Choosing Wheel & Tine Speeds

The tiller has four FORWARD wheel/tine speed combinations for handling a variety of tilling tasks and gardening jobs. Experiment with the tine depth, engine speed, and wheel/tine speed to determine the combination that provides the best results. Here are some tips:

1.Advance the throttle lever so the engine has sufficient power.

2.When tilling untilled or hard earth, do not set the Depth Regulator too deep. The tiller will buck and the engine will load down.

3.You will know your settings are ideal when the tines break- up the soil easily, the engine does not labor, and your progress is steady and smooth. See Fig. 4-5.

WHEEL SPEED AND BELT RANGE SELECTION GUIDE

SLOW GEAR, LOW BELT RANGE

SLOW GEAR, HIGH BELT RANGE

FAST GEAR, LOW BELT RANGE

FAST GEAR, HIGH BELT RANGE

For:

 

For:

 

For:

 

For:

 

1.

Tilling in sod.

1.

Tilling in sod or hard clay.

1.

Going over seedbed

1.

Preparing seedbeds for

2.

Tilling in hard clay.

2.

Tilling under standing

 

for the last time before

 

planting.

 

planting crops.

 

 

3.

Tilling under standing

 

cornstalks (slow, steady

 

2.

Covering seeds with

 

 

 

 

speed allows time to

2.

Covering over seeds in

 

less need to hold up the

 

cornstalks in tough soil

 

 

 

 

shred stalks).

 

wide row or plot planting

 

handlebars.

 

conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(lift handlebars to avoid

 

 

4.

Tilling under cover crops.

3.

Tilling under cover crops

 

3.

Cultivating (tiller travels

 

going too deep).

 

(best wheel speed and

 

 

faster, rides higher on

 

 

 

 

 

5.

Preparing a deep

 

 

 

 

 

belt speed range in most

3.

Hilling and furrowing.

 

the soil; allows engine

 

seedbed.

 

 

 

 

soils).

4.

Making raised beds.

 

RPM to be reduced;

 

 

 

 

6.

Tilling in stony soil.

 

 

 

handlebars don’t have to

4.

Preparing seedbeds

5.

Cultivating (lift

 

 

 

 

be raised).

7.

Tilling under residues

 

(best speed choice in

 

 

 

handlebars to avoid

 

 

 

 

 

 

and organic matter.

 

most soils).

 

4.

Keeping large areas tilled

 

 

 

going too deep).

 

 

 

 

 

 

and cultivated in the

8.

Mixing in fertilizers,

5.

Tilling in stony ground.

6.

Tilling large areas.

 

 

summer.

 

manure.

 

 

 

 

6.

Building raised garden

 

 

 

 

7.

Tilling organic matter in.

5.

Tilling organic matter

 

 

 

 

 

beds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.

Cultivating between

 

under.

 

 

7.

Mixing in fertilizer.

 

 

 

 

raised beds with

6.

Moving tiller quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.

Using tiller wings in hard

 

optional hiller/furrower

 

 

 

7.

Cultivating between

 

 

 

soil.

 

attachment.

 

 

 

 

 

raised beds using the

 

 

9.

Mixing fertilizer and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

optional hiller/furrower.

 

 

 

manure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.

Tilling residues and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

organics.

 

 

 

 

Changing Belt speed

 

Figure 4-5

 

 

 

 

 

When the tiller is moving in REVERSE, the wheels are

Your tiller has two belt-driven speed ranges — HIGH RANGE and

powered by a rubber reverse disc, not by the belt. Therefore,

you have only two reverse speeds SLOW and FAST, as set with

LOW RANGE — you pick one or the other by deciding which set

the Wheel Speed Lever.

 

 

of pulley grooves to move the forward belt into. By moving the

Fig. 4-6 shows the range of wheel and tine speeds available

belt from one speed range into the other, in combination with

when using the two belt speed ranges and the FAST and SLOW

the FAST and SLOW wheel speeds, you obtain a choice of four

selections on the Wheel Speed Lever.

different forward wheel speeds and two different tine speeds.

 

warning! To help avoid serious personal injury, stop the engine, remove the ignition key, disconnect spark plug wire and move the wire away from the spark plug and let engine and muffler cool down before changing the belt speeds.

Changing the belt from LOW range into HIGH range (or back again) is a matter of moving the belt from one set of pulley grooves to a second set of pulley grooves. This change is done quickly and without tools.

Available wheel and tine speeds at 3000 RPM engine speed.

 

Belt

Wheel Speed

Wheel Speed

Tine

 

Position

Lever

 

Speed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low Range

Slow

.5 MPH

146RPM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low Range

Fast

1.2 MPH

146RPM

 

 

 

 

 

 

High Range

Slow

.7 MPH

200RPM

 

High Range

Fast

1.72 MPH

200RPM

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4-6

16Section 5— Operation