Clearingthe Tines, Loading and UnloadingtheTiller

TILLINGTIPS & TECHNIQUES(CON'T)

Tilling On Slopes

Read the followingrecommendationsbeforetilling on slopes:

Ifyou must gardenon a moderateslope,pleasefollow two very importantguidelines:

1.Till only on moderateslopes,neveronsteepgroundwherefooting is difficult (reviewsafe- ty rulesin Section1: Safetyof this manual).

2.We recommendtilling up and down slopes ratherthan terracing. Tilling vertically on a slopeallows maximumplantingareaandalso leavesroomfor cultivating.

IMPORTANT:Whentilling onslopes, besurethe correct oil levelis maintainedin the engine (checkeveryone-half hour of operation).The inclineof the slopewill causethe oil to slant awayfrom its normallevelandthis can starveenginepartsof requiredlubrication. Keepthe motor oil levelat the full point at all times!

Tilling Up and DownSlopes(Vertical Tilling)

WAHNING: Do not

operatetiller on aslope too steepfor safe operation. Till slowly and besure you have

good footing. Neverpermit tiller to freewheeldown

slopes. Failureto follow this warning could result in personal injury.

•To keepsoil erosionto aminimum, besureto addenoughorganicmatterto the soil sothat it has goodmoisture-holdingtexture andtry to avoid leavingfootprints or wheelmarks.

•Whentilling vertically,tryto makethe first passuphillas thetiller digs moredeeplygoing uphillthan it doesdownhill. In soft soil or weeds, you mayhaveto lift the handlebarsslightly while going uphill. Whengoingdownhill, overlapthe first passby aboutone-halfthe width of the tiller.

Clearingthe Tines

Thetineshavea self-clearingactionwhicheliminatesmosttanglingof debrisinthe tines.However,occasionallydrygrass,stringystalksortoughvinesmaybecometan- gled.Followtheseproceduresto helpavoidtanglingandto cleanthe tines,if neces- sary.

•Toreducetangling,setthedepthregulatordeepenoughto getmaximum"chopping" actionas thetines chopthe materialagainstthe ground.Also,try to till undercrop residuesor covercropswhiletheyaregreen,moistandtender.

•Whiletilling,try swayingthe handlebarsfrom sideto side (about6"to 12").This "fishtailing"actionoftenclearsthe tinesof debris.

•Iftanglingoccurs,lift thetinesout of the soilandrunthetiller in reverse(if unit is equippedwith poweredreverse)for afewfeet.Thisreversingactionshouldunwinda gooddealof debris.

•It may be necessaryto remove the debris by hand (a pocket knife will helpyou to cut awaythe material). Be sure to stop the engine and disconnect the spark plug wire before clearing the tines by hand.

tines by hand, stop the engine,allow all

WARNING: Beforeclearing the moving parts to stop and disconnect the spark plug wire. Removethe ignition key on electric start models.

Failureto follow this warning could result in personal injury.

Loading and UnloadingtheTiller

,_ unloadingthetillerWARNING: Loadingandinto vehicleis potentiallyhazardousandwedon't

recommenddoingso unless absolutelynecessary,asthiscould resultinpersonalinjuryor propertydamage.

However,if you mustloador unloadthetiller,followthe guidelinesgivennext.

•Beforeloadingor unloading,stopthe engine, waitfor allpartsto stopmoving, disconnectthe sparkplugwireandletthe en- gineandmufflercool.

•Thetiller is too heavyandbulkyto lift safely

by oneperson.Twoor morepeopleshould sharethe load.

•Use sturdy ramps and manually (engine shut off) roll the tiller into and out of the

vehicle. Two or more people are neededto do this.

•The ramps must be strong enoughto support the combined weight of the tiller and any han- dlers. The ramps should provide good traction to prevent slipping; they should have side rails to guide the tiller along the ramps; and they

should havea locking deviceto secure them to the

vehicle.

•The handlersshould wearsturdy footwearthat will helpto preventslipping.

•Position the loading vehicle so that the ramp angle is as flat as possible (the less incline to the ramp, the better). Turn the vehicle'sengine off and apply its parking brake.

•When going up ramps, stand in the normal operating position and push the tiller

ahead of you. Havea person at each side to turn the wheels.

•When going down ramps, walk backward with the tiller following you. Keepalert for any obstacles behind you. Position a person at eachwheel to control the speed of the tiller. Nevergo down ramps tiller-first, as the tiller could tip forward.

•Placewooden blocks on the downhill side of

the wheels if you needto stop the tiller from rolling down the ramp. Also, use the blocks to temporarily keep the tiller in place on the ramps (if necessary),and to chock the wheels in place after the tiller is in the vehicle.

•After loading the tiller, prevent it from rolling by engaging the wheels in the WHEELDRIVE position. Chock the wheels with blocks and se- curely tie the tiller down.