree with another reviewer that if it rains hard you should let your ground dry out for a day. Otherwise, it would be like making mud pies, just as it would with your hoe or shovel. But after the ground dries for a day, then the ground would be about perfect for the Mantis.
* If your dirt is completely dry, the Mantis will be able to handle it, but for ease of use, give the ground some water and let it dry overnight.
* I bought the detangler, but have not had to use it, as it was fairly easy to unplug the cord to the Mantis and then remove the tangled material by hand. (Note there is a re-set switch that you may have to push if things were too jammed up by the time you stopped to detangle.)
* The Mantis handled roots and small rocks with ease.
* I have not tried the edger yet, so no comment there.
* This tool is well-suited for its purpose as a small-area tiller. When I say small area, I expect to use this also to remove my side lawn – 40′ by 20′. But if I were to have to dig up anything larger, I would probably rent a larger machine from my local hardware store. Otherwise, I highly recommend the Mantis.
A GOOD DIGGER
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this tiller from Amazon a while back and used it numerous times for small areas that I needed to dig up. Works well for such a small tiller, but does the job fairly well. Don’t expect to dig to China it won’t do it, but its good for small areas where a depth of a few inches (4 or 5) is what you want. Mine still works well and I have had no repairs.
Electric Mantis Tiller/Kickstand
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
First of all, I’ve had Mantis’ products over the years and loved them. The tine detangler can’t be beat. And I LOVE my electric tiller/cultivator.
The kickstand is another story! I was excited when I purchased my new tiller w/this addition. It is hard to put together (because of the tight space) and even harder to get it lined up to work properly. I’ve actually turned the tiller over, trying to get the kickstand down. I would not purchase it again.
Just what I needed
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For years, I had read about the Mantis but didn’t have the yard to use one. We recently bought a house on two acres, and the Mantis was my first purchase upon moving in. And now two months later, it has fully lived up to my expectations. Our property is all chert on a hillside, so I was a bit apprehensive that the tiller might not be powerful enough to bust up the very hard soil and rock, but I have not been disappointed. A few of the bolts loosen up from the vibration of the unit and have to be tightened again, but as long as you watch for this, it is not a problem. I’m very pleased with my purchase and have used it quite a bit.
Grandma Loves Her Mantis
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The men I work with know that I love to work in the garden and do all the digging myself. They suggested that I buy the Mantis. Well, I decided on the electric model so I didn’t have to mess with storing the gasoline unit. When it arrived I assembled it and was ready to go in about 20 minutes. The Mantis tilled the gound so fine and my husband was so impressed that he even tried using the little machine himself. I do believe he will use it again if I ask. We have used larger tillers, but the gound has never been as finely mixed. So far I am very impressed with the results and I am sure other 58 year old grandmothers would also love to use the “little tiller”. I only wish I had the Mantis before I dug for our pond and patio–it sure would have saved a lot of time and energy.
Tiller
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Delivered and works as expected. My wife is happy with this device. She wanted a tiller she could handle. It meets her expectations.
Electric does great
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I don’t usually buy electric outdoor tools due to limitations on distance and percevied lower power, but I am now mistaken. The Mantis is lightweight but very powerfull in tilling for a garden, working hard and quietly. I’m now considring buying the dethatcher attachment for bad spots in the yard based on my experience. The only negative is that since it is so lightweight, that it can (and did) bounce up a bit when used on very compacted soil, making it a bit of a challenge to control.
BULLDOZER WITH AN EXTENTION CORD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Found mine sitting at the back door when I got home from work today, took it into the shop and it went together rather quickly. Went out to the garden area and put it to work, WOW I’ll bet that this little thing could cut my asphalt driveway up into little pieces. Needless to say that I’m very happy with my purchase.
Mantis electric tiller-cultivator
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the electric powered Mantis tiller. I was surprised how much power the motor had. It, in fact, dug the tines in the full 8″ claimed by the manufacturer, and left the soil finely tilled and ready for planting. The tilling was not as easy as portrayed on TV–at least the first time over, but I’m very satisfied, so far, with my purchase.
Great tiller. I’ll never go back to gas!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have been using my new tiller for about 2 weeks now. I love the electric much better than the gas version I had before. No more gas smell, no polution(as much). I recomend the electric version over the gas because when changing attachments (or turning the tilling tines to cultivating position) it is much easier to turn the tiller over (something I could never do with gas)
The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because the weed reducers and weed puller really should be part of the standard package, not extras to add on to the price.
When reviewing this product before buying I noticed a lot of people had problems with putting it together and with the moter overheating. I had it put together in about 20 minutes, most of that was fighting the no finger room to put on the kickstand. I suspect that for the moter issues, the people having the problems are using an underrated extension cord. I have filled mine up with weed debris to the point the moter couldn’t turn the tines and still haven’t had any problems with it overheating. Also with the electic version you can turn it over to pull out the weeds and this speeds up the process by more than half the time as the gas one.
I have tilled soft garden soil, turned under weeds and compost, broken hard dry clay for the first time. And tilled a spot that has a ton of rocks.
I highly recomment this product but make sure to at least get the weed pulling tool.
Great machine
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Assembled quite nicely, the bolts on the kickstand were a little hard to get to but I managed the SECOND time. First time I had it upside down (shrug). The little guy’s powerful and does a terrific job and being electric, it starts every time. It’s a great buy if your electric outlet is close by. Super for a small garden and lightweight too! Mantis says to use the cardboard box for a stand, don’t bother, just put the tines on because the cardboard collapses. With the kickstand, because the work area is so small, it helps to have a ratcheting box end wrench. The kickstand is well worth the added trouble of assembly. You’ll love it.
electric mantis tiller – the answer for organic living
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Product. The Electric Mantis Tiller is the answer for Organic backyard gardening. So quiet yet so efficient you wonder why you ever used anything else! Recommend everyone buying only this product, As powerful as any gas mini tiller and my whole family enjoys using it. Life is a Garden go out and Dig it!
Mantis is awesome
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When it first arrived my Spouse and I were skeptics. It looked so tiny. After using it am so impressed! It does a fantastic job— much better than the larger gas powered tiller. It is like putting the dirt in a blender.
Only compliants are that roots and any small vine like plants get wrapped around the axis of the tines very easily, because the tines spin so fast, and you need to stop and clean them out. I have the little plastic extra things that go inside of the tines for this purpose. I guess they help but I have not tried it without them, maybe it is much worse. Anyway this happens with all tillers so I don’t fault the Mantis for it.
This is for a small garden. Mine is 1250 sq ft. I would not want to do much bigger. It is so light and portable to move around to flower beds around the house– really an A+ for this. I can carry it with one hand.
Get a high capacity long electric cord. I have a 12ga 100 ft cord and can take it anywhere in my yard.
It is really a great product.
Quiet, powerful, a great tool to prepare the garden
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have spent years tilling and cultivating my tiny suburban garden, if you can call it that, with hand tools. This year, I decided to increase my garden area by a factor of ten. As I learned more about soils, weed control, and organic gardening, I realized that I needed a tiller to prepare the soil for the Spring. I purchased the Mantis Electric Tiller on Amazon. It came with a free cultivator and kickstand attachment.
Assembly: Assembly is not difficult. If you don’t get the kickstand, the hardest part is connecting the handles down where they meet the body of the machine. Tighten them good so they won’t work loose as you work. If you get the kickstand, the bolts to attach are in a confined area. Even a small wrench will only move through a few degrees, making tightening them slow going. After the first one, I wised up and used a small socket wrench for the second one. It took less than a minute for the second kickstand bolt. The tine assembly is straightforward, as are the tops of the handle.
First tilling: My first tilling job mirrored some of the reviews on here; the machine would stop a lot and the tines would gum up. It was very slow going. The reason was that my soil was still so wet. It wasn’t sopping wet, but wet enough to stick together and gum up the tines. There is a safety breaker on the Mantis that is easy to reset. It may need about 15 seconds after the machine stops. It also doesn’t necessarily pop all the way out. Just push it in and you’ll hear the “click” when it’s ready to go.
Lesson learned: After the soil dried out a bit, I went at it again. This time, the tiller performed completely flawlessly. I was working in huge amounts of compost into my heavy clay soil, and it cut through the grass. The Mantis did not stop once, and it easily worked down the full 9″ it claims, quickly. I would say that the highest moisture level would be like a moist cake and no more. Don’t waste your time! Let the soil dry out and you’ll be tilling huge amounts of it faster than ever before. My soil is 100% better than I could have ever gotten it with hand tools.
Moving around: You can “walk” the tiller across the lawn from one job to the next by running it on the slow speed. Otherwise, there is a handle molded into the case which makes carrying it relatively easy.
Noise: The most incredible thing about the tiller is how QUIET it is. It’s practically silent. Even if you go to YouTube and watch some videos of the Mantis electric tiller, it simply does not do the silence justice. The tines hitting the dirt make more noise than the motor itself. I can easily be out at 7am and the neighbors 20 feet away will not hear it.
Tough job: Last year I cut about 200 hundred square feet of thick zoysia sod from my backyard and put it right-side-up in a different area. This year, I want to turn that area into a wildflower garden. Once I knew the soil was relatively dry, I took the Mantis back there to chop the dead grass into the soil and work some compost in. Despite the two thick, heavy layers of grass, the Mantis chewed right into it. It was turning over huge quantities of soil, breaking the thick root system of the grass into the soil. Because of the tight root system, I made a number of passes with the tiller. But its claim of breaking through sod is now verified with me.
Ease of use: The tilling happens when you pull the tiller backwards. After doing three large areas of my yard, I really appreciate all the work the tiller saves. Still, if you’re not in the greatest of shape, using it can be quite a workout. Just take your time and do small areas.
Overall: I’m very happy with the Mantis. I wish I had gotten one years ago. Now everyone sees my soil and wants to use it. A very fair deal and a great product.
Great, verstile garden tool
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First off I highly recommend the electric version. Who wants to pollute more than necessary and deal with gas? No-brainer to get this version because it has more than enough power for almost any job I can think of. We have a bermuda lawn that we wanted to replace part of with a flower bed. We could have paid someone or rented a heavy piece of equipment from a home improvement store but we decided to go with the Mantis.
Very pleased we have. It cuts through Bermuda like butter on the lowest power setting. But because of the nature of Bermuda roots, the roots do need to be removed. I highly recommend the weed reducers. Weeds/roots still get on but very easy to remove. It also gives you a bit of a workout. It wants to pull forward so you pull back on it to till.
We have used the edger and loved it. Did a wonderful job edging and no having to mess with cutting lines. The tines are TOUGH. There is a reason they have a lifetime warranty. With the edging tine a few times the unit bounced on to the sidewalk, the concrete loss not the tine. Our soil is full of limestone rock, granted not the hardest. The tines will not crush it but they also did not suffer any damage.
Extremely easy to put together, basically just assembling the handle. However the kickstand is a challenge. My father in law had a handy angled kind of wrench kit and made quick work of it. But my friend who also bought it has never been able to get the kickstand on. Not really that important it still works fine. Also comfortable to move around.
We have not tried the cultivating but you reverse the tines and it is suppose to cut less deep into the ground allowing you to use it around existing plants. With that feature I would highly recommend it to people who have a lot of flowering beds to cultivate in new compost every season. For people with annual beds it would be fantastic.
Great product but do buy the weed reducers.
Works well if you need a boat anchor
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Order arrived in a timely manner, assembly was not all that difficult, took about and hour. I have used the unit for three times in six months. The first time was in un-tilled sod. It was tough work with many stops to unclog, dug a garden only about 10 x 20. The second time was a re-tilling of the same area plus and additional 8 x20 area. The machine would stop running and would restart after a 5 to 30 second delay. My first thought was a bad switch in the handle, or a loose wire as there was no rhyme or reason for it to stop. I struggled thru to the tilling and contacted mantis via email, they had no record of the purchase. Yesterday I used the machine to re-till the garden area, it immediately started the shut off routine. I disassembled the switch in the handle and found all the connections were properly connected. Reassembling the handle I proceed to use the machine in its hit and miss run attitude. I switched power sources and the problem continued.
CURRENTLY, MAY 5 2009 I HAVE NO TILLER AND NO REFUND. SCHILLER GROUND / MANTIS HAD ME TAKE THE UNIT TO A AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT SAT FOR A MONTH OR SO, WHILE ALL I GOT WAS LIED TO. FINALLY, EXASPERATED I PICKED IT UP UNREPAIRED AND SCHILLER SAID SEND IT BACK, WHICH I DID. THAT WAS ABOUT 3 OR 4 WEEKS AGO AND I AM STILL WAITING ON A REFUND. FORTUNATELY I KEPT THE COPIES OF ALL THE EMAILS THAT WENT BACK AND FORTH.
I HAVE EVEN OFFERED TO BUY THEIR MORE POWERFUL 4 CYCLE GAS MODEL, BUT THEY SAY THEY MUST SEND A CHECK…. UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAVE FAILED TO DO EVEN THAT.
So if after reading this review you purchase one of these boat-anchors, please let me know, I have bridge in Brooklyn I need to sell.
Electric Mantis Cultivator is ok
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Mantis 120-Volt Electric Tiller/Cultivator with Border Edger and Kickstand #7250-15-02
Plenty of power to break up sandy sod. Light enough to carry in one hand. Motor is starting to twist, just as the gas engine did on my previous Mantis tiller. But at least it runs — my gas engine wore out from problems getting the right amount of oil in the 2-cycle gas mix.
Hard on the Dirt and U
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Nice product, turns the loose dirt, moving it in loose dirt, mean on the user.
Easy to assembly and use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this product one year ago and open the box last week. It’s very easy to assembly. It comes with video CD for the instruction. You just need to follow the video. It takes less than 30 minutes.
When I use it on my yard, it’s so powerful to loss the dirt. It’s eay to control because it’s light. I love this product. Come with Border Edger and Kickstand, cost me less than $180 last year on sale at Amazon. Great deal!Mantis 120-Volt Electric Tiller/Cultivator with Border Edger and Kickstand #7250-15-02
not at all bad
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I lived in Peru I used the Mantis 120-Volt Electric Tiller/Cultivator to work a large, extended field. It’s Electric so I had to use a generator, fortunately I rigged it up to run on ethanol fuel (corn) so I wasn’t contributing to oil exploitation.
The Tiller/Cultivator is not at all bad for the ground and I was done in no time and able to plant my seeds. It works adequately and is quite suitable for medium rough soil. I even lent it out to the village and it held up after one year.
I wouldn’t mind if it operated on pig waste either if I could convert it somehow. In all, if you are just using the Tiller/Cultivator on a patch of yard, you’ll be able to plug it in. The electric motor is quiet so I did not disturb the local bird crops which gather in the dusk.
Just shy of being great
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The sales brochures and videos make it look as though tilling a bed with this machine is as simple as using a vacuum cleaner. In one video, a little ol’ lady is seen pushing it! The brochure also talks about using it to take out the grass and convert an area to a garden bed.
Well, as is the case with almost all marketing, the hype is somewhat overdone. This machine DOES do all that, but it’s not quite as easy as it makes it seem.
First, as many people have mentioned, assembly is not all that easy and getting the kickstand on correctly is close to impossible. No wonder they’re giving it away free.
Secondly, it takes a bit of strength to handle it on “virgin” ground or on grassy areas. I have to admit, I’m old, fat and out of shape, so it’s more of a struggle for me than it will be for most people! Still, don’t believe the shots of people cheerfully and effortlessly turning dirt into loam.
My final complaint is that certain “accessories” should be included rather than sold extra. Selling the little weed reducers and the tine detangler separately when they are nearly essential is annoying.
Still … after all that … I give the Mantis a solid four stars. I’ve used it to transform my back lawn into vegetable and flower beds and to incorporate compost into the soil at the end of the season. It may be hard for me to handle at times, and I can’t go for more than an hour at a stretch, but if *I* can do it, just about anyone can. It don’t go into it thinking it’ll be an easy afternoon’s work!
The Mantis is also very quiet — even quieter than my Neutron battery powered lawn mower! I can easily listen to my audio books while working.
There are a number of videos at Youtube showing the Mantis at work. These are both promo type videos and real user videos.
Important tip: NEVER try to till the soil when its still too moist. It’s absolutely backbreaking and the soil clumps. Also, if you’re going to till up grass, scalp it as close as you can with a lawnmower first, then till it. Then wait a couple of weeks and retill what’s starting to grow back. It may take two or three times to get all that stinkin’ grass!
MANTIS ELECTRIC TILLER
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
THE MOTOR BURNED OUT AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF USE. AMAZON PROMPTLY SHIPPED A REPLACEMENT AND IT IS WORKING OK. OUR SOIL IS SANDY AND THE TILLER TENDED TO BURY ITSELF BUT DID A GOOD JOB OF MIXING 20 BAGS OF STEER MANURE AND SEVERAL BAGS OF MULCH INTO THE SOIL. I USED THE CULTIVATING FEATURE ON THE MANURE & MULCH. THE MOTOR IS QUITE POWERFUL AND VERY QUIET. OUR VEGETABLE GARDEN IS SMALL SO A SMALL TILLER SEEMED TO BE THE ANSWER BUT I FIND IT HARD TO CONTOL THE DEPTH OF CULTIVATION, MAYBE I NEED MORE PRACTICE. BOTTOM LINE, I AM NOT VERY IMPRESSED.
Mantis tiller is worth the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a light weight, easy to operate tiller. It is a nice product that lives up to it’s claims.
Great Powerful Tiller, the Best!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a fantastic buy, a great tiller with a HUGE amount of power. I am a woman and I could easily put it together (minimal assembly required) and then use it easily to till hard, never previously tilled hard pack earth into crumbly loam. I highly recommend it.