Operation - Craftsman 944.629540 Owner's Manual

OPERATION
_ PARK
PLUG
CHOKE
CONTROL
THROTTLE
co_
ECO, I
FIG. 8
BREAKING IN YOUR TILLER
Break-in your belt(s), pulleys and tine control before you
actually begin tilling.
• Start engine, tip tines off ground by pressing handles
down and engage tine control to start tine rotation.
Allow tines to rotate for five minutes.
• Check tine operation and adjust if necessary. See
WINE OPERATION CHECK" in the Service and Ad-
justments section of this manual.
TILLING HINTS
I& AUTION: Untilyouereaceustomedto I
handling your tiller, start actual field
use with throttle in slow position.
To help tiller move forward, liftup the handles slightly(thus
lifting depth stake out of ground). To slow down the tiller,
press down on handles.
if you are straining or tiller is shaking, the wheels and depth
stake are not set propedy in the soil being tilled. The proper
setting of the wheels and depth stake is through tdal and
error and depends upon the soil condition. (The harder or
wetter the ground, the slower the engine and tlne speed
needed. Under these poorconditions, et fast speedthetiller
will run and jump over the ground).
A propedy adjusted tiller will dig with little effort from the
operator.
• Tilling is digging into, turning over, and breaking up
packed soil before planting. Loose unpacked soil
helps root growth. Best tilling depth is 4" to 6". A tiller
will also clear the soil of unwanted vegetation. The
decomposition of this vegetable matter endches the
soil. Depending on the climate (rainfall and wind), it
may be advisable to tillthe soilat the end of the growing
season to further condition the soil.
• Soil conditions are important for pmpor tilling.Tines will
not readily benetmte dry, hard soil which may contdb-
ute to excessive bounce and difficult handling of your
tiller. Hard soil should be moistened before tilling;
however, extremely wet soil will "bail-up" or clump
during tilling. Wait until the soil is less wet in order to
achieve the best results. When tillingin the fall, remove
vines and long grass to prevent them from wrapping
around the tine shaft and slowing your tillingoperation.
il
You will find tilling much easier if you leave a row
untilled between passes. Then go back between tilled
rows. (See Fig. 9) There are two masons for doing this.
First, wide turns are much easier to negotiate than
about-faces. Second, the tiller won't be pulling itself,
and you, toward the row next to it.
Set depth stake and wheel height for shallow tilling
when working extremely hard soil or sod. Then work
across the first cuts at normal depth.
FIG. 9
CULTIVATING
Cultivating is destroying the weeds between rows to pre-
vent them from robbing nourishment and moisture from
the plants. At the same time, breaking up the upper layer
of soil crust will help retain moisture in the soil. Best
digging depth is 1" to 3".
• You will probably not need to use the depth stake.
Begin by tipping the depth stake forward until it is held
by the stake spring.
• Cultivate up and down the rows at a speed which will
allow tines to uproot weeds and leave the ground in
rough condition, promoting no further growth of weeds
andgrass (See Fig. 10).
FIG. 10
i
A