Advertisement
Photo
4-20
: Leave the
outside edge (12" or
more)
un-
broken to
pre
vent
erosion.
Til
ling Ac
ross
Slopes
Witho ut Terraces
If
terracing
isn't practical for you, then
you
can
till
laterally across a
slope,
although
we
don't
re-
ally
recommend
it.
For
best
results,
we
urge
you
to
till
vertically
up and down
a
slope,
or create
terraces.
LOADING
AND
UNLOADING TILLER
A
WARNING
Loading and
unloading
your tiller into a
ve-
hicle
is
potentially hazardous
and we
don't
recomm end
tha
t you do so
unless
abso
-
lutely
necessary,
as this could result
in per-
sonal
injury or
property
damage.
However,
if
yo
u
must load or
unload
the
tiller,
follow the
guidelines given
next.
•
Shut the
tiller
engine
off before loading or un-
loading.
Allow the tille
r engine
to cool
,
disco
n-
nect
the
spa
rk
pl
ug
wire and prevent it from
touchin g the
spark
plug
.
(Remov
e
the Ignition
Switch
key
on electric start models.)
·
The
tiller is too heavy (well
over
200
pounds)
and
bulky
to lift
safely
by one
person.
To
lift
the
tiller,
two or
more people
should share the
load.
• We
recommend that you use
sturdy
ramps
and
that you
manually (engine
shut off) roll
the tiller
into
and out of
the vehicle.
This
will
require
as-
sistance from another person.
• Ramps
should
be
strong
enough
to
support
the
tiller and
the
handlers.
The ramps
should
provide
good
traction
to prevent slipp
ing
;
they should
have side rails to guide the tiller up and down
the
ramps;
and they should have a
locking device
to
secure
them to the
vehicle
bed.
32
First, make
sure that
the
slope
is not too
steep
to
till safely.
Then,
begin
at the top
of
the
slope
and
overlap
half
of
each tilled
path,
always keep-
ing the
uphill
wheel
in the soft,
newly tilled
soil.
Doing so
wi
ll
help
keep the tiller more
stab le
across a
relatively steep slope.
UPHIL L
TILLING NOTE
When
tilling
on slopes,
be extra
careful
to see
that
your engine crankcase
is kept
filled
to
either
the
FULL
mark on the
dipstick
(6HP Tecumseh
engines)or to the
top of the
engine
oil
fill
tube
(5HP
Briggs
and 4HP
Tecumseh
engines).
When
tilling
at the deepest
settings
and
going
up a steep
hill,
the
oil slants
away
from
its nor-
mal level and can starve
the engine of lubrication
as
the
eng
ine's
oil
dipp
er
may not be
able
to
reach
the
oil due
to its
slanted level. Keeping
the
oil
level at the
FULL
mark
is
very important
for
the protection of
your
engine.
To
prevent engine
damage from
oil starvation,
chec
k engine oil
level
at
least
every
half-h our
during uphill
tilling
operations.
•
The
operator
and handlers should wear sturdy
footwear
that
will
help to
prevent slips.
•
Position
the
vehicle
so
the
ramp
angle
is as flat
as
possible
(the
less the
incline of the
ramp,
the
better).
Turn
the
vehicle's engine off and apply
the
vehicle's
parking
brake.
• When going up
ramps,
stand in the
normal
op-
erating position
and
push
the tiller ahead
of you.
Have a person at each wheel
to
turn the
wheels.
•
When going
down
ramps,
walk
backward
down
the ramp
with
the
tiller
following
you.
Keep alert
for,
and avoid any
obstac les
that
could
cau
se
you to fall.
Position
a
person
at
each
wheel to
contro
l
the speed of the tiller. Never go down
ramps
tiller-first,
as the
tiller could
tip forward
.
•
Have wooden blocks handy to place
on
the
downhill
side of
the
wheels
if
you need to stop
the
tiller
from rolling
down
the ramp
when un-
loading
or loading.
Use
the
blocks
to
temporarily
keep the
tiller in place on
the ramps
while
you
get a firmer grip on
the
handlebars,
reposition
the
tiller,
etc. Also
use
the
blocks to
chock
the
wheels in
place
after you've
tied
the
tiller
down.
•
Onc
e th
e
t
ill
er is
in th
e ve
hic le
,
move the
Whee l
Gear Leve
r
to "ENGAGE" (on Eco
no-
Horse
and Pony
Models)
or be
sure
the
Wheel
Drive Pins
are Engaged (Junior Model
).
Th
is
locks the wheels in
position
and
helps
prevent
the tiller from
moving.
Then
securely
tie the tiller
down.
Advertisement
