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Small rotivator

Hi all. Im looking for the smallest rotivator around. Suitable for domestic borders just. Im using a Parker combi unit at the moment which doesnt have a rotivator attachment available sadly. So, i need to shell out for a dedicated rotivator. any suggestions advice welcome

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  • I've got no experience of them but look up mantis tiller / cultivator, probably quite a few on ebay. 

    Out of interest why rotivating borders? 

  • PRO

    One of my customers had a Mantis, great little machine. It's the 4 stroke model, I haven't tried a 2 stroke one.

  • i find im using hoe. then picking out veg material by hand. then rake level. Time consuming.

    I hope to save time. Shred all veg material and plough it all into the ground

  • The mantis is great for ground that has already been dug. Solid or dry ground and it will struggle.

  • PRO

    I use a mantis 2 stroke, it will do compact ground but will take a lot more work and a few more passes, you will still need to rake level as when using a matis you pull it backwards and it ridges the soil as you do this.

  • A rotovator won’t hide the green stuff, it’s not a plough. The smallest machines are normally tillers, which are different to rotovators - they’ll break large clumps of soil down to a finer tilth, but the ground will need to be cultivated first with a fork or rotovator.

    If your trying to get rid of annual weeds, then a push-pull hoe followed by a rake or blow would normally do the job. For deeper -rooted perennials you’ll need to dig them out, no machine will do that for you.

     

  • The mantis is a great little machine very light too, as said, it won't as such hide the green stuff as say digging the bed over would. However the mantis has two ways the blade can turn so you ll get a digging mode and a weeding mode so the weeding mode will just take the weeds off the surface which can then be raked up them switch to digging mode to break the surface. Sounds a little less efficient than manual digging but it's pretty fast and a lot easier  

  • PRO

    In my experience you need to thoroughly dig out every weed root before you go near using a rotivator, unless you are using a total weed killer...The rotivator will propagate all those roots for you, by chopping them.up into a zillion cuttings!!!.

    If you go the weed kill route you will need quite a powerful rotivator to break the soil.

     

     

  • PRO

    I have a Mantis and have used it for various tasks over the past year. Great machine - would thoroughly recommend it. Really small and light but tough as nails.

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