Mantis Tiller non runner – Stored for a year

With most rotovators and tillers, they are very often only used for a brief few days/weeks of the year, and then they are put away and stored. Then in a years time you think they should start first time.

My Mantis Tiller is no different to every body else’s. But when I come to use it again it would not start. Then I got it to start for a few brief seconds at tick over, then it cut out.

The last thing I did before I put it away was to do a service, with a bargain value  service kit, spark plug, air filter and petrol filter.

Fuel cap taken off, and a photo taken as to where all the pipes were running. As I also changed the fuel filter and pipes (which were brittle).

Looking more deeply into the fuel tank, showed something strange ?

Some form of sticky sludge. Never seen any thing like it before.

It did not smell, just very sticky sludge that had formed around the bottom of the fuel filter. There was no other sludge loose in the tank. Never did find what it was.

What I did find was the actual air filter foam, was disintegrating.

I never did find out what the sludge was, but I ended up buying an official Honda GX25 service kit. Then Hay Presto it started within just few pulls, and ran sweetly.

This does shows the problem, the plastic foam is just disintegrating. Probably this is due to the petrol fuel dissolving the plastic.

Moral of the story is BUYER BEWARE, you pay for what you get.