Tillingtips& Techniques - Troy-Bilt TUFFY 643B Operator's Manual

TILLINGTIPS& TECHNIQUES
Tilling Depths
WAHNING: Before
tilling, contact your
telephone or utilities
company and inquire if
underground equipment or
lines are usedon your
property. Do not till near
buried electric cables,
telephone lines, pipes or
hoses.
This is a CRT(counter-rotatingtine) tiller. As the wheels pull forward, the tines rotate back-
ward. This createsan "uppercut" tine action which digs deeply,uprooting soil and weeds.
Don't overloadthe engine,but dig as deeplyas possible on eachpass. On later passes,the
wheelsmaytendto spinin thesoft dirt. Helpthem along by lifting up slightly on thehandlebar
(one hand,palm up,works most easily).
Avoidthe temptation to push down on the handlebarsin an attemptto force thetiller to dig
deeper.Doingso takesthe weight off the poweredwheels,causingthem to lose traction.
Withoutthe wheelsto hold the tiller back,the tineswill attempt to propelthe tiller backward,
towardsthe operator.(Sometimes,slight downward pressureon the handlebarswill help get
througha particularlytough sectionof sod or unbrokenground, but in most casesthis won't
be necessary.)
• Whencultivating (breakingup surfacesoil around plants to destroyweeds,seeFig.4-9), a just the tines to dig only 1"to 2" deep.Using
shallow tilling depths helps prevent injury to plants whose roots often grow close to the surface. If needed,lift up on the handlebars
slightly to preventthe tinesfrom diggingtoo deeply.(Cultivatingon a regularbasisnot only eliminatesweeds,it alsoloosensand aerates
thesoil for better moistureabsorptionandfaster plantgrowth.) Wateringthegardenareaa few days prior to tilling will maketilling easier,
aswill letting the newlyworked soil set for a dayor two beforemakinga final, deeptilling pass.
Choosing CorrectWheel & Tine Speeds
With experience,you will find the "just right" tilling depth and tilling speedcombination
that is best for your garden.
Setthe enginethrottle leverat a speedto givethe engineadequatepowerand yet allow it to operateat the slowest possiblespeed...atleast
until you haveachievedthe maximum tilling depth you desire. Fasterenginespeedsmay be desirablewhen makingfinal passesthrough
the seedbedor whencultivating. Selectionof the correct enginespeed,in relationto the tilling depth, will ensurea sufficientpower levelto
do the job without causingthe engineto labor.
Let the Tiller Dothe Work
Whiletilling, relaxand letthe wheelspull the
tiller along while the tines do the digging.
Walk on the side that is not yet finished (to
avoid makingfootprints in the freshly tilled
soil) and lightly, but securelygrip the han-
dlebarwith just one hand.
AvoidMaking Footprints
Whenever possible, walk on the untilled
sideof the unit to avoid makingfootprints in
your freshly tilled or cultivated soil. Foot-
prints causesoil compaction that can ham-
per root penetration and contribute to soil
erosion. They can also "plant" unwanted
weed seeds back into the freshly tilled
ground.
AvoidTilling Soggy, Wet Soil
Tilling wet soil often results in large,hard
clumps of soil that can interfere with plant-
ing. If time permits, wait a day or two after
heavy rains to allow the soil to dry before
tilling. Testsoil by squeezingit into a ball. If
it compressestoo easily,it is too wet to till.
Preparing Seedbeds
• Whenpreparinga seedbed, g o overthe samepathtwice in thefirst row, then over-
lap one-halfthetiller width on the rest of the passes(seeFig. 6). Whenfinished in
one direction, makea second pass at a right angle,as shown in Fig.4-7. Overlap
eachpassfor best results (in very hardground, it may takethree or four passesto
thoroughly pulverizethe soil.)
m_
Fig. 4-6 Fig. 4-7
• If the gardensize will not permit lengthwiseand thencrosswisetilling, then over-
lapthefirst passesby one-halfa tiller
width,followed by successive passes .................... v .................................
at one-quarterwidth (seeFig. 4-8). _ _
Fig. 4-8
Cultivating
With planning, you can =,,_r,_, ..,'q r_
allow enoughroom _" _ (_
between rows to cultivate _ _
(seeFig.4-9). Leaveroom _ _
for the hood width,
plus enough extra _ _'
room for future plant Fig. 4-9
growth.
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