1) There may be some dirt or debris in your pawl catcher assembly causing it to stick.
Remove the 4 screws on the starter assembly and lift it off the tiller. Looking down on the tiller, on top of the flywheel, you will see a gold-colored dish with 2 black levers inside. The levers are called pawl catchers. Use a piece of 80-grit sandpaper and slide it under each pawl. Move the pawl back and forth 10-12 times. This will clean the debris out and smooth the pawls. Replace the starter assembly.
If, despite cleaning the rope, it still does not come back:
2) You have to change the rope and the rewind spring.
a) Unscrew the 4 black screws from the cap of the engine:
b) To remove the old rope, unscrew the screw holding the white drum:
c) Gently lift the white drums so that the spring does not come out:
d) Unroll the old rope from the white drum:
e) Put the new rope in the hole on the side of the white drum and tie a knot:
f) Pull the rope to put the knot back in the drum:
g) Fit the drum back so that the drum notch (see picture 6) is in the spring loop (pic 7) WITHOUT TAKING THE SPRING OUT:
h) Screw the white drum back:
i) Coil the rope around your right hand and hold the drum tightly between two fingers:
j) Turn the cover 8 times clockwise while holding the drum and the rope really tight:
k) Hold the white drum with your thumb and put the rope in the opening:
l) Hold the rope at its end so that it does not coil up completely and let go of the white drum.
Watch out: don’t let go of the rope!
m) Fix the handle by passing the rope inside:
n) Pass the retainer ring and tie a knot at the end of the rope.
Release the rope:
o) Insert the ring and the knot in the opening of the handle:
Your Mantis tiller is ready to dig again!