I bought this thing a couple months ago to dig up parts of my half acre yard to make landscaping beds. I am tickled to death with it! At first, it didn't seem to do much with the hard clay that is my yard. But, I discovered that if you wet the ground thoroughly first and then use the 'vacuum cleaner' method the manufacturer recommends, it digs like a demon. I used to break my back digging with a shovel and pitchfork. I just got finished digging up a 20' x 20' four inch deep bed in about 15 minutes. My arms are shaking a bit from the effort, but nothing like if I had used a shovel. So far, it has finished so many jobs that it seems like I don't use it much because it does the work so quick. Of course, I would dread having to till a big garden with it because it is small. But, the small size makes it perfect for landscaping tight places. I highly recommend the mantis for landscaping your yard.