operation
transporting your tiller
around the yard
•Pull forward on lift handle until it locks in the up, transport position.
around town
•Disconnect spark plug wire.
•Drain fuel tank.
•Transport in upright position to prevent oil leakage.
to adjust depth stake
•Depth stake has five position holes to select tilling depth from 1 to 5 inches.
•The top stake hole selects the shallowest tilling depth and the bottom stake hole selects the deepest position.
•To change depth remove the hair cotter pin from the clevis pin which is connecting the depth stake to the stake support bracket.
•Grasp the top of the depth stake, remove the clevis pin and reposition the depth stake. Insert clevis pin and hair cotter pin.
IMPORTANT: The depth stake should never be removed from the tiller. It is designed to protect the tractor transaxle from thrusting action of the tiller.
tilling
•The most efficient tillage is obtained when tiller engine is operated at full throttle. The sound of the tiller engine will tell you. When tiller engine is lightly loaded, raise gauge wheels to increase tilling depth. If engine seems to be overloaded or stalls out, lower gauge wheels for shallower tilling.
•Operate tiller engine at full throttle and operate tractor in slowest forward speed, with tractor engine at idle speed or just above idle. You will soon learn the proper combination of tilling depth and speed for good tillage.
•Soil conditions will determine how deep tiller can penetrate on the first pass. In extremely hard ground, several passes may be necessary to till to a depth of 6 inches. While in soft ground, tiller may penetrate to a depth of 6 inches in the first pass.
tilling hints
Important operating hints
NOTE: The following is a general guideline of tilling, but may vary depending upon soil conditions.
•In virgin soil, the tiller should be started in the shallowest depth position and lowered one position at a time after each pass in each position.
•If the soil is extremely hard and dry, it may be desirable to cross till an area at shallow depth first, then till in the direction of planting rows on the second pass at the final depth.
•Where possible, we recommend tilling in a pattern similar to that shown in Figure 7. Make the first pass, then skip a space equal to the width of the tiller, and make the return pass. Then till the skipped area. Tilling in this pattern will enable you to maintain better control. If the passes were made
•Check ground moisture: If you can make a ball in your hand out of the ground to be tilled, do not till soil as it is too wet. This causes lumps which are difficult to work up.
•When operating for the first time, proceed slowly and carefully until you become familiar with the proper method of operating the tiller.
•In soil that was tilled the year before, select the tilling depth at which the tiller engine runs comfortable and does not stall or pull down. Lower depth for additional passes if greater depth is desired.
•Whenever working multiple passes, go perpendicular to the previous tilling direction.
•In cases where the soil is too hard to get proper penetration or if the tilling action causes tiller to hop or bounce, it will be necessary to purchase a set of tiller (wheel) weights.
Cultivating
•Your tiller may be used for cultivating which requires a minimum of two (2) inches of soil penetration.
•Set depth stake so the tiller will penetrate soil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. The tiller engine should be run at full throttle except when cultivating small plants.
A slower engine is necessary to prevent burying the plants. See Figure 8.
figure 7 | figure 8 |
7