Clearing The Tines; Tilling Tips & Techniques - Craftsman 247.29930 Operator's Manual

CLEARING THE TINES
Beforeclearingthetines by hand,stop theengine,allowall moving
parts to stop and disconnectthe sparkplug wire. Failureto followthis
warningcouldresult in personalinjury.
* Thetines havea self-clearingaction whicheliminatesmostof the
tanglingof debris. However, o ccasionally dry grass,stringystalks
or tough vinesmay becometangled.Followthese procedures to
help avoidtanglingand to clearthe tines, ifnecessary.
* To reducetangling,set thedepth regulatordeep enoughto get
maximum"chopping"actionas the tines chopthe materialagainst
the ground.Also, try to till undercrop residuesor covercrops
whilethey are green,moistand tender.
* Whiletilling,try swayingthe handlebarsfrom sideto side(about
6" to 12").This "fishtailing" action oftenclears the tinesof debris.
TILLING TiPS & TECHNIQUES
Beforetilling, contactyourtelephoneor utilitiescompanyand inquire
l ifunderground equipmentor linesare usedon yourproperty.Do not
[till near buriedelectriccables,telephonelines, pipesor hoses.
Tilling Depth
* This isa CRT(counter-rotating tine)tiller. As thewheels pull
forward,the tines rotatebackward.This createsan "uppercut"
tine actionwhich digsdeeply,uprootingsoiland weeds.Don't
overloadtheengine,but dig as deeplyas possibleon eachpass
On laterpasses,the wheelsmay tendto spin inthe soft dirt. Help
them alongby lifting up slightlyon the handlebar (one hand,palm
up, worksmosteasily).
* Avoidthetemptationto pushdown on the handlebarsin an
attemptto force thetiller to dig deeper.Doingso takesthe weight
off the poweredwheels,causingthem to losetraction.Withoutthe
wheelsto hold the tiller back,the tines will attemptto propelthe
tiller backward, t owardsthe operator.
Whencultivating(breakingup the surfacesoil aroundthe plants
to destroyweeds,See Figure15),adjustthe tines to dig only 1"
to 2" deep. Usingthe shallowtillingdepthhelpspreventinjury to
the plantswhose rootsoften growclose to the surface.If needed,
lift up on the handlebarsslightlyto preventthe tines fromdigging
too deeply.(Cultivating on a regularbasisnot onlyeliminates
weeds,it also loosensand aeratesthe soil for bettermoisture
absorptionand fasterplantgrowth.)Wateringthegardenarea a
few days prior totilling will maketillingeasier,aswill lettingthe
newlyworkedsoil set for a dayor two beforemakinga final, deep
tilling pass.
Figure15
Choosing the Correct Wheel & Tine Speeds
With experience,you willfind thetilling depthand tillingspeed
combinationthat is bestfor yourgarden.Setthe enginethrottleleverat
a speedto givethe engineadequatepowerand yet allowit to operate
at the slowestpossiblespeeduntilyou haveachievedthe maximum
tillingdepthyou desire.Fasterengine speedsmaybe desirable
whenmakingfinal passesthroughtheseedbedor whencultivating.
Selectionof the correctengine speed,in relationto thetilling depth,
will ensurea sufficientpowerlevelto do thejobwithoutcausingthe
engineto labor.
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