Clearing The Tines; Tilling Tips & Techniques - Craftsman 247.29934 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,stringystalksor
toughvines may becometangled.Followtheseproceduresto help
avoidtanglingand to clear thetines, if necessary.
• 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 FRT(forward-rotating fine) tiller.Whenthe forwardtine
engagement l everis pressedagainstthe handlethe tines rotate
forward.This createsan "uppercut"fine actionwhich digsdeeply,
uprootingsoiland weeds.Don'toverloadthe engine,butdig as
deeplyas possibleon eachpass.
• Whencultivating (breakingup the surfacesoilaroundtheplantsto
destroyweeds,SeeFigure16),try to havethetines onlydig 1"to
2"deep.Usingtheshallowtillingdepthhelpspreventinjury to the
plantswhoserootsoftengrowcloseto the surface. I f needed,lift
up on the handlebars slightlyto prevent t hetines fromdiggingtoo
deeply.(Cultivating on a regularbasisnotonlyeliminatesweeds,it
alsoloosensand aerates the soilfor bettermoistureabsorption and
fasterplantgrowth.)Watering thegardenareaa fewdays priorto
tillingwill maketillingeasier,aswill lettingthe newlyworkedsoil set
fora dayor two beforemakinga final,deeptillingpass.
f
Choosing the Correct Tine Speed
With experience, youwill findthetillingdepthandtillingspeedcombina-
tionthat is bestfor yourgarden.Settheenginethrottleleverat a speed
to givetheengineadequatepowerand yet allowit to operateat the slow-
est possiblespeeduntilyouhaveachieved themaximumtillingdepth
youdesire.Fasterenginespeedsmaybe desirablewhenmakingfinal
passesthroughthe seedbedor whencultivating. S electionofthe correct
enginespeed,in relationto thetillingdepth,willensurea sufficientpower
leveltodo thejob withoutcausingtheengineto labor.
Suggested Tilling Patterns
• Whenpreparinga seedbed,go overthe samepathtwice in the
first row,then overlapone-halfthe tiller widthon the restof the
passes.See Figure17.
J
Figure17
Whenfinishedin one direction,makea secondpass at a right
angle,See Figure18.Overlapeachpass for the best results(in
very hardground,itmaytake threeor fourpassesto thoroughly
pulverize the soil).
mm_
Figure16
,J
14
Figure18