mini tiller info?

[rockriver]

folks,
we are building up a pretty good pile of info on this site.
i'm looking for a mini tiller...
the first thing i did is do a search, and there are 2 good threads on tillers.
but they are primarily for the bigger model - rear tine units.

i need one of the little mantis sized tillers.
what experience have you had?
what brands to get and which ones to avoid like the plague?

features to look for?
on a couple that i have seen the tines look like cheap sheet metal...
thanks.
rr

[SeldomSeenSlim]

My sister has a Mantis. She lives in the suburbs with a tiny little yard that's a few hundred square feet. I helped my brother in law convert the yard from desert hardpan to grass and some garden beds. I should have brought my tiller, but he said they had one. The little tiller was no match for desert hardpan. They work on velocity and have almost no torque. Without breaking up the ground first it just skipped on the top. So I ran the tiller and he ran the mattock in front of me.

I was honestly a little bit impressed with the machine. Once the ground was broken it worked to break up the chunks of clay. Some would get stuck and rocks were an issue, but it worked a lot better than I expected. It took multiple passes almost like running a vacuum cleaner. It ran the entire time, fired up on the first or second pull and didn't break. I totally expected to break the tines. They finished the job and were no worse for wear than when we started.

For maintaining a small garden or flower beds I could see one doing well. For breaking new ground it'd be best to rent or borrow a bigger machine. Unless you have a young former Marine and a mattock handy. :)