Adjusting The Handle Height; Clearing The Tines; Tilling Tips & Techniques - Craftsman 247.29922 Operator's Manual

ADJUSTING THE HANDLE HEIGHT
The handleshouldbe adjustedso that whenthe tilleris digging3-4"
intothe soil, the handlefalls to aboutwaste-high. T o adjusthandle,
simplyloosenthe handleknob, movethe handleto the desiredheight
and retightenthe handleknob. See Figure17.
Beforeclearingthe tines by hand,stop theengine,allowall moving
partsto stopand disconnectthe sparkplug wire. Failureto followthis
warningcouldresultin personalinjury.
CLEARING THE TINES
Thetines havea self-clearingactionwhich eliminatesmostof the
tanglingof debris. However, o ccasionally dry grass,stringystalksor
toughvinesmay becometangled.Followthese proceduresto help
avoidtanglingand to clearthe tines,if necessary.
• Tryto till undercrop residuesor covercropswhile theyare green,
moistand tender.
• Whiletilling,try swayingthe handlebarsfrom sideto side (about
6" to 12").This "fishtailing"actionoften clears thetines of debris.
Beforetilling,contactyour telephoneor utilitiescompanyand inquire
l if underground equipmentor linesare usedon your property.Do not
|till near buriedelectriccables,telephonelines,pipesor hoses.
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TILLING TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Tilling Depth
• This isa FRT(forward-rotating fine) tiller.Whenthe forwardtine
engagement l everis pressedagainstthe handlethe tines rotate
forward.This createsan "uppercut"tine actionwhich digsdeeply,
uprootingsoiland weeds.Don'toverloadthe engine,but dig as
deeplyas possibleon eachpass.
• Whencultivating(breakingup the surfacesoilaroundthe plants
to destroyweeds,See Figure18),try to havethe tines onlydig 1"
to 2" deep.Usingthe shallowtilling depthhelpspreventinjury to
the plantswhose rootsoftengrow closeto the surface.If needed,
lift up on the handlebarsslightlyto preventthetines from digging
toodeeply.(Cultivatingon a regularbasis notonly eliminates
weeds,it alsoloosensand aeratesthe soilfor bettermoisture
absorptionand fasterplantgrowth.)Wateringthe gardenarea a
few daysprior to tillingwill maketillingeasier,as will lettingthe
newlyworkedsoil set fora day or two beforemakinga final, deep
tillingpass.
Figure17
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Figure18
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