Tilling Tips& Techniques - Troy-Bilt 12090 Owner's Manual

Pto horse tiller
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Section 4: Operation
SLOW GEAR, LOW BELT RANGE
For:
Tilling in sod.
Tilling in hard clay.
Tilling under standing corn-
stalks in tough soil conditions.
Tilling under cover crops.
Preparinga deep seedbed.
Tilling in stony soil.
Tilling under residuesand
organic matter.
Mixingin fertilizers,manure.
SLOW GEAR, HIGHBELT Ra_NGE
For:
• Tilling in sod or hard clay.
• Tilling under standingcorn-
stalks (slow, steadyspeed
allows time to shred stalks).
• Tilling under cover crops
(best wheelspeedand belt
speedrange in most soils).
• Preparingseedbeds(best
speedchoice in most soils).
• Tilling in stony ground.
• Building raisedgardenbeds.
• Mixing in fertilizer.
• Using hiller wings in hard
soil
• Mixing fertilizer and manure.
• Tilling residuesand organics.
FAST GEAR, LOW BELT RANGE
For:
• Going over seedbedfor the
last time beforeplantingcrops.
• Coveringoverseeds in wide
row or plot planting (lift han-
dlebarsto avoidgoing too
deep).
Hilling and furrowing.
Makingraisedbeds.
Cultivating(lift handlebarsto
avoid going too deep).
• Tilling largeareas.
• Tilling organic matterin.
• Cultivatingbetweenraised
bedswithoptional
hillerlfurrower attachment.
FASTGEAR, HIGHBELTRANGE
For:
•Preparing
seedbeds f or
planting.
• Coveringseedswith less need
to hold up the handlebars.
• Cultivating(tiller travelsfaster,
rides higheron the soil; allows
engineRPM to be reduced;
handlebarsdon't haveto be
raised).
• Keepinglarge areastilled and
cultivatedin the summer.
• Tilling organicmatter under.
• Moving tiller quickly.
• Cultivatingbetweenraised
bedsusing the optional
hillerlfurrower.
Tilling Tips& Techniques
Let the tiller do the work
• While tilling, relax and let the wheels
pull the tiller along while the tines do
the digging. Walk on the side that is not
yet finished (to avoid making footprints
in the freshly tilled soil) and lightly, but
securely grip the handlebar with just
one hand (Figure 4-4).
• Avoid pushing down on the handlebars
in an attempt to force the tiller to dig
deeper. Doing so takes the weight off
the powered wheels, causing them to
lose traction. Without the wheels
helping to hold the tiller back, the tines
will attempt to propel the tiller - often
causing the tiller to skip rapidly across
the ground. (Sometimes, slight
downward pressure on the handlebars
will help get through a particularly
tough section of sod or unbroken
ground, but in most cases this won't be
necessary.)
Tilling depths
• Avoid trying to dig too deeply too
quickly, especially when busting sod or
tilling soil that hasn't been tilled for
some time. Use shallow depth settings
(only an inch or two deep) for the first
passesthrough the garden area.
With each succeeding pass, adjust the
depth regulator to dig another inch or
two deeper. (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.)
• When cultivating (breakingup the
surfacesoil around plants to help
destroy weeds), use very shallow depth
settingsto prevent injury to plants whose
roots often grow close to the surface. If
needed,lift up on the handlebarsslightly
to preventthe tines from digging too
deeply. Cultivatingon a regular basis not
only eliminatesweeds,it also loosensand
aeratesthe soil for batter moisture
absorption and fasterplant growth.
Avoid tilling wet, soggy soil
Tilling wet soil often results in large, hard
clumps of soil that can interfere with
planting. If time permits, wait a day or
two after heavy rains to allow the soil to
dry before tilling. Test the soil by
squeezing it into a ball. If it compresses
too easily, it is too wet to till.
To help avoid personalinjury, be aware
that the tiller can unexpectedlybounce
up orjump ahead and propelaway from
you if the tines strike hard or frozen
ground, or buried obstacles like large
stones, roots or stumps. Always use
the following
precautions to help
maintain controlof the tiller:
• Walk behind and to the side of the
tiller. Use one handon the handlebars,
relaxing your arm but with a secure
handgrip.
• Use shallow depth regulator settings.
Till gradually deeper.
• Use slower wheel, tine and engine
speeds.
• Clear the tilling area of all large
stones, rootsand otherdebris.
• Do not put downwardpressureon the
handlebars.
If needed, apply slight
upward handlebar pressureto keep the
tines from diggingtoodeeply.
• Avoid contacting hard soil or sod at
the end of a row - reduceengine speed
and lift handlebarsto raise tines out of
the soil.
• In An Emergency, stop tines and
wheels by moving Wheels/Tines/PTO
Drive Lever to NEUTRAL. If you cannot
roachthe lever or have lost control, Let
Go OfThe Handlebarsand All Controls.
23

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