Clearing The Tines; Loading And Unloading The Tiller - Troy-Bilt TUFFY 634BM Operator's Manual

TILLING TIPS& TECHNIQUES (CON'T)
TerraceGardening(continued)
• Tocreateaterrace, startat the top of the slopeand work down. Gobackand forth
acrossthe first rowas shown in Fig.4-10.
• Eachsucceedinglowerterraceisstartedbywalkingbelowtheterraceyou'repre-
e_ll_l___....__,_,.. _e
paring. Foraddedstability of thetiller, alwayskeepthe uphill wheelin the soft, new-
ly tilled soil. Do not till the last 12"or more of the downhill outside edge of each _1_
terrace. This untilled strip helps preventsthe terraces from breaking apart and
Clearing theTines
Thetines havea self-clearingaction which eliminatesmost tangling of debris in
thetines. However, o ccasionallydry grass,stringy stalksor tough vines may be-
come tangled• Followthese proceduresto help avoid tangling and to cleanthe
tines, if necessary.
• To reducetangling, set the depth regulator deep enough to get maximum
"chopping" action asthe tines chop the materialagainstthe ground. Also, try to
till under crop residuesor cover crops while they are green,moist and tender.
• While powercomposting,try swayingthe handlebarsfrom sideto side (about
6"to 12'_).This "fishtailing" action often clearsthe tines of debris.
• If tanglingoccurs, lift the tines out of the soiland run thetiller in reverse(if unit
is equippedwith poweredreverse ) for a few feet. This reversing action should
unwinda good deal of debris•
• It maybe necessary to removethe debrisby hand
(a pocketknife will help you to cut awaythe mate-
rial). Besure to stop the engineand disconnectthe
spark plug wire beforeclearingthe tines by hand.
_ WARNING: Beforeclearing the
tines by hand, stop the engine,allow
all 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 UNLOADING
• Use sturdy ramps and manually (engine tiller ahead of you. Have a person at each
THETILLER
shut off) roll the tiller into and out of the side to turn the wheels.
vehicle.Two or more peopleare neededto • When going down ramps, walk back-
,_ WARNING: Loading and do this. ward with the tiller following you. Keep
unloading the tiller into a • The ramps must be strong enough to alert for any obstacles behind you. Posi-
vehicle is potentially hazardous support the combined weight of the tiller tion a person at eachwheel to control the
and we don't recommend doing and any handlers•The ramps should pro- speed of the tiller• Nevergo down ramps
so unless absolutely necessary, vide good traction to prevent slipping; they tiller-first, as the tiller could tip forward.
asthis could result in personal should have side rails to guide the tiller * Placewooden blocks on the downhill
injury or property damage• along the ramps; and they should have a side of the wheels if you needto stop the
However, if you must load or locking device to secure them to the tiller from rolling down the ramp. Also,
unload the tiller, follow the vehicle• usethe blocksto temporarily keepthe tiller
guidelines given next. • Thehandlersshouldwearsturdyfootwear inplaceontheramps(ifnecessary),andto
that will help to preventshppmg
• Before loading or unloading,stop the en- " " " , chock the wheels in place after the tiller is
gine, wait for all parts to stop moving, • Position the loading vehicle so that the in the vehicle.
disconnect the spark plug wire and let the ramp angle is as flat as possible (the less • After loading the tiller, prevent it from
engine and muffler cool. incline to the ramp, thebetter). Turn the rolling by engaging the wheels in the
° The tiller is t°° heavy and bulky t° lift vehicle's engine °ff and apply its parking WHEELDRIVEposition. Chockthe wheels
safely by one person Two or more people brake, with blocks and securelytie the tiller down.
should share the load. • When going up ramps, stand in the
normal operating position and push the
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