Mini Tillers? Are they the same? Are they Good? Stihl - Mantis - EGO - EuroSystems

Mini Tillers? Are they the same? Are they Good? We test mini tillers from STIHL, Mantis, EGO and Eurosystems. Different styles of cultivator do different jobs. Which rotavator would you choose?
#vegetablegarden #tillers #gardentillers
View the products and prices using the links below.
EuroSystems - trenchex.uk/the-eurosystems-z2/
Mantis - mantis.uk.com/product/mantis-...
Stihl - www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Product...
EGO - egopowerplus.co.uk/products/m...
‪@Egopowerplus‬ ‪@STIHLGB‬ @mantis ‪@trenchexpowerproductsltd3967‬
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[@johnclarke6647]

I know this, my Mantis digs a lot deeper than my four cycle Troy Built. I filled my garden last fall with the TB and I tried to till it, today, with my 7225 Mantis. I had not worked 30 minutes before the tines were completely wrapped up with roots. It took me about 30 minutes to get them all off. I had it set up to till, not cultivate. My Mantis started on one pull, every time. It is running Stihl Moto Mix. The key to a good garden is till as deep as you can. My Mantis is 13 years old, made in 2010.

[@900stx7]

I have a small Murry cultivator, it's set up like the Mantis. The trick is to pull it towards you, if you walk forward it just climbs out the dirt, pull backwards and the tines dig down. It won't replace a full size tiller for bid jobs, but it's great for small gardens and flower beds, you can till between the plants.

[@IanCaine4728]

Mantis tines were in the wrong direction for tilling. Need to have the tines with the angle forward for tilling, swept back for cultivating.

[@tinkeringtaylor3053]

Well James am a sort of old fashioned gardener, i get the wife to dig over the garden 😂, but if by any chance she breaks down i think i would go for Mantis 😂👍

[@MachineryNation]

Hahaha Nev! I have also used this tactic in the past 😂

[@user-zd1th9it3h]

Mean ol’ men !! Haha !

[@dskofich]

@@MachineryNation The mantis tines are reversible, one way is for cultivating, the other is for tilling

[@MrHotfog]

WELL ... UNFAIR.. MANTIS YOU HAD THE TINES ON BACKWARDS !!..(MANTIS CAN BE USED DIFFERENT WAYS DEPENDING ON HOW AGGRESSIVE YOU WANT TO TILL) THE STIHL WAS CORRECT..

[@garrettnelson1642]

Great video James. I'm thoroughly impressed with the BF-KM, going to add it to my kombi attachment fleet!

[@tgsgardenmaintenance4627]

I'm old school, and do raised beds with a fork and rake!

[@johnclarke6647]

I spent an hour getting all the tree roots off my mantis tiller. I had a few bent tines, which made compounded the problem. I straightened out the bent tines today an wire wheeled them before painting them with Rustoleum flat black. This is on a used 2010 tiller that I have restored. I am going to put another cot of flat black on hem, tomorrow. That should protect them from rusting, again.

[@jonathanbuford1793]

I had a mantis for 30 years a work horse with occasional problems that gas powered tools run into I love it BUT I love the ego no gas it’s a work horse tad bit longer but can run with 1 hand then switch and much quieter no exhaust I gave my mantis away and impressed enough to keep ego. Really big garden I would choose a bigger gas and for all my raised garden beds ego for the win and I was in landscape maintenance for 35 years

[@freddaniali]

I have one and they work well just as long as there aren't any crazy thick roots or massive amounts of gravel in the soil. Also, for best results the soil should get sprayed and saturated with water.

[@MrjackieG]

I have an old 21cc Echo tiller, similar to the Mantis but 2 stroke. Mine runes 70% faster than the 4 stroke Mantis. I call mine the "Mad Badger". Mine works in grassy ground.

[@dcr1978a]

Love my 2-stroke Mantis! Small but powerful. I was skeptical of the size at first prior to purchasing it (compared to my older 4-stroke Montgomery Wards heavier tiller). But definitely pull it backwards (not forward like you’ve shown). Easy to steer and maneuver. Very impressed with it (going on season 3 now).

[@madman432000]

I have the Stihl one for the weedeater, it's a workout . I used it to do the raised bed planting area for quite a while, 2 each 3x24 foot areas. It's best for stirring dirt and mixing ammendments and I use it at an angle to direction of travel so it won't leave that hard ridge in the center. For the open garden space a bigger unit is best.

[@cwakamatsu]

Thank you! Exactly what I was wanting to see!

[@GregsMowing]

Nice video. at 6:00 great time to demo drinking a tea or coffee while cultivating 😂

[@Lex5576]

I've got the Predator 2-cycle cultivator from Harbor Freight, and so far it has been really good. I don't plant a big garden, and I definitely didn't want to sink $700+ into a large tiller that I won't use much. The Stihl weed trimmer style tiller is a back breaker. Stihl makes excellent products, but I'd hate like hell to have to lug that thing around bent over to till a whole garden.

[@uwex4080]

Tankstellen for testing the kultivator

[@jake-mv5oi]

Need another go with the mantis with the tines going the right direction for tilling.

[@charlescourtney4412]

And you are supposed to pull the Mantis backwards, not push it. Read the manual!

[@s.kxx1956]

That reverse feature makes things alot easier, if it were other makes it would be very heavy and difficult to move it out once its dug in

[@donmayberryjrsOPE]

Great video James! You mentioned that a disadvantage of the Mantis tiller was the weight and I'll have to disagree. Weight is needed to keep those times in the ground even in a "worked" garden. Look at the larger rear-tine tillers made by Troy Bilt, the best in class was the Horse model and not necessarily because of horse power but more for the weight it has to keep it in the ground vs a crazy wild bronco! Over the years I've sold TONS of mini tillers like the Honda FG100 (great machine), Mantis even Echo made one. Out of all those little tillers I believe Mantis is the better choice!

[@MachineryNation]

I agree a heavier tiller will do a better job, generally mini tillers are fairly light. Thanks Don 👍🏼

[@patrickbodine1300]

My neighbor had a Mantis that needed a new carb. I charged him $20 parts/labor to get it going for him. After he used it once, he gave the tiller to me for free. Great tiller! He bought the Ego tiller but has told me he likes the Mantis better. Go figure.

[@DJC995]

Hi James Nice One Like the idea of the Kombi attachment for working around plants thanks again

[@MachineryNation]

Thank you Darran, yeah 100% it does make for a great attachment 👍🏼

[@Ben-fk9ey]

What we've found using the Stihl kombi is that when using it like in the video back and forth and pulling it which seems to work better than pushing it is after a while the connection point can come off between the tiller part and engine part.

[@enriquediaz483]

The mantis tiller you actually use it backwards or pulling it It works better

[@imperfectCraft]

thank you help me with what i needed to figure out!!!!

[@wtoro6178]

Nice video. I'm going to try the EGO for minimal tilling. Should be easier to keep to the top 2 inches of soil to work in mulch or other soil amendments similar as the tilther concept.

[@stuartreadman118]

Thanks for the video 😊

[@mikeavison5383]

I have a small tiller now since my garden is smaller. I used to have a big heavy Howard with a big heavy singe cylinder 4 stroke Kohler engine on it. The mini tiller is nothing like the same thing! In the video you didn't dig as deep as the plate which is a shame since what is the point of tilling less deep than you expect the roots of your plants to go. So I was watching to see if there is a technique to get deep. I find with my mini tiller it is only possible to get as deep as the plate if you roughly dig the ground over with a fork going full tine depth. Not as stupid as it sounds since loosening the soil is the easy bit, without a tiller you would have to bash each clump several times with the fork, and it still wouldn't be as good as done with the tiller. Thanks for the video.

[@leifhietala8074]

You can break virgin ground, even sod, with a mini-tiller like the Mantis. It's just going to take multiple passes. I've tilled up about 600 sq. ft (about 55 sq. m.) with a mini; about the third pass you can really feel the machine getting a good bite. It takes a while but the results are undeniable.

[@NoirCordis]

wish our soil was a lovely as that first veggie bed

[@scottstewart6260]

i have a 40v ryobi that goes to the expand it tools. it works well after broadforking for deep aeration. you need to scalp the ground with a lawnmower before tilling a new grass area

[@davidbrown9458]

I got the Ryobi 40v power head with expand-it cultivator, already had trimmer and edger. Works great, but takes a few passes

[@gdll9247]

Stihl have the MultiEngine which like the Mantis can be used for sweeping, scarifying, edging etc and noting the comment about the weight there are some additional weights for use with the bolo and pick tines for tilling.

[@johnclarke6647]

I will tell you - the Mantis will till down to ten inches with no effort at all. It bounces a little bit but is easy to control, but not easy to keep tree roots out of. If you want you can let it sit in one place and it will dig a hole. The next time I use it I am setting the tines for cultivation to see if that helps from getting tree roots in the tines. A few are ok and are to be expected in my oak laden yard but when they wrap them selves in a coil larger than the tines they become a nuisance.

[@MayweatherjrWONandsoTrump]

Great video!! for me a small home owner the ego tool did the trick.

[@snazzyd8866]

I'd have loved to see how the SunJoe tiller would have stacked up against these offerings. I used the legendary Sunjoe TJ604E to rip up my entire grass covered backyard in order to regrade it all...went through everything including big rocks it just flung out of its way - total champ despite being a sub $200 unit!

[@outfoxthefox]

With the Mantis, you are supposed to walk backwards, this keeps it in the ground working, and you don't trample over the tilled land. But since I'm trying to change over from fossil fuel machines, I might try an Ego.

[@yeehaw3792]

😂😂😂 fucking goofy ass

[@DavidPeck-DP]

@michael farmer I've got a lot of the Ego multi-tools and have been very pleased with them. I've just got the Rotocut and like that for cutting next to hard surfaces that a strimmer would damage.

[@outfoxthefox]

@@DavidPeck-DP I Bought one, and love it.

[@claybryon4955]

Thank you sir! Crackin!

[@driverjamescopeland]

5:23 - "Definitely nice and quiet... enough for me to have a conversation wi' ma'self." I use the cover of engine noise to have those conversations, so the Mrs. doesn't hear 😂

[@MachineryNation]

That’s a good shout that!

[@kokigephart111]

Best tiller was a sales flop. Got my Breez propane tiller on clearance cheap . Never a bad gas problem . Two pull starting .

[@dysfunctional_vet]

good presentation and information, i still like the tiller on the tractor

[@PWNDNOMAD]

The mantis would be a more effective if you pulled it vs walking behind like a traditional tiller.

[@peterc2248]

How do these products handle bramble roots and stems? What about buried bits of chicken wire or semi decomposed weed fabric? Maybe do a demo on a typical allotment plot that needs clearing.

[@user-rw2um8ro2p]

Great video and brilliant review

[@MachineryNation]

Cheers H, I appreciate it 👍🏼

[@neilhurley3995]

Great video. The Stihl and the Ego seemed to throw a lot of soil (higher rotary head speed making up for lack of weight I suppose). When doing the raised planters it didn't seem to matter with the rough grass on the ground. Do you think adjoining patios and paths would get caked?

[@derrasenmaher9730]

I like the Stihl Attachment. I got one but from Husqvarna and it is great for light work in flower beds etc. I will take a look at the Mantis tiller, these are pretty solid small machines. Oh and I think you forgot to prime the Briggs engine on that Eurosystems Tiller at the cold start 😉😁

[@TKG]

We have bothe the stihl and ego, what need to be mentioned is the tines the ego have bolo tines the stihl pick tines, which make a big difference in how they perform in different conditions

[@bigrich6750]

I had the mantis for years, but I went to raised beds that don’t need tilling. Everyone has correctly said that it should be pulled backwards.

[@MangaleGurung-nv8vh]

Very good 👍👍👍👍👍 easy farming tool

[@sergiolandz6056]

im looking for a tiller to work on existing mountain bike trails. Something i could use that would help me save time fixing break rutts on landings, these things seems good but i dont think it could break the solid ground i have here..

[@brianhaines5835]

All these positive comments but not one seems to acknowledge the first soil being tilled is clearly already well treated and broken up, come to my allotment and try this, different result . When working on virgin land you need to also draw the tiller backward and also cut in opposing directions to achieve the results you were showing!

[@richardrichard508]

Totally ridiculous: have seen hens turning over the soil more succesfully.😀🤣

[@user-dd2kl6dn1s]

Good 👍👍👍 your idea 💡💡💡

[@michaelfoort2592]

Id rather use a shovel or fork in such easy ground

[@Jordan.E]

Great video James! I'm running the KM94 and even that shifts some dirt 💪🏾

[@MachineryNation]

Nice Jordan, the KM94 is a great machine. The weight advantage when hedge trimming is a bonus 👍🏼

[@mrc4912]

Never had any luck with the Mantis, too underpowered and unreliable but the Stihl tiller is a different story. It digs like crazy and never stalls, even when it hits rocks, which my soil is full of.

[@dennisseeker36]

good day , may i ask about your experience with the stihl . i am an American in the Philippines. I am considering the stilh mini tiller for weeding between rows of super Napier grass ( maybe also between rows of sweet corn , etc ) that i am growing for livestock forage, i only have a small amount for now, but much bigger that the small garden space shown here, and i am planting more soon, weeding is a big problem , weeds as well as we have something like crab grass which destroys my garden efforts, how do you think the Stilh would work for weeding between rows? some areas are sandy , some are rocky. i have a stihl we use as a lawn mower that has been used for 7 years and it is a good machine

[@hansliss]

The Stihl 4-Mix engine isn't a two-stroke engine. It's a four-stroke with a clever design allowing it to run on two-stroke mix gasoline. You can tell by the sound if nothing else.

[@gstringalation]

Running my stihl walking backwards is great…..for cultivating turning over mulch…

[@MachineryNation]

It does work well, thanks 👍🏼

[@jamesyoung1202]

This guy should learn how to use a Mantis Tiller! I have owned to in the last 40 years and they are a workhorse and not for the weak or faint-hearted by any means, to say the least! A Mantis is not employed in its use by pushing iit forward! Rather, you are to pull the machine as you walk backwards and then you will see performance and you better be ready to hang on to the bugger - lol. Duh! This proves the rule that guys like this fellow (and my older brother) should give up the macho and read the Manual. 'Bye - jimi

[@MachineryNation]

Thanks mate, love you too 😉

[@sherwinsalvatori6997]

Stihl 4mix . I got 2 4mix ,a 130 and a 103

[@MOREENGINEERING]

Thankyou very informative vid. I'm looking at the Honda Versattach with the Tiller head. I can now see clearly what the Stihl can do. Which is very close to the Honda I suspect. But I won't have to MIX my fuel. Again loved the very informative no BS approach. Thanks.

[@bidders77]

Good video, i know you mentioned the tillers aren't very good for it but it would be very interesting to see them tried on grassy ground.

[@MachineryNation]

Yeah I could do, but they really just do a terrible job unless you stand there with aching arms for about an hour per meter haha.

[@bidders77]

@@MachineryNation fair enough....how about a review of actual rotavators then .. totally understand the wee 25cm combi attachment jobbies are useless for stuff like that.

[@MachineryNation]

@@bidders77 great idea! We will do this 🤩

[@DavidPeck-DP]

​@@MachineryNation I've got the Ego tiller and grassy area to till. I've found that going over the area first just lifting the grass with a fork to break the roots meant that the tiller got a better grip. But I would love to see you demo how to do it well with a small tiller.

[@wel5hy]

Could the Stihl be used to aerate your lawn?

[@user-kz3rl3ux8x]

Am here to help me out how many bags of fertilizer does that hand manuel planter apply in an acre

[@BinuralOdyssey]

The handhelds are meant to be pulled.

[@marloumanuel6055]

Where it's available?

[@Big_Johns]

Nice little tillers, I've worked on a few of the Mantis and they performed well when testing afterwards. 👍 I hope you have Josh doing something constructive. 🤣

[@MachineryNation]

Yeah they are pretty cool, thanks John. Yeah he’s busy selling stuff 👍🏼

[@Big_Johns]

Anytime and I'm glad you have him busy. 👍

[@jodia7435]

I'm a gardener student at the NYBG. I should say that these mini tilling machines scare me. They look very unsafe with those blades exposed. What if you hit a rock and it flies directly at somebody's face?

[@MachineryNation]

Unlikely, but possible I guess.

[@EatmyGrass420]

If your concerned about that you probably shouldn't operate anything. 😂

[@vinayakumarv4687]

Will it work on hard soil.?

[@jaspercaelan4998]

I used to use them in the past but they make the soil worse in the long run and they dig up the weed seeds and spread them everywhere. Best to avoid it unless you need to break up compaction early on before switching to no till or minimal till.

[@wtoro6178]

I'm going to try the EGO for minimal tilling. Should be easier to keep to the top 2 inches of soil to work in mulch or other soil amendments. I noticed Johnny's sells a tilther for about the same price....

[@matthewtaylor3351]

I can’t see lightweight tillers ever being as effective as heavier machines. Interesting concept for suburban gardening.

[@danielmassella9162]

They make some rototillers that are self propelled that are decently heavy hood for a small farm

[@cairozulu6700]

Euro system Z2 really catches my eyes. How much is it and where can I find it? I am in SA.

[@tristangynn2925]

How much are the eurosystems z2?

[@sainiamarjeet]

better way for hard soil is to moisturise the soil first than use rotavator or else use tiller first than rotavator

[@mubashirbhat8041]

I think it may do better job as a back scratcher

[@Beasto477]

Hi there, great video. Helped me make the decision to purchase the ego cultivator attachment for my multi-head system. No regrets, it works fantastic! Question for you, it looks like you have a handle-bar on your ego tool, can you please share the link?

[@MachineryNation]

Thank you. If you mean the D-Loop handle, they all come with this as standard.

[@alfredosobrevilla-yq6hl]

I like that mini rotavator, sir? Where can i order sir?

[@linmal2242]

All right for your Northern Hemisphere soft soils, but it wouldn't cut it in AUS with our ancient pozoliths !!

[@justrelax8348]

Whats ideal for weed killing, which one to go for?

[@user-zd1th9it3h]

The little 4 cylinder Mantis !

[@GaniyuMajekodunmi]

I am in Nigeria how much is it and how can I get my own

[@kostyg1616]

Motocultor O’mac MC8000 and the rest is ......

[@davt8615]

Miss my km131 sounds like a 250cc crosser 😂

[@ronaldyoung3760]

Hi,where I can hire or buy this mini tiller in Australia?

[@bernardgarrett3897]

A hire shop. What a stupid question.

[@tamphan159]

How much ? I want to by .

[@kevinmiller5467]

I have the ego tiller and it deffinaly requires the grass to be dead like in the video. I'm guessing all of them do but you make no progress with the ego without the grass being dead first. I was disappointment because I was used to a traditional tiller that could cut right though a lawn.

[@MachineryNation]

Yeah, they are not designed for that. Thanks Kevin 👍🏼

[@tomosbon7347]

A good hoe and a 3 or 4 tyne hoe is much simpler, easier and more economical. I'm 70 years old and been gardening since childhood- wouldn't have a tiller of any kind if you paid me unless it hooks to and works behind my tractor.

[@blueplasma5589]

Have you tried a "Hula Hoe"

[@tomosbon7347]

@@blueplasma5589 don't have a clue what that is. I use a 3 tine to break up my garden and a regular hoe ( just like the one I used chopping and hoeing cotton) to keep it clean. 😁😆 great exercise for your body and mind.

[@ItsaCatsLife]

RIP earthworms

[@vinudeni432]

Tell us which one have longer blades or which one can go deeper??? untill that your video is uselles...

[@MachineryNation]

I’m sure Google can answer the questions I missed. Sorry for being useless. I hope you have a lovely weekend 👍🏼

[@user-wx5wz2vd3m]

मलाई मन पर्यो। तर नेपाल मा पाइन्दैनन्। 😅😂🙏

[@regularpit1508]

I wish you had shown how long they'll run before running out of battery or gas.

[@patrickbodine1300]

My Mantis will till my garden with less than half tank of fuel. Garden size: 15'x20'. Then I go to my neighbors and do theirs. I have yet to run it out of fuel. Not bragging, just stating my experience. Have a great day!

[@joselitolardizabal4149]

How much

[@jstpsgthru]

Why didn't you compare the Stihl M55 Yard Boss?

[@massijouba6895]

Mantis machine is the best

[@DumitruGoga]

As vrea comentariile in lb, română

[@xrcr12x]

So, size does matter ;)

[@MachineryNation]

Apparently 😂

[@DJ-uk5mm]

No till?

[@AIEnhanced-ts5ko]

1:05 That engine doesn't sound right.Most likely the carburetor but hey, Italian made🤭

[@kernow24]

the mantis will outlive them all

[@user-yj7un6lv2g]

tradusca español por favor

[@PKArms1]

I'd say the Stihl won hands down. Didn't bounce as the 2 other more traditional tillers and if you have a lot to do, that electric won't last long before you have to charge the battery. When the Stihl runs out of gas, just refill and continue on. Plus with the Stihl you can add a string trimmer, saw blade and other attachments.

[@georgebooth586]

Eh, that would greatly depend on the scale of your most common uses for the head. The Ego has every attachment an average homeowner would likely need, as well (string trimmer, pole saw, edger, and hedge clipper). The battery vs gas part is largely fixed by simply having about 3 batteries and 2 chargers and, since the lawn mower, leaf blower, and chainsaw all work off the same 56V system, its pretty easy to accomplish. You're fairly unlikely to go through a full battery before one of the others is finished charging. Some of the benefits of battery equipment is that it has very little maintenance needed, you never need to leave the house to get fuel, and you don't need to worry about storing the fuel. For professionals and people who do significantly larger than average projects, electric may not be a great choice, but for the average homeowner, electric is often just as good as gas and may even be moreso for anyone who has limited ability to store equipment or who is bad at maintaining small engine.

[@judithmartinenriquez491]

How many earthworms do you decimate with that thing?

[@MachineryNation]

We created more.. for every earth worm you cut in half you create two 💁🏼‍♂️ First lesson in primary school 👍🏼

[@judithmartinenriquez491]

@@MachineryNation Primary school for me was 70 years ago. Guess that info didn't last!