Anyone ever used the Stihl MM55 mini-tiller?

[Woodie]

AMEN to the original Garden Way built Troy Bilt equipment (we were a Troy Bilt dealer before they went bankrupt) MTD has RUINED the name, though a lot of people don't realize it. When they started painting cheap MTD crap red and then selling it for more just for the TB name that's when it all went to hell.

You're not kiddin' there. I remember when the Troybilt name meant something too. I was away from gardening for a while, came back to it, and started noticing Troybilt stuff at Home Despot. Couldn't believe it...not Home Despot!! Then I found out what happened...it wasn't Troybilt after all. Sad. And what's even worse is the blood-suckin-bastards at MTD canned all the parts for the real Troybilts.

 

[Cam501]

You're not kiddin' there. I remember when the Troybilt name meant something too. I was away from gardening for a while, came back to it, and started noticing Troybilt stuff at Home Despot. Couldn't believe it...not Home Despot!! Then I found out what happened...it wasn't Troybilt after all. Sad. And what's even worse is the blood-suckin-bastards at MTD canned all the parts for the real Troybilts.

yah no kidding. they told us to maintain access to any parts(those that were not discontinued by mtd) we had to pick up at least one if not two of their lines. what a joke, the only mtd line worth having is cub cadet. and someone else already has it in our area.

 

[SmokinDodge]

I guess there should be one more post from a "cheerleader" here

Just to be clear, roughly two to threee times longer than this one:

Your absolutely right, the four inch shaft on the Stihl is twice as long as the two inch on the Mantis.

Don't be another Stihl Chearleader, Mow. I'm a Jonsered fan, but I recognize when Jonsered makes a sub-professional product, and they sure do. Why is it so many people seem to derive their identity from the Stihl logo? "If it's Stihl, then it just absolutely HAS to be a great product."

Fact of the matter is, Stihl makes a lot of homeowner crap now. Fess up...you know I'm right. So does Husky, so does Jred, so does every other mfg out there. By Stihl's own admission, this is "occasional user" goods.

I bet, if we brought a mechanical engineer in here, he/she'd show you the basic flaws in the Stihl. Number one, and there's no getting around this, and you know I'm right, so dont' fight it...the engine's in the wrong place. On a cultivator, you want the engine DIRECTLY above the tines WHEN THE UNIT IS IN OPERATING POSITION. Any other position, by definition, is shifting weight away from where it belongs.

Secondly, you want the weight of the engine as close to the tines as possible, given a reasonable distance to keep the engine out of harm's way. You do that to give the cultivator better balance. Simple physics there, Mow. And you know I'm right.

Every other decidated cultivator on the market has just such an arrangement. Except the homeowner-grade Stihl. Why, you say? Oh, I gotcha there...because IT'S NOT A DEDICATED CULTIVATOR. This bears repeating, so I will: BECAUSE IT'S NOT A DEDICATED CULTIVATOR!!

Let's say I want a limbing saw. Now, I can get a 110 Kombi with a pole saw, right? Now that'll cut limbs. Sure will. Hell, it'll cut 'em a lot further off the ground than a regular chainsaw will. What? What's that you say? You say that's foolish because a pole saw wasn't meant to be a limbing saw? Well hell...I can just hold it in an awkward position, and it WILL cut through the limbs, right? Of course it will, and since it's a STIHL, well then it's the best tool in the shed!

Fact is, the analogy holds. The 55 is a homeowner-grade weed whacker converted to a cultivator. It's not the best tool for the job. If you want a cultivator, then buy one. Buy a dedicated cultivator. The 55 is the pole saw of cultivators.

p.s. I've owned my Mantis for several years now, use it twice a week seven months of the year to do things I shouldn't ask it to do. And no wires have ever come loose. Of course, they're not hanging loose to start with, so I can't say I know what you're talking about.

p.p.s. "I have to start it upright so it can walk away from me." Huh? I don't know if you've ever run a cultivator (sorry, a DEDICATED cultivator) before, but the tines don't engage until you get on the throttle and the clutch disengages. And you don't throttle the Mantis to get it started, so what in the Sam Hill Hell are you talking about here, Mow?

Who whizzed in your Wheaties this morning?

I'm not going to get in a contest with you here, the fella asked for people who have ran the MM55 and what they thought. Mow and I presented our opinions just as you did. Cool beans everybody's got a favorite. Best advice of the day, run both of em and let us know how it turns out.

 

[saxman]

I want to say a few words over the passing of a great company and a great product: the Troy bilt tiller. I am saddened over the fall of this once great name into the clutches of MTD. I purchased a used HORSE 7HP tiller in 1986 and traded it on a brand new 8HP HORSE with the Kohler engine in 1992. I still have it and keep it washed and waxed because it will have to last me the rest of my life since there are no alternatives out there that I know of. It is a shame that the once great Troy bilt name means nothing anymore.

 

[Woodie]

I guess there should be one more post from a "cheerleader" here

Your absolutely right, the four inch shaft on the Stihl is twice as long as the two inch on the Mantis.

Who whizzed in your Wheaties this morning?

I'm not going to get in a contest with you here...

I love it...here's a couple shots atcha, but "I don't want to get in a contest with you."

Okay, then here's a thought, Sparky: Don't.

 

[Eccentric]

yah no kidding. they told us to maintain access to any parts(those that were not discontinued by mtd) we had to pick up at least one if not two of their lines. what a joke, the only mtd line worth having is cub cadet. and someone else already has it in our area.

Too true.

BTW-The Cub Cadet line was MUCH better when IHC still had it! Of course, I'm a kook, and a fan of International Harvester Corporation!

 

[THALL10326]

Just to be clear, roughly two to threee times longer than this one:

Awwwwwwwww now lets not be fussing over the length of our shafts now,LOLOL

 

[04ultra]

Awwwwwwwww now lets not be fussing over the length of our shafts now,LOLOL

I think Woody likes being short shafted........:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:



.

 

[Woodie]

I think Woody likes being short shafted........:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

I gotta admit...that one was good...

 

[Woodie]

Too true.

BTW-The Cub Cadet line was MUCH better when IHC still had it! Of course, I'm a kook, and a fan of International Harvester Corporation!

I'm not sure being a fan of Harvester makes you a kook...as I recall the Scout was a damn fine vehicle!

 

[eyolf]

Kentuck'

Can you arrange a demo of each machine available in your area?
I think that would be the telling act.

I'm a Jonsered fan, but...
I went with the Stihl. The Jonsered dealer had Echo (but not in stock), Honda and Mantis, but steered me away from the Mantis without really sharing why. The Stihl shop has Mantis, Husky, and Stihl, and they also steered me away from Mantis, but there I gleaned that there had been some issues that Mantis didn't want to acknowledge or make right. That could certainly be a regional thing with a sales rep unwilling to work very hard on a line that is less profitable than others he handles. I don't know who handles Mantis here, or how their distribution system works...they might be factory-to dealer direct; don't they still sell from magazine ads, too?


What I got from that was if two dealers within 10 miles of each other were unhappy with the same line, I should look at other marques. I liked the Stihl better than the Honda...it just was more comfy to use, and my wife can start it first pull every time. That last was the biggest selling point, as it was imperative that she be able to use it without trouble.

As regards the wheel thingy, the Stihl hasn't been a problem for us to carry, but I can see where older folks with bad backs or arthritis or something would appreciate the wheels.

Since any of the models around will probably serve, it would best to try one...see which you like better. And then weight your decision by which dealer you like best.

 

[Trigger-Time]

I want to say a few words over the passing of a great company and a great product: the Troy bilt tiller. I am saddened over the fall of this once great name into the clutches of MTD. I purchased a used HORSE 7HP tiller in 1986 and traded it on a brand new 8HP HORSE with the Kohler engine in 1992. I still have it and keep it washed and waxed because it will have to last me the rest of my life since there are no alternatives out there that I know of. It is a shame that the once great Troy bilt name means nothing anymore.

I have a Troy Built, walked by them at the store two days ago
and noticed No name on the engine at all I guess it's
some kind off brand knock off engine

 

[Eccentric]

I'm not sure being a fan of Harvester makes you a kook...as I recall the Scout was a damn fine vehicle!

Thanks. I appreciate that. Whether my co-workers, friends, inlaws, parents, etc. agree with you is another thing altoghether! My wife about fell off her chair when I showed her a Craigslist listing of a Loadstar (M/D Truck suitable for haling lots firewood, parts, equipment, etc.) I was thinking about buying. That was too much even for her understanding nature!

The Scout was/is a damn fine vehicle. That's why I have four (two runners and two parts rigs). Then there's the '71 4X4 1210 Travelette (3/4 Ton four door pickup), plus all the parts that I've accumulated. Add in the old chainsaws, engines, and all my other unfinished projects...

Now the Kook thing becomes clear! :jester:

 

[Eccentric]

I have a Troy Built, walked by them at the store two days ago
and noticed No name on the engine at all I guess it's
some kind off brand knock off engine

It could be made by anyone. Since it doesn't have a name on it then I'd wager it's manufactured by Generac or Techumseh, as both of them have/will sell their engines to companies (such as Sears/Craftsman) that will rebrand them without requiring their own name stay on the engine somewhere. B/S, Robin, Subaru, and most others seem to require their name to remain on their engines. If you look at a Craftsman mower that's B/S powered you'll see at least a small B/S decal on it. I've been away from the power equipment industry for a while now though.

The Chinese make what looks like a knockoff of a Generac OHV engine. You'll see these engines on Harbor Freight and auto parts chain store generators and other power equipment. Hopefully MTD hasn't stooped that low. They haven't with their other lines...

 

[Uwharrie]

MTD, China's Zongshen Power may buy Zongshen General for 300 million Yuan
September 05: Shenzhen-based Zongshen Power Machinery, a motorcycle maker, may tie up with US-based MTD Products to buy Chongqing Zongshen General Power Machine, an engine-making affiliate, for almost 300 million Yuan. The deal could be finalized by the end of this year.

This was last year's news. No sure of the outcome but it was in the works. MTD currently has ties with China for production of transmissions (some models, 2000 series shaft drive cast iron rear end and cast iron rear end in 5000 series)) and parts.

 

[jhellwig]

The yard man(mtd junk now) they sell at walmart now have motors on them that are not briggs or tecumsa(sp?).

As far as any of those tiller being ment as homeowner products, I have never seen them marketed to anyone but homeowners. THEY ARE ALL GLORIFIED WEED WHACHERS WITH TINES ON THE FREAKING THINGS.

What was this thread about anyways?

 

[Just Mow]

Don't be another Stihl Chearleader, Mow. I'm a Jonsered fan, but I recognize when Jonsered makes a sub-professional product, and they sure do. Why is it so many people seem to derive their identity from the Stihl logo? "If it's Stihl, then it just absolutely HAS to be a great product."

Fact of the matter is, Stihl makes a lot of homeowner crap now. Fess up...you know I'm right. So does Husky, so does Jred, so does every other mfg out there. By Stihl's own admission, this is "occasional user" goods.

I bet, if we brought a mechanical engineer in here, he/she'd show you the basic flaws in the Stihl. Number one, and there's no getting around this, and you know I'm right, so dont' fight it...the engine's in the wrong place. On a cultivator, you want the engine DIRECTLY above the tines WHEN THE UNIT IS IN OPERATING POSITION. Any other position, by definition, is shifting weight away from where it belongs.

Secondly, you want the weight of the engine as close to the tines as possible, given a reasonable distance to keep the engine out of harm's way. You do that to give the cultivator better balance. Simple physics there, Mow. And you know I'm right.

Every other decidated cultivator on the market has just such an arrangement. Except the homeowner-grade Stihl. Why, you say? Oh, I gotcha there...because IT'S NOT A DEDICATED CULTIVATOR. This bears repeating, so I will: BECAUSE IT'S NOT A DEDICATED CULTIVATOR!!

Let's say I want a limbing saw. Now, I can get a 110 Kombi with a pole saw, right? Now that'll cut limbs. Sure will. Hell, it'll cut 'em a lot further off the ground than a regular chainsaw will. What? What's that you say? You say that's foolish because a pole saw wasn't meant to be a limbing saw? Well hell...I can just hold it in an awkward position, and it WILL cut through the limbs, right? Of course it will, and since it's a STIHL, well then it's the best tool in the shed!

Fact is, the analogy holds. The 55 is a homeowner-grade weed whacker converted to a cultivator. It's not the best tool for the job. If you want a cultivator, then buy one. Buy a dedicated cultivator. The 55 is the pole saw of cultivators.

p.s. I've owned my Mantis for several years now, use it twice a week seven months of the year to do things I shouldn't ask it to do. And no wires have ever come loose. Of course, they're not hanging loose to start with, so I can't say I know what you're talking about.

p.p.s. "I have to start it upright so it can walk away from me." Huh? I don't know if you've ever run a cultivator (sorry, a DEDICATED cultivator) before, but the tines don't engage until you get on the throttle and the clutch disengages. And you don't throttle the Mantis to get it started, so what in the Sam Hill Hell are you talking about here, Mow?

It has nothing to do with being a Stihl junkie and brand loyalty. I have run the Mantis, the Echo unit and the Honda unit alongside the MM55 and for a mini cultivator it performed so much better than the others. Who cares where the engine is mounted as long as it does the job. And apparently you have never talked to a landscaper who owns one of these units which they bought to replace the Mantis and they will buy again if need be. Grow up and get off your Stihl bashing and just answer the mans question. Apparently you do not own one ,therefore you do not qualify. :censored:

 

[Woodie]

It has nothing to do with being a Stihl junkie and brand loyalty. I have run the Mantis, the Echo unit and the Honda unit alongside the MM55 and for a mini cultivator it performed so much better than the others. Who cares where the engine is mounted as long as it does the job. And apparently you have never talked to a landscaper who owns one of these units which they bought to replace the Mantis and they will buy again if need be. Grow up and get off your Stihl bashing and just answer the mans question. Apparently you do not own one ,therefore you do not qualify.

Mow, your signature, your avatar, and everything about you tells us everything we need to know about brand loyalty. If it ain't Stihl, it ain't anything, huh Mow? :hmm3grin2orange:

And what part of my post where I said I was seriously considering buying a 110 Kombi did you miss? Stihl bashing? I don't think so. I may end up owning one very shortly. The fact of the matter is I think Stihl makes some excellent equipment. I'm just mature enough to know that there are other manufacturers out there, and every single product Stihl makes is not "best in class."

I've run the Stihl, the Honda, and the Mantis, but not the echo. The Honda won't cut it in clay, and the Mantis had it all over the Stihl.

If someone else thinks another manufacturer's product happens to be better than Stihl's offering, and says as much, it doesn't make you less of a man, Mow. Relax.

 

[Just Mow]

Mow, your signature, your avatar, and everything about you tells us everything we need to know about brand loyalty. If it ain't Stihl, it ain't anything, huh Mow? :hmm3grin2orange:

And what part of my post where I said I was seriously considering buying a 110 Kombi did you miss? Stihl bashing? I don't think so. I may end up owning one very shortly. The fact of the matter is I think Stihl makes some excellent equipment. I'm just mature enough to know that there are other manufacturers out there, and every single product Stihl makes is not "best in class."

I've run the Stihl, the Honda, and the Mantis, but not the echo. The Honda won't cut it in clay, and the Mantis had it all over the Stihl.

If someone else thinks another manufacturer's product happens to be better than Stihl's offering, and says as much, it doesn't make you less of a man, Mow. Relax.

If you are looking at the KM110 check out the KM90 before you buy. Not much difference in power but you will save some money which you can use towards an attachment.


PS. The MM55 Stihl kicks the Mantis's a$$

 

[ky-homelite]

I'm leaning toward the MM55. I stopped in at the Stihl shop today and talked with a fellar that works there. They also sell the Mantis and the Echo unit. He also told me to steer clear of the Mantis. So I'm thinking along the lines of Eyolf, something must be up with the product but he didn't drop any reasons why I should steer clear of it. The shop didn't have any Echo units in stock (again, I'm not a fan of Echo equipment anyways) but did have a MM55 that I actually put my hands on. I like it, I don't know what else to say. I understand that it's considered an occasional use piece of equipment, but come on...aside from professional landscapers, who will use a machine like this day in and day out? If you're worried about the weight of the engine being exactly over the tines so you get a little deeper dig in the ground with a machine this small, then you need a bigger tiller to begin with. I'm just looking for a decent alternative to my folks having to hoe up weeds between the rows and use the Troybily anymore than necessary, and I believe I've found that in the MM55. Thanks again everyone for your opinions and insight.