Mini Cultivator

My biggest hang up on these battery operated tools is the battery use time and longevity of the battery. If they are not used much any battery will last a long time. If a battery operated tool quits running, 90% of the time your not going to fix it yourself. At least I am not a qualified electrician to work on them but can get a gas one back going again and have done so more than once. Old fashon people have old fashion ways.
 
I have an Earthquake brand from Menards. I bought it several years ago after the one I had made by MTD had to be trashed due to a NLA plastic gear. Only problem I've had with the Earthquake was rotted fuel line grommet coming out of the tank.
 
For the same cost as a carb kit I ordered new carbs for my Mantis and Echo weed eater a few yrs ago and they both still start easy and run fine. I believe the non ethanol gas is a big plus factor too.
 
TAHOE said:
I think I'm on borrowed time with the Craftsman, I hear the little gear box locks up, they get hot and they have no way to add fluid.
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Funny, I posted this, last summer my son was using the Craftsman and tines quit turning. We took it apart, the drive gear off the motor has no more teeth. Hated to junk it as it ran good, but new gear box is more than I'm going to spend. Still using the Mantis.
 
TAHOE said:
Funny, I posted this, last summer my son was using the Craftsman and tines quit turning. We took it apart, the drive gear off the motor has no more teeth. Hated to junk it as it ran good, but new gear box is more than I'm going to spend. Still using the Mantis.
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That’s why I bought a new one. A couple of YouTube videos showed the gear with no teeth and a lot of money to replace it. Like you I have a good running little engine and nothing to do with it.
 
Well one problem I just experienced with this new 4 cycle cultivator is don’t look for the colored gas filling up in the tank...it’s not there. Can you guess what I did. Another bad thing I was using my battery operated transfer pump which pumps fast. :eek:
 
Well guys the new Earthquake is dead. The engine won’t turn I’m sure it’s locked up. It did this once back in the Fall but after pulling harder on the rope it turned but seemed like it wanted to seize then eventually turned enough to start. It’s always been hard to start after running unlike the older version Husky. This thing has always smoked upon start up then eventually clears out. I’ve only run a half tank of gas out of it.

It’s got a five year warranty so I called the warranty company. The closest shop she said that acknowledged their warranty was almost 2 1/2 hours round trip...not happy! I called and talked to them and he said it wasn’t uncommon and it wasn’t worth repairing. He also said they were a cheap knock off of the Husky version and was junk. He told me to call them back and tell them what he said about it not being worth repairing.

I called the company back and was told basically they couldn’t do anything for me unless I physically got a written diagnostic from the shop. I expressed my anger that I was not traveling almost three hours and spending my time to be told the same thing he said on the phone. He then said I could take it to the shop of my choice and have it diagnosed and they would pay for it. So I found a little mom and pop shop15 minutes from home and explained my situation and he was so polite and said just bring it in and he’ll help me with the red tape. I’ll be taking it to him around 1:00 this afternoon.

Once I seen I wasn’t getting anywhere with the company I expressed myself a little more especially after he questioned my experience with small engines. These folks are turds in a cubicle with a script. I’ll do a follow up later.
 
Well I got to the shop really a nice place and several interesting projects of his. He pulled the plug and oil ran out and said that’s not good it’s junk. I called the company again went through all the hoops and hurdles to talk to a real person. She gave me the same story almost word for word. I said man I’m here now the mechanic is waiting to talk to you. She was surprised and then had to connect me with the claims department. Phone rang then a message telling me no one in the office today please leave a message. Now it’s a waiting game I guess. I might follow up and call them a call again. I don’t expect them to call the shop like I requested. He did assure me he’ll take care of it as soon as they call him.
 
I like the Mantis I have. I had a 2nd one I sold that one. gave the buyer a choice of either/or. He only took the one he did because it had a kickstand. I'd have been OK keeping either one. That Mantis is a good working machine. I think the one I still have is an older version. I have 2 sets of accessories... the wire tines and such up, in the attic.
 
The oil in the cylinder could be how it was stored. Reason I say this is because I was shipped an engine that was supposed to have no oil in it and during shipping, with "this side up" stickers on the box, it apparently was in the cylinder down position and had oil in it. I installed it and when I tried to crank w/ the starter it locked up. I removed the plug and hit the starter and it shot oil 8 ft across the shop floor. Once I got the gas rinsed out of the cylinder and got it started it blew a lot of blue smoke for awhile and has been fine ever since.
The hard starting after running could be the same problem I solved with the new engine I put on my chipper. It would start fine when cold but restarting after running was b!tch. I finally deduced that the spark plug worked fine while running but when it was stopped the plug would soak up heat from the head and short out. A new plug fixed that problem.
 
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I bought a Poulan Weeder they called them. Mini tiller what ever you choose. 32-1 2 cycle. Not for hard ground but sure works nice as a weeder. Put shileds on the sides to keep the dirt out of the lettuce and cabbage.
 
ol' stonebreaker said:
The oil in the cylinder could be how it was stored. Reason I say this is because I was shipped an engine that was supposed to have no oil in it and during shipping, with "this side up" stickers on the box, it apparently was in the cylinder down position and had oil in it. I installed it and when I tried to crank w/ the starter it locked up. I removed the plug and hit the starter and it shot oil 8 ft across the shop floor. Once I got the gas rinsed out of the cylinder and got it started it blew a lot of blue smoke for awhile and has been fine ever since.
The hard starting after running could be the same problem I solved with the new engine I put on my chipper. It would start fine when cold but restarting after running was b!tch. I finally deduced that the spark plug worked fine while running but when it was stopped the plug would soak up heat from the head and short out. A new plug fixed that problem.
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Yeah they are supposed to be stored in a leaning forward position. Some reviews claim they load up with oil while sitting in between use within an hour. Why would they design something like this. My older version that was branded a Husky ran well.
 
I called the company again actually talked to a very nice young lady that said she would follow up on it and give the shop a call. I’ll call the shop tomorrow to see what’s going on. One person on Friday mentioned a refund I can’t believe they would offer my money back on this. I paid $249.99 and the same place is listing them for $299.99 now.
 
dodge trucker said:
I like the Mantis I have. I had a 2nd one I sold that one. gave the buyer a choice of either/or. He only took the one he did because it had a kickstand. I'd have been OK keeping either one. That Mantis is a good working machine. I think the one I still have is an older version. I have 2 sets of accessories... the wire tines and such up, in the attic.
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I've had a mantis for quite a few yrs and the only complaint I have is if tilling ground with lots of small roots they tend to build up on the tines and it eventually just starts hopping up and down.
 
Good news but not without more aggravation this morning. I called the shop to see if the company had called him. He said yes and Sherry which is the only one I have talked to that speaks with her own words and not a script told him she would take care of it. I called the company and got the worse person yet to talk to. All I said was I have a claim that has been authorized and need to know what the status is. Here we go again the fifth time I have had to explain myself not to mention two times to him and he talks over top of me telling me their procedures for making a claim then tells me I need to be patient. I let him continue until he was done. I then told him first of all I’m very patient I’ve been dealing with you people for over a week and all I do is have to repeat myself. Second of all you either are not listening to what I am saying or you don’t understand anything I’m telling you. I’m ahead of you everything you have explained three times to me has already been done, I need for you to call Sherry to find out when this thing will be shipped. I need to track it because I want to be home the day it arrives or you will be sending me another one. He left and came back and said Sherry is having a new one shipped to the mower shop. I told him this mower shop has not received any compensation for their time and now your shipping it to him! He says we can’t take your word for it and need to send it to a shop. I had to bite my tongue and all I said was you make sure he will be paid as promised for his time. I thanked him and hung up. The shop called me later and said they are shipping me a new tiller to him today and he would call me when it arrived. Once I get this new one I’m going everywhere online where they sell this thing and I’m giving the worst review I have ever left. I’ll let you know when it arrives. I’m sorry for the rant and venting myself and thanks everyone for listening.
 
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