Tilling Tips & Techniques - Craftsman 247.23000 Operator's Manual

TiLLiNG TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Beforetilling,contactyour telephoneor utilitiescompanyand inquire
l ifunderground equipmentor linesare usedon your property.Do not
_tillnear buriedelectriccables,telephonelines,pipesor hoses.
Tilling Depth
• Don'toverloadthe engine,but dig as deeplyas possibleon each
pass.On later passes,the wheelsmay tendto spin in the soft dirt.
Helpthem alongby lifting up slightlyon the handlebar (one hand,
palmup,worksmosteasily).
• Avoidthe temptationto pushdownon the handlebarsinan
attemptto forcethe tillerto dig deeper.Doingso takestheweight
off the poweredwheels,causingthem to losetraction.Without
thewheels to hold thetiller back,the tines willattemptto propel
towardsthe operatoror awayfrom the operator.
• Whencultivating (breakingup the surfacesoilaroundtheplants
to destroyweeds,See Figure15),adjustthetinesto dig only 1"to
2"deep.Usingthe shallowtillingdepthhelpspreventinjury to the
plantswhoserootsoftengrowclosetothe surface.If needed,lift
up on the handlebars slightlyto preventthetinesfrom diggingtoo
deeply.(Cultivating on a regularbasisnotonlyeliminates weeds,it
alsoloosensandaeratesthe soilforbettermoistureabsorption and
fasterplantgrowth.)Watering thegardenareaa fewdayspriorto
tillingwill maketillingeasier, a s will lettingthenewlyworkedsoil set
fora dayor two beforemakinga final,deeptillingpass.
,J
Figure15
Suggested Tilling Patterns
• Whenpreparinga seedbed,go overthe same pathtwicein the
first row,then overlapone-halfthe tillerwidth on the rest ofthe
passes.See Figure16.
Figure16
Whenfinishedin one direction,makea secondpassat a right
angle.See Figure17.Overlapeachpass for the best results(in
very hard ground,it maytake threeor fourpassesto thoroughly
pulverizethe soil.)
_mm
Choosing the Correct Wheel & Tine Speeds
Withexperience, y ouwillfindthe tillingdepthand tillingspeedcombina-
tionthat is bestforyourgarden.Settheenginethrottleleverata speed
to givethe engineadequatepowerandyet allowit tooperateat theslow-
est possiblespeeduntilyouhaveachieved the maximum tillingdepth
youdesire.Fasterenginespeedsmaybe desirablewhenmakingfinal
passesthroughthe seedbedor whencultivating. S election of thecorrect
enginespeed,in relationtothe tillingdepth,will ensurea sufficientpower
levelto do thejobwithoutcausingthe engineto labor.
15
Figure17