If you’re anything like us, you can’t wait for the first day of the new gardening season. We want to be sure your Mantis tiller will be ready when you are. A few minutes of maintenance now can prevent hours of frustration later. This little checklist will get your started!
Check Your Tines
If your Mantis Tiller tines were dirty or wet when you last used your tiller, you may need to clean and lubricate them. If you can easily remove the tines from the transmission axle, you’re in good shape. If not, clear any dirt or tangled vegetation, and spray the tine axle with a light, lubricating oil, like WD-40 or Liquid Wrench. This will loosen and dissolve any rust so that you can easily remove the tines. Once off and cleaned up, examine the tines for signs of wear or broken teeth. If you need to replace the tines, now is the perfect time order a new set. Click here to order direct from Mantis now.
Start Your Engine!
Just like the beginning of the Indianapolis 500, the start of the gardening season can be very excitingif you can start your engine. If you ran your tiller dry at the end of last season, you should be ready to go this season. If not, now is a good time to be sure that your gas tiller will start when you’re ready to go. Properly remove any old fuel mix from the tank, and add some fresh fuel mix. Go through the normal starting procedure. When your engine starts, you know you’ll be ready for the first day of the season. If you have more than six weeks before you’ll be running your tiller again, empty the tank and run the engine dry. Read about the importance of draining fuel and how ethanol in gas can damage your tiller engine.
Check Your Air Filter
A few weeks before the beginning of the season is a great time to replace a dirty air filter. This is one preventative measure that is quick, easy, and inexpensiveand, it will pay big dividends later.
Check all Connections
Make sure that all of the handle and fender connections are nice and tight. Simply use a box wrench or crescent wrench to be sure that the nuts and bolts are secure.
Check Your Spare Parts Inventory
If you have a 2-cycle tiller, be sure that you have some Mantis 2-cycle oil on hand to make your first batch of fuel mix for next season. You should also have a couple of spare air filters, and you might want to have some extra tine retaining pins. (The Mantis Handy Item Kit has all of these items in one package.)
