Return to the Tool Shed Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
Posted by mitchb2 (My Page) on Thu, May 17, 07 at 14:22
| I've had a Mantis tiller since Spring of 2005. It's got a total use of about 3 hours.
This year, it won't run at all. I've taken good care of it, emptied the gas in the fall. Replaced the fuel filter, cleaned the air filter, made a fresh batch of fuel with the proper ratio.
It will idle, but as soon as I give it the throttle, it dies.
So let's see, $100 per hour of use. I could have paid someone to do it.
It's May 17th, and I've got nothing in the ground. Thanks, Mantis. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Try changing the spark plug in case you may have fouled it. If you are getting air, compression and fuel the only other thing I can think of is spark. By empty the gas in the fall I assume you run the engine until it runs out of gas. I've had my Troy-bilt mini tiller for 4 years now and it still starts every time using the original spark plug. It has the 2 stroke Tecumsah engine. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| I would also play around with the choke settings and see if you can get the engine to rev at partial choke for instance. If it's like the Echo engine on my string trimmer that has the adjustable choke. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Paid domeone to do the work, you're right. Question is if you weren't going to use it, why did you buy it? Draining the fuel tank does not get the fuel out of the carb. No more hours on it then you have that fuel has had plenty of time to varnish up the innards of the carb. In addition, once fuel has hit the diaphragms the clock is ticking. Unless the carb is taken apart and physically dried out, those diaphragms being exposed to modern fuel go bad in acouple of years. They get stiff. Echo even advises to go through the carb and replace the diaphragms once per year to properly maintain an emission era carb in proper running condition. Folks you aren't going to use equipment shouldn't buy it and for sure shouldn't complain when their lack of maintaining and following procedure outlined in the owners manual causes them greif. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
I agree w/ Nev Walrus. I warm up the engine on whatever OPE it is. Then drain the tank and start it up and run wot til it dies. Haven't had any trouble w/ 2 or 4 cycles for years doing it this way.
JM2C,
Mike |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| mitchb2, Man...you are so right. Mantis tillers are nothing but junk. Because I am such a philanthropist, I am going to help you out. I will give you fifty bucks for that old, used unit and pay for the shipping to boot if you wish to package it up and send it to me. Just email me and we will work out the details. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
Mitch, I'll do you even better than Castoff; Send the Mantis to me, you pay the freight. That way you won't hafta handle those filthy $. It sounds like my Mantis and yours would make a pair. Mine won't idle.
BTW, I bet those handles on these things would give you lots of leverage to see just how far you can throw one. AND you could also see how high they'll bounce, too.
You have my sympathy. Don't let the experts above get to ya, either. Some of us just have a longer learning curve than others.
Good luck to you.
Don |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
- Posted by canguy British Columbia (My Page) on
Thu, May 17, 07 at 23:05
| Now kids, don't go fightin' over his POS. LOL |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
Canguy, butt out! Why don'tcha go somewhere? Maybe Canada? LOL2
Don |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| mitchb2 Pay no attention to those swooping vultures. did you run the mantis dry until it runs out of gas at the end of the season, like I asked originally? I kind of assumed you did that. But if you didn't -- that is probably where your problem lies. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Your little engine is running to lean,the main jet is plugged by old fuel,being a small engine (very small) the passages in the carb are very samll ,so it does not take much to plug them up.....the carb needs service or replacement ,whichever one is cheapest !see ya Jim |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Well, I would just prime it with carb cleaner. Probably not sucking up the fuel through the carb. due to carb. and tank being empty in storage, nothing wron with that you just got to have alittle basic knowledge. Again to get any engine running after prolong storage you have to have basic engine starting knowledge. Old post but these same old problems creap up every week. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| If you want to avoid gas engine maintenance problems, you can always get the Electric Mantis. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| If I put the equipment in storage, I empty the gas tank, invert the prime bulb and prime it empty as much as possible. Then I re-empty the tank( few drops from the prime bulb). Close the choke then pull start the engine, even if it don't start, the suction will pull most of the wet fuel out of the carb.....Then hope for the best!!!! I have the Mantis, love it. I have the Honda engine, but the Echo engine is a tried and true engine, my hedge trimmer use the engine and I love it. I'll put in my third bet on the 3 hours old Mantis just to keep it for parts!!! I'll beat the other two!!! Sorry guys!! |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| I've had a mantis for probably 8years now and it's been nothing but a workhorse. I beat the heck out of the thing and it keeps going. I never emptied the gas or cleaned the carb from day one. I've found keeping the air filter clean is a must and decent spark plug. Other than that the thing has started and worked everytime I needed it. Even after it has sat for 4 months during the winter in a shed with gas in it. Good little machine for me. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| I found the Mantis is best when doing dethatching. That is the main reason I bought it. All the other applications are just bonus for me. The lawn looked so nice after dethatching, not like the big machines that really beat up the lawn. If you have the Mantis already and you have a lawn, get the dethatcher. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
This is my 5th year with my Mantis. I love it,I am sorry you don't.
I am going to dethatch this year but am not sure how to use the attachment.
Any suggestions by anyone who owns that attachment? |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Goto mantis.com and watch the video's. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| yungman, since you are responding to a thread started two years ago, you're more than a little late in bidding for this Mantis. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| I kind of know that!! But it is a good little tiller. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
Rosewood513
Very simple, attach like the regular tine. Buy it and it comes natural to you!!! Only extra step is to slide the shield on which is very simple. You will love the dethatcher tines. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
I love my mantis tiller; I've had it for over ten years. I also own the dethatcher attachment. Works great; I have a small lawn and there is no need to rent a big machine.
By the way, there are even more attachments for the Mantis. Did you see all of them in their virtual backyard? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Mantis Tiller Virtual Backyard
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| I love my Mantis. In fact, I bought it for $50 from someone who said it was a POS because he couldn't get it to start. One of the best small engine purchases I ever made. --Jonathan |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Why don't I ever get that lucky!!? |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Love ours too...or LOVED it. Now won't start without the help of starting fluid and about three quarters choke. Then it dies after ten or so seconds, which I'm assuming is when the starting fluid is used up. And, there is a gas leakage across the top of the gas tank...can't figure out where it's coming from Really can't find a crack in the tank, yet it seems obvious it is a fuel problem. Before I go ordering all new parts does anyone have an idea? Thanks. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Check your fuel lines and your carb. Both are fairly inexpensive to correct. New fuel line should be cheap as well as a carb kit. Carbs can go bad too, but they are also not too bad in price. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Just went through fuel line replacement on my Echo SRM 2610. The dealer said that fuel line replacement has now become regular maintenance because of the crappy ethanol fuel that our government has conspired to force us to use. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Thanks. In looking more closely at my Mantis I discovered that the primer bulb is split open. I hadn't noticed before. Anyone know what the effect of this would be, other than the obvious, i.e., not being able to prime it. Once started, would that keep it from running? Thanks. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Yes a split primer or purge valve will keep the machine from running just as a hole in the fuel line will. It will suck air instead of fuel. Cheap and easy fix though and you are on your way. |
RE: Disgusted with my Mantis tiller
| | |
| Hey, thanks capturbo. The thing has a "Y" shaped split in it, goes completely through it. Probably from my wife's fingernails. Thanks a lot. |
Post a Follow-Up
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Tool Shed Forum
|
|
|
