Operation; Soil Conditions Required; Determining Tilling Pattern; Seedbed Conditions Desired - Simplicity 694 Owner's Manual

Figure 4- Tiller depth chain Installed.
OPERATION
SOIL CONDITIONS REQUIRED
Moisture content of soil will affect the quality of seedbed
prepared when using the rotary tiller. It is not advisable to
dll soil which is too moist and forms large clods or balls of
mud when tilled. Heavy day soils tend to stay wet Longer and
form larger harder clods, when tilled to wet, than lighter
textured sandy or well developed dark soils which ere high
in organic material. For this reason it is more Important not
to till day soils too early in the spring or after a rain.
DETERMINING TILLING PATTERN
Before beginning to till any area, the operator should deter¬
mine the best tilling pattern. The size, shape, terrain, and ob¬
structions of the area to be tilled should be considered. Us¬
ually it is best to till the longest direction of the area to
minimize turning. CAUTION: ALWAYS RAISE THE TIL¬
LER BEFORE TURNING OR BACKING TO PREVENT
DAMAGE TO THE TRACTOR AND TILLER.
SEEDBED CONDITIONS DESIRED
TILLING DEPTH
The most desirable tilling depth for an area will vary ac¬
cording to its intended use. If seeds are to be planted, con¬
sideration should be given to the depth required to kill
competing plant Ufe, mix fertilizer and prepare a good seed-
bed. In general, larger seeds should be planted deeper than
smaller seeds. For example, com is often planted 2" to 3"
deep, whereas the much smaller grass seed may be planted
within the top 1/2r' of soil. A good seedbed for grass seed
can often be made by tilling only
2*'
to 3,J deep. When
planting larger seeds such as com, a tilling depth of 5 or
more inches may be desirable.
CLOD SIZE
The seedbed must be fine enough to insure that the planted
seed makes good enough contact with the soil to germinate.
Smaller seeds usually require a finer seedbed than larger ones.
In many cases, more than one pass of the tiller will be re¬
quired to prepare a seedbed of proper depth and texture.
Figure
5. Tiller drive belt seen from left side of tiller.
PREPARING THE TRACTOR AND TILLER
CAUTION: BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO INSPECT, AD¬
JUST,
OR SERVICE THE ROTARY TILLER, INSURE
THEPOWERTAKEOFF IS DISENGAGED, THE ENGINE
SHUT OFF, AND THE TILLER TINES HAVE STOPPED
TURNING.
DO THE FOLLOWING
1. Read this manual and the owner's manual for the tractor
carefully. Be sure you are familiar with the safety precau¬
tions, controls; and operating instructions.
2. Check the tiller carefnlly to besureitis properly installed.
See page 2.
3. Check the condition of the tiller tines. Clean the tine
shaft of any foreign material and tighten any loose tine
mounting bolts.
4. Lubricate the tiller according to the Every 25 Hour Main¬
tenance instructions on page 6-
&. Gear the area to be tilled of all wire and other debris
which may be caught in or damage the tiller tines.
DEPTH CHAIN ADJUSTMENT
See figure 4 Maximum tilling depth is regulated by the depth
chain adjustment. Pin (E) may be placed in various holes
in bracket (F) to limit tilling depth. To increase tilling depth,
place pin {E} in one of the holes near the top of bracket (F).
Other operating settings which influence tilling depth are
covered under Tilling Depth on page 4.
OPERATING THE TRACTOR AND TILLER
CAUTION: NEVER BACK UP OR TURN SHARPLY
WITHOUT RAISING THE TILLER OUT OF THE
GROUND.
TRANSPORTING THE TILLER
The tiller should be transported in the raised position.
Ground speed should be adjusted according to the type and
condition of the ground surface. The owner's manual for
your tractor gives the approximate speeds and control set¬
tings for normal transport condrtions.
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