Craftsman 247.29934 Operator's Manual page 15

aDjUSTing The hanDle heighT
The handle should be adjusted so that when the tiller is digging 3-4"
into the soil, the handle falls to about waste-high. To adjust handle,
simply loosen the handle knob, move the handle to the desired height
and retighten the handle knob. See Figure 17.
Warning
Before clearing the tines by hand, stop the engine, allow all moving
parts to stop and disconnect the spark plug wire. Failure to follow this
warning could result in personal injury.
clearing The TineS
The tines have a self-clearing action which eliminates most of the
tangling of debris. However, occasionally dry grass, stringy stalks or
tough vines may become tangled. Follow these procedures to help
avoid tangling and to clear the tines, if necessary.
• Try to till under crop residues or cover crops while they are green,
moist and tender.
• While tilling, try swaying the handlebars from side to side (about
6" to 12"). This "fishtailing" action often clears the tines of debris.
Warning
Before tilling, contact your telephone or utilities company and inquire
if underground equipment or lines are used on your property. Do not
till near buried electric cables, telephone lines, pipes or hoses.
Tilling TiPS & TechniQUeS
Tilling Depth
• This is a FRT (forward-rotating tine) tiller. When the forward tine
engagement lever is pressed against the handle the tines rotate
forward. This creates an "uppercut" tine action which digs deeply,
uprooting soil and weeds. Don't overload the engine, but dig as
deeply as possible on each pass.
• When cultivating (breaking up the surface soil around the plants
to destroy weeds, See Figure 18), try to have the tines only dig 1"
to 2" deep. Using the shallow tilling depth helps prevent injury to
the plants whose roots often grow close to the surface. If needed,
lift up on the handlebars slightly to prevent the tines from digging
too deeply. (Cultivating on a regular basis not only eliminates
weeds, it also loosens and aerates the soil for better moisture
absorption and faster plant growth.) Watering the garden area a
few days prior to tilling will make tilling easier, as will letting the
newly worked soil set for a day or two before making a final, deep
tilling pass.
OPERATION
15
Handle Knob
Figure 17
Figure 18