Tilling on a Slope

WARNING! Do not operate the tiller on a slope too steep for safe operation. Till slowly and be sure you have good footing. Never permit the tiller to freewheel down slopes. Failure to follow this warning could result in personal injury.

1.Till only on moderate slopes, never on steep ground where the footing is difficult.

2.Tilling up and down slopes is recommended rather than terracing. Tilling vertically on a slope allows maximum planting area and also leaves room for cultivating.

NOTE: when tilling on slopes, be sure the correct oil level is maintained in the engine (check every one-half hour of operation). The incline of the slope will cause the oil to slant away from its normal level and this can starve engine parts of the required lubrication. Keep the motor oil level at the full point at all times.

Tilling Up & Down a Slope

1.To keep soil erosion to a minimum, be sure to add enough organic matter to the soil so that it has good moisture-holding texture and try to avoid leaving footprints or wheel marks.

2.When tilling vertically, try to make the first pass uphill as the tiller digs more deeply going uphill than it does downhill. In soft soil or weeds, you may have to lift the handlebars slightly while going uphill. When going downhill, overlap the first pass by about one-half the width of the tiller.

Terrace Gardening

1.To create a terrace, start at the top of the slope and work down. Go back and forth across the first row as shown in Fig. 5-8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPHILL

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12" UNTILLED

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REPEAT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOWNHILL

Figure 5-8

2.Each succeeding lower terrace is started by walking below the terrace you’re preparing. For added stability of the tiller, always keep the uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till the last 12” or more of the downhill outside edge of each terrace. This untilled strip helps prevent the terraces from breaking apart and washing downhill. It also provides a walking path between rows.

Loading & Unloading the tiller

WARNING! Loading and unloading the tiller into a vehicle is potentially hazardous and doing so is not recommended unless absolutely necessary, as this could result in personal injury or property damage.

If it is necessary to load or unload the tiller, follow these guidelines.

•Stop the engine, wait for all parts to stop moving, disconnect the spark plug wire and let the engine and muffler cool.

•The tiller is too heavy and bulky to be lifted safely by one person. Two or more people should share the load.

•Use sturdy ramps and manually — with the engine shut off — roll the tiller into and out of the vehicle. Two or more people are needed to do this.

•The ramps must be strong enough to support the combined weight of the tiller and any handlers. The ramps should provide good traction to prevent slipping, they should have side rails to guide the tiller along the ramps and they should have a locking device to secure them to the vehicle.

•The handlers should wear sturdy footwear that will help prevent slipping.

•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’s engine off and apply its parking brake.

•When going up ramps, stand in the normal operating position and push the tiller ahead of you. Have a person at each side to turn the wheels.

•When going down ramps, walk backward with the tiller following you. Keep alert for any obstacles behind you. Position a person at each wheel to control the speed of the tiller. Never go down ramps tiller-first, as the tiller could tip forward.

•Place wooden blocks on the downhill side of the wheels if you need to 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 wheel drive position. Chock the wheels with blocks and securely tie the tiller down.

14Section 5— Operation