To Start Engine; Tilling Hints; Cultivating; Tine Shear Pins - Craftsman 917.298560 Owner's Manual

TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 13)
.............. i I II Ill I LIIIJ I _L ILUII IIIII
CAUTION: Keep drive control bar in J
DISENGAGED position when start- J
ing engine. J
............ i Hll _l j t ll,l,,
, Make sure spark plug wire is properly connected.
° Move shift lever indicator to"N" (neutral) position.
, Place throttle control in "FAST" position.
= To start a cold engine, place choke control in"CHOKE"
position. Awarm engine requires less choking to starL
= Grasp starter handle with one hand and grasp the tiller
with other hand. Pull rope out slowly until engine
reaches start of compression cycle (rope wilt pull
slightly harder at this point).
, Pull starter handle quickly. Do not let starter handle
snap back against starter°
, When engine starts, slowly move choke to"RUN" posi-
tions as engine warms upo
° Move throttle control to desired running position.
° Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before
engaging tines.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold
temperatures (below 32°F), the carburetor fuel mixture
may need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See
TO ADJUST CARBURETOR in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual.
CHOKE
PLUG
RECOIL STARTER
HANDLE
FIG. 13
TILLING HINTS
iA .................. .........
CAUTION: Until you are accustomedto
handling your tdler, start actual field
use with throttle in slow position (mid-
way between IIFAST" and "iDLE").
t i i ul
, Tilling is digging into, turning over, and breaking up
packed soil before planting. Loose, unpacked soil
helps root growth. Best tilling depth is 4' to 6". A tiller
will also clear the soil of unwanted vegetation. The
decomposition of this vegetable matter enriches the
soil. Depending on the climate (rainfall and wind), it
may be advisable to till the soil at the end of the growing
season to further condition the soil.
= For easier handling of your tiller, leave about 8 inches
of untilled soil between the first and second tilling
passes. The third pass will be between the first and
second (See Fig° 14).
12
° Soilconditions are important for proper tilling. Tines will
not readily penetrate dry, hard soil which may contrib-
ute to excessive bounce and difficulthandling of your
tiller. Hard soil should be moistened before tilling;
however, extremely wet soil will "ball-up" or clump
during tilling, Wait until the soil is less wet in order to
achieve the best results.When tillingin the fall, remove
vines and long grass to prevent them from wrapping
aroundthe tine shaft and slowing your tUling operation.
° Do not lean on handle. This takes weightoffthe wheels
and reduces traction, To get through a really tough
section of sod or hard ground, apply upward pressure
on handle or lower the depth stake.
FIG. 14
CULTIVATING
Cultivating is destroying the weeds between rows to pre-
vent them from robbing nourishment and moisture from the
plants. At the same time, breaking up the upper layer of soil
crust wiUhelp retain moisture in the soil. Best digging depth
ts 1" to 3"° Lower the outer side shields to protect small
plants from being buried.
• Cultivate up and down the rows at a speed which will
allow tines to uproot weeds and leave the ground in
rouqh condition, promoting no further growth of weeds
ancrgrass (See Fig. 15).
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FIG. 15
TINE SHEAR PINS
The tine assemblies on your tiller are secured to the tine
shaft with shear pins (See 'q'INE REPLACEMENT" in the
Service and Adjustments section of this manual).
If the tiller is unusually overloaded or jammed, the shear
pins are designed to break before internaldamage occurs
to the transmission.
° If shear pin(s) break, replace onlywith those shown in
the Repair Parts section of this manual