Any rotovator recommendations?

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Any rotovator recommendations?
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Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 07 9:08 pm Post subject: Any rotovator recommendations?
We're wanting to invest in a small rotovator which needs to be able to be used in raised beds as well as large ordinary veg beds. Anyone got any thoughts or recommendations?

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 07 9:14 pm Post subject:
Get the 2 stroke Mantis. Buy the "plough" attachment as well. Howard bought himself a Mantis for his birthday in September, and it's saved us so much time and pain. It's light enough for me to handle when I'm allowed to, and it seems to drag out couch grass roots rather than chop them up. Just wish there was a diesel version we could run off veg oil.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 07 9:16 pm Post subject:

LynneA wrote:

Get the 2 stroke Mantis. Buy the "plough" attachment as well.

Howard bought himself a Mantis for his birthday in September, and it's saved us so much time and pain. It's light enough for me to handle when I'm allowed to, and it seems to drag out couch grass roots rather than chop them up.

Just wish there was a diesel version we could run off veg oil.

Is that the one which is always advertised in the back of Kitchen Garden et al, with the woman using it (presumably to prove a point)? I wondered whether that was any good...

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 07 9:23 pm Post subject:

It is as good as they make out. We've hired larger models, but the problem with them is a) the larger the model, the harder to control and b) rotovating the whole plot is the best raindance invented.

The last occasion we hired a rotovator, the pallet ramp Howard was using the load it back into the van shifted under the weight. This led to his scalp having an argument with the van door. This was at 6 in the morning an nobody was around to help. So he drove back, even though his vision was impared by the blood running down his face.

He got home, staggered down the path looking like an extra from Full Metal Jacket. I tidied him up, called a cab, and we spent the rest of Easter Saturday morning in A&E.

I can lift the Mantis up one handed.

Seriously - �300 well spent.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 9:30 am Post subject:
I suppose a small pig is out of the question?

pookie

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 4984
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 9:39 am Post subject:
ditto the above, well apart from the pig suggestion as I haven't had any of them (yet!) the mantis is on offer at the mo if you check on their website https://www.mantis-uk.co.uk/

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 10:00 am Post subject:

We have found that a small one like the mantis we have for raised beds isn't robust enough for digging a bigger plot-----in fact we have bought what they term a two wheel tractor for our place in wales with various attatchments---which will be great for rotavating when the grounds been initially turned over----but in spite of assuring us it would cope by reversing the rotovator tines on virgin soil---it wasn't ideal and we are now debating between the three types of plough attatchment for it.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45712
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 10:13 am Post subject:
I'm looking at a 2 wheeled tractor too, failing that I might go for this: https://www.amsmachinery.co.uk/shop_tillers__650_rrt_with_tines-20.aspx Very cheap for what it is.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 11:14 am Post subject:
Our allotment has two types - a mantis for the raised bed/half plot folk and a bigger beast on wheels for the full plot open prarie geezers. The mantis got a good write up in KG a while bac, though they are a regular advertiser.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 11:16 am Post subject:

We were lucky we got one second hand from tooby and williams a goldoni uno that had been used about 4 hrs by someone who'd bought all the kit then realised the goodlife wasn't them and gone back to england---so besides rotovator we got flail mower a huge chipper/shredder attatchment---brilliant for compost and even a ride on flat cart thingy attatchment ideal for moving stuff about---the flail mower ate brambles we'd spent hours hacking by hand

Last edited by lottie on Tue Apr 03, 07 11:20 am; edited 1 time in total

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45712
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 11:19 am Post subject:
What make is yours Lottie?

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 11:25 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

What make is yours Lottie?

just edited my reply cos realised I'd not put make----it is a goldoni uno I think----sorry bit girly on machine names--- and it's in an outhouse in wales at the mo'---all I know is we are both really pleased with it and even I who am totally unmechanical can use it easily

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45712
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 11:28 am Post subject:
The Goldoni distributors in Essex so might nip up there one day

Blacksmith

Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 5025
Location: Berkshire

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 1:55 pm Post subject:
Merry tiller

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 07 1:59 pm Post subject:
we've got this Honda F220 and are very pleased with it.

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