Easing Outdoor Chores

By Oscar H. Will Iii
Published on May 1, 2007
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Deere and Co.'s new XUV 850 Diesel offers sufficient payload capacity to qualify as a heavy hauler and enough ground clearance to deliver the load right where you need it.
Deere and Co.'s new XUV 850 Diesel offers sufficient payload capacity to qualify as a heavy hauler and enough ground clearance to deliver the load right where you need it.
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DR's electric-over-hydraulic log splitters don't require monumental efforts to move, but they easily create mountains of winter-warming fuel.
DR's electric-over-hydraulic log splitters don't require monumental efforts to move, but they easily create mountains of winter-warming fuel.
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Small in size but huge in heart, the Mantis is a real workhorse that doubles as a cultivating tool and primary tiller.
Small in size but huge in heart, the Mantis is a real workhorse that doubles as a cultivating tool and primary tiller.
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Rank grass makes an easy bite for DR's signature Field and Brush Mower, which was designed to shred saplings up to 2.5 inches diameter (depending on model).
Rank grass makes an easy bite for DR's signature Field and Brush Mower, which was designed to shred saplings up to 2.5 inches diameter (depending on model).
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Although removing leaves from the forest floor isn't what DR's self-propelled leaf and lawn vacuum was designed for, it was part of the product's extensive pre-marketing test program.
Although removing leaves from the forest floor isn't what DR's self-propelled leaf and lawn vacuum was designed for, it was part of the product's extensive pre-marketing test program.
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DR's six-horsepower push-type leaf and lawn vacuum makes short work of yard cleanup when the terrain is relatively flat.
DR's six-horsepower push-type leaf and lawn vacuum makes short work of yard cleanup when the terrain is relatively flat.

One of the best parts about writing this column is that I have the opportunity to look at interesting new power products for the first time, or venerable old performers in a new light. Sometimes that means I travel to the manufacturer to run machines through their paces, and other times it means that I get to do it at the farm.

Occasionally, I succumb to catchy marketing pieces myself and just buy the stuff to use, which is what I did more than 15 years ago in response to a Mantis advertisement. I had grown tired of getting horsed around by our large (and very capable) self-propelled rotary tiller and, although it seemed a little expensive for its size back then, the Mantis tiller has been a great performer – first for me, and now for a good friend to whom I loaned it about eight years ago.

I don’t think the folks at Mantis meant for their tiny tiller to pulverize three pickup truck loads of hard-pack sheep manure and mix it into the soil of a 1,000-square-foot garden, but that’s exactly what it did within hours of arriving in the mail one brisk October day.

I do know that Mantis expects its machines to provide good service over a lifetime of use, and my old tiller is well on its way to delivering just that. Not surprising, the Mantis tiller (in an updated form) is still available today (about $350 list) and better yet, it is accompanied with several other machines, like the 5-ton electric-over-hydraulic SwiftSplit®log splitter (about $530 list) and the innovative E-System landscaping tools.

Best of all, you can try any Mantis product for a year and return it for a no-hassle refund if you aren’t satisfied. Check them out on the Web (www.Mantis.com) or give Mantis a call at (800) 366-6268 for more information.

Splitting logs and more

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