Troy-Bilt TUFFY CRT 640C Operator's Manual page 15

TILLINGTIPS & TECHNIQUES (CON'T)
Tilling On Slopes
Read the followingrecommendationsbeforetilling on slopes:
If you must gardenon a moderateslope,pleasefollow two very importantguidelines:
1. Till only on moderateslopes,neveron steepground wherefooting is difficult (review safe-
ty rulesin Section 1: Safetyof this manual).
2. We recommendtilling up and down slopes ratherthan terracing. Tilling vertically on a
slopeallows maximum plantingarea and also leavesroomfor cultivating.
IMPORTANT: Whentilling on slopes, be surethe correct oil levelis maintainedin the engine
(checkevery one-half hour of operation).The inclineof the slopewill causethe oil to slant
awayfrom its normalleveland this can starveengineparts of requiredlubrication. Keepthe
motor oil levelat the full point at all times!
WAHNING: Do not
operatetiller on a slope too
steep for safe operation. Till
slowly and be sure you have
good footing. Neverpermit
tiller to freewheel down
slopes. Failureto follow this
warning could result in
personal injury.
Tilling Up and DownSlopes(Vertical Tilling)
• To keepsoil erosionto a minimum, be sureto add enough organicmatterto the soil sothat it has good moisture-holdingtexture and try
to avoid leavingfootprints or wheelmarks.
• Whentilling vertically,try to makethe first passuphill as thetiller digs moredeeplygoing uphillthan it doesdownhill. In soft soil or weeds,
you may haveto lift the handlebarsslightly while going uphill. Whengoing downhill, overlapthe first passby aboutone-halfthe width of
the tiller.
Clearingthe Tines
Thetines havea self-clearing actionwhicheliminatesmosttanglingof debrisin the
tines.However, occasionally drygrass,stringystalksor toughvinesmaybecome tan-
gled.Follow these procedures t o helpavoidtanglingandto cleanthe tines,if neces-
sary.
•Toreduce tangling,setthedepthregulatordeep enough to getmaximum "chopping"
actionas thetines chopthe material a gainstthe ground.Also,try to till undercrop
residues or covercropswhilethey aregreen,moistandtender.
• Whiletilling, try swayingthe handlebars from sideto side (about6"to 12").This
"fishtailing"actionoften clears the tinesof debris.
• If tanglingoccurs,lift thetines out of the soiland run thetiller in reverse (if unit is
equipped with powered reverse) for a few feet.Thisreversing actionshouldunwinda
gooddealof debris.
• It may be necessaryto remove the debris by hand (a
pocket knife will help you to cut awaythe material). Be
sure to stop the engine and disconnect the spark plug
wire before clearing the tines by hand.
WARNING: Beforeclearing the
tines by hand, stop the engine,allow all
moving parts to stop and disconnect the
spark plug wire. Removethe ignition key
on electric start models.
Failureto follow this warning could result
in personal injury.
Loading and UnloadingtheTiller
,_ WARNING: Loading a nd
unloading thetiller intoavehicleis
potentially hazardous a ndwedon't
recommend doingso unless
absolutely necessary, asthiscould
resultin personal i njuryor
propertydamage.
However, i f you mustloador
unload thetiller, followthe
guidelines givennext.
• Beforeloading or unloading, s topthe engine,
waitfor all partsto stop moving,
disconnect t he sparkplugwireand letthe en-
gineand mufflercool.
• Thetiller is too heavyandbulkyto lift safely
by oneperson.Twoor morepeopleshould
sharethe load.
• Use sturdy ramps and manually (engine shut
off) roll the tiller into and out of the
vehicle. Two or more people are neededto do
this.
• The ramps must be strong enoughto support
the combined weight of the tiller and any han-
dlers. The ramps should provide good traction
to prevent slipping; they should have side rails
to guide the tiller along the ramps; and they
should havea locking device to secure them to
the
vehicle.
• The handlersshould wearsturdy footwearthat
will helpto preventslipping.
• Position the loading vehicle so that the ramp
angle is as flat as possible (the less incline to
the ramp, the better). Turn the
vehicle's engine off and apply its parking brake.
• When going up ramps, stand in the
normal operating position and push the tiller
ahead of you. Havea person at each side to
turn the wheels.
• When going down ramps, walk backward
with the tiller following you. Keepalert for any
obstacles behind you. Position a person at
eachwheel to control the speed of the tiller.
Nevergo down ramps tiller-first, as the tiller
could tip forward.
• Placewooden blocks on the downhill side of
the wheels if you needto stop the tiller from
rolling down the ramp. Also, use the blocks to
temporarily keep the tiller in place on the
ramps (if necessary),and to chock the wheels
in place after the tiller is in the vehicle.
• After loading the tiller, prevent it from rolling
by engaging the wheels in the WHEELDRIVE
position. Chock the wheels with blocks and se-
curely tie the tiller down.
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