Adjusting The Handle Height; Clearing The Tines; Tilling Tips & Techniques; Tilling Depth - Craftsman 247.29930 Operator's Manual

ADJUSTING THE HANDLE HEIGHT
Thehandle shouldbe adjustedso that whenthe tillerisdigging3-4"
intothe soil, the handlefalls to aboutwaste-high.Toadjusthandle,
simplyloosenthe handleadjustmentcrank,movethe handleto the
desiredheightand retightenthe adjustmentcrank.See Figure11.
Beforeclearingthe tines by hand,stopthe engine,allowall moving
parts to stop and disconnectthe spark plugwire. Failureto follow this
warningcould resultin personalinjury.
CLEARING THE TINES
* Thetines havea self-clearingactionwhich eliminatesmostof the
tanglingof debris. However, o ccasionally dry grass,stringystalks
or toughvines may becometangled.Followthese procedures to
help avoidtanglingand to clearthe tines,if necessary.
* Toreducetangling,set the depth regulatordeep enoughto get
maximum"chopping"actionas the tines chopthe materialagainst
the ground.Also,try to till under crop residuesor covercrops
whilethey are green,moistand tender.
* Whiletilling,try swayingthe handlebarsfrom sideto side (about
6"to 12").This "fishtailing"actionoften clears the tinesof debris.
Beforetilling,contactyourtelephoneor utilitiescompanyand inquire
ifunderground equipmentor linesare usedon yourproperty.Do not
till near buriedelectriccables,telephonelines,pipesor hoses.
TILLING TiPS & TECHNIQUES
Tilling Depth
* This is a CRT(counter-rotating tine)tiller.As the wheelspull
forward,the tines rotatebackward.This createsan "uppercut"
tineaction whichdigs deeply,uprootingsoiland weeds.Don't
overloadthe engine,butdig as deeplyas possibleon eachpass
On later passes,the wheelsmay tendto spin inthe soft dirt. Help
them alongby lifting up slightlyon the handlebar(one hand,palm
up,worksmosteasily).
* Avoidthe temptationto pushdownon the handlebarsin an
attemptto forcethe tiller to dig deeper.Doingso takestheweight
off the poweredwheels,causingthem to losetraction.Withoutthe
wheelsto hold the tillerback,the tines willattemptto propelthe
tillerbackward,towardsthe operator.
* Whencultivating(breakingup the surfacesoil aroundthe plants
to destroyweeds,See Figure12),adjust the tinesto dig only 1"
to 2" deep.Usingthe shallowtillingdepth helpspreventinjury to
the plantswhoseroots oftengrowclose to the surface.If needed,
lift up on the handlebarsslightlyto preventthe tinesfrom digging
too deeply.(Cultivatingon a regularbasis notonly eliminates
weeds,it alsoloosensand aeratesthesoil for bettermoisture
absorptionand fasterplantgrowth.)Wateringthe gardenarea a
few daysprior to tillingwill maketilling easier,as will lettingthe
newlyworkedsoil set for a day or two beforemakinga final,deep
tillingpass.
Figure11
Figure12
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