OPERATOR / PARTS MANUAL CLASSIC 4-CYCLE TILLER 7262 IMPORTANT! Assembly Instructions Start on Page 6! Please review the Warnings & Safety Information on pages 3-5 and the Assembly Instructions before unpacking the box.
Welcome to the World of Mantis Gardening Here’s your new MANTIS Classic 4-Cycle Tiller . . . the lightweight wonder that’s Changing the Way Americans Garden.® Unlike big tillers, your MANTIS Tiller weighs only 24 pounds. So it lifts easily, handles smoothly, tills and weeds precisely. And, unlike other small tillers, it features serpentine tines that churn soil to ten inches deep. It creates a soft, smooth seed bed, even in problem soil.
Safety Rules & Warnings You will notice Safety Rules and Important Notes throughout this Operator/Parts Manual. Make sure you understand and obey these warnings for your own protection. I. Special Safety Information ! WARNING • DANGER ! ATTENTION: THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT OUR IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, ! HEED IT’S WARNING!! STAY ALERT!! ! WARNING • DANGER ! TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS, COMPLY WITH THE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL.
III. Safety Decal Information An important part of the safety system incorporated in this tiller are the warning and information decals found on various parts of the tiller. These decals must be replaced in time due to abrasion, etc. It is your responsibility to replace these decals when they become hard to read. The location and part numbers (P/N) of these decals are illustrated below. P/N 400620 CUTTING HAZARD; KEEP FEET AND HANDS AWAY FROM ROTATING TINES. DO NOT CARRY THE TILLER IN THIS POSITION.
Don’t run with the machine, walk. Don’t work on excessively steep slopes. Don’t attempt to clear tines while they are moving. Never try to remove jammed material before switching the engine off and making sure the tines have stopped completely. V. Warnings - Don'ts Don’t use tiller with one hand. Keep both hands on handles with fingers and thumbs encircling the handles, while tines are moving, and engine is running. Don’t overreach. Keep a good footing at all times.
Assembly ! WARNING•DANGER ! 20,21,55 IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THIS TILLER CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY. MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT OUR FACTORY AT 1-800-366-6268 OR AN AUTHORIZED MANTIS DEALER 40 39 1 2 8 53 Your MANTIS Tiller comes partially assembled. You must install only the handlebars, the carrying handle, and the tines. This will take just a few minutes if you follow the directions. First, take all items out of the carton.
Assembly (continued) HOW TO ASSEMBLE LOWER HANDLES To identify part numbers, see pages 6 and 19. 1. Use the protective cardboard sleeve to stabilize your tiller. Stand the engine assembly (#21) up. (Picture 1) 2. Lay the handle parts within easy reach. You’ll need one of the handle clamps (#51) and one of the lower handles (#6). Note that the lower handles have a short leg on one end. 3. Fit the handle clamp along the outside of the short leg. Line up the holes on the clamp and the leg. 4.
Assembly (continued) How to Assemble Upper Handles and Carrying Handle 1. Lightly squeeze the lower handles (#6) toward one another so that they line up with the two smaller holes on the carrying handle (#42). Then slide the carrying handle over and down the lower handles. It will rest about four to six inches above the fender. (Picture 1) 2. Gently pull the lower handles out to their original position. 3.
Assembly (continued) Assembling the Tines for Tilling 4. To secure each tine to the axle, insert a tine retaining pin. 1. Remove the cardboard from around your Tiller’s base. 2. Slide the tines onto the axle shafts. The “D” hole goes on the outside. (Picture 1) IMPORTANT NOTE: 3. Make sure you’ve installed the tines properly for tilling. Liken the tines to your fingers. When your palm faces the ground, your fingers curl down. Stand behind the Tiller and hold your hand next to the tines.
Assembly (continued) Oil Overfill Warning Do not overfill! Adding too much or too little oil may cause damage to the engine and void the warranty. Overfilling may cause: 1. Hard starting or a locked piston caused by excess oil in the combustion chamber. 2. Poor engine performance and loss of power 3. Excessive smoke coming from the muffler and around the engine while running. 4. Oil leaking form the carburetor/aircleaner. 5. Oil leaking from the muffler.
Starting ! TO START YOUR TILLER FOR THE FIRST TIME: First, fill the fuel tank with the proper amount of gasoline (Use branded 89 octane (R+M+2) unleaded gasoline or gasohol— maximum 10% ethyl alcohol, or 15% MTBE, no methyl alcohol.) down to the run position—the engine will continue to run. (Picture 5) Warm Engine 1. Push ignition switch to I “start/on” position. WARNING ! AVOID ACCIDENTAL BLADE ENGAGEMENT DO NOT SQUEEZE THE THROTTLE TRIGGER WHEN STARTING.
Additional Information ! WARNING • DANGER ! IF ENGINE DOES NOT STOP WHEN SWITCH IS PUT IN THE STOP POSITION, RELEASE THE THROTTLE, ALLOW ENGINE TO IDLE. PUT THE TILLER DOWN, AND SLIDE THE CHOKE LEVER FORWARD TO THE COLD START (CLOSED) POSITION. CHECK AND RETURN IGNITION SWITCH TO ON POSITION BEFORE STARTING ENGINE AGAIN. A Special Feature (with the How to get your tiller to your garden idle set properly and the Walk it.
Tilling Picture 1 Now You’re Ready to Use Your MANTIS Tiller. You Can Even Control Depth. If you’ve seen other tillers, your MANTIS Tiller may surprise you. It tills best when you pull it backward! You see, when you pull your MANTIS Tiller backward, you give extra resistance to the tines, so they dig deeper. (Picture 1) What’s more when you go backward, you erase your footprints. So your soil stays light and fluffy.
Tilling How about a familysize vegetable garden? Nowadays many gardeners prefer small gardens — especially in the suburbs, where space is at a premium. But, if you’re fortunate enough to own a large lot, you can create a bigger garden — a half acre or more. Although your MANTIS Tiller could handle the job, the project could be completed faster if you were to hire someone with a tractor or larger tiller to break the ground for you. This is a onetime-only investment that’s well worth the small cost.
Cultivating Now You’re Ready to Cultivate or Weed. Tilling Position Tine teeth point in the same direction as the rotation of the tine; or toward the front of the Tiller, away from the operator. Guide your Tiller where you want to weed and start it up. Pull your Tiller backward slowly, then let it move forward a bit, in a gentle rocking motion. Watch it slice, shred, and bury those weeds! Got tough weeds? Lighten your pressure on the throttle to slow your Tiller down.
Maintenance How to Check the Grease Level Inside the Worm Gear Housing When we built your MANTIS Tiller, we lubricated the worm gear housing thoroughly. It is imperative that you inspect the grease level once a year. Simply remove the cover plate on the worm gear housing. (Picture 1) Then check to make sure the grease comes almost to the top of the housing. If it doesn’t, add lithium #0 grease (Item M9985.) This is the only way to add grease to the worm gear housing.
Storage ! WARNING • DANGER ! DO NOT STORE IN AN AREA WHERE FUEL FUMES MAY ACCUMULATE AND REACH A FLAME OR SPARK. Each fall, or before you store your MANTIS Tiller for any long period, be sure to take these measures: 1. Do not store your Tiller with fuel still in it. Even under ideal conditions, stored fuel containing ethanol or MTBE can start to go stale in 30 days. And, since stale fuel has a high gum content, it can clog the carburetor, this, in turn, will restrict fuel flow.
Using the Border Edger Attachment Your MANTIS Tiller has been designed and built to accept a wide range of MANTIS Tiller Attachments to increase its usefulness in your lawn and garden. And, all MANTIS Tiller Attachments have been designed for quick and easy attachment to the Tiller or Engine. The Border Edger (Item #3222) The most popular attachment, the Border Edger can be used to cut clean, neat edges along walkways, or around trees, shrubs, and garden beds.
Tiller Parts Assembly Contact us at www.mantis.
Engine Parts Assembly KEY # QTY 1 1 400257 2 6 1 2 400255 400224 7 8 12 1 1 1 400620 148 910502 13 20 21 2 1 1 478 465 400911 22* 23 1 1 468 466 24 25 26 1 1 4 436 437A 651 27 28 29 1 2 1 423 425 424 30 31 32 33 1 1 1 1 422 426 428 429 20 MATERIAL KEY # QTY TRIGGER HANDLE ASSM. RH HANDLE ASSM. LH LOWER HANDLE FOLD DOWN LABEL HANDLE BRACE 10-32 X 3/4 FLANGED BOLT THROTTLE CLIP FENDER GUARD ENGINE ASSY - 25CC 4 STROKE DRIVE SHAFT WORM GEAR HOUSING GASKET HOUSING COVER RD. HD.
MANTIS TILLER LIMITED WARRANTY MANTIS extends this limited warranty against defects in material and workmanship for a period of five (5) years for normal residential purposes and two (2) years for commercial use from the date of purchase, to the first retail purchaser and each subsequent owner, during the warranty period. This warranty covers all portions of the MANTIS TILLER.
