Tilling Tips & Techniques - Craftsman 247.29935 Operator's Manual

TiLLiNG TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Beforetilling, contactyourtelephoneor utilitiescompanyand inquire
l ifunderground equipmentor linesare usedon yourproperty.Do not
[till near buriedelectriccables,telephonelines, pipesor hoses.
Tilling Depth
o 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 surfacesoilaroundthe plants
to destroyweeds,See Figure18),try to havethe tines only dig 1"
to 2" deep.Usingthe shallowtillingdepthhelpspreventinjury to
the plantswhose rootsoften growcloseto the surface.If needed,
lift up on the handlebarsslightlyto preventthe tinesfrom digging
too deeply.(Cultivating on a regularbasis not onlyeliminates
weeds,italsoloosensand aeratesthe soilfor better moisture
absorptionand fasterplantgrowth.)Wateringthe gardenarea a
few days priorto tillingwill maketilling easier,as will letting the
newlyworkedsoil set for a dayor two beforemakinga final, deep
tillingpass.
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Figure18
Choosing the Correct Tine Speed
With experience,youwill find thetillingdepthand tillingspeed
combinationthat is best for yourgarden.Setthe enginethrottleleverat
a speedto givethe engineadequatepowerand yet allow it to operate
at the slowestpossiblespeeduntilyouhaveachievedthe maximum
tillingdepthyou desire.Fasterenginespeedsmay be desirable
whenmakingfinal passesthroughthe seedbedor whencultivating.
Selectionof thecorrectenginespeed,in relationto thetillingdepth,
will ensurea sufficientpowerlevelto do the jobwithoutcausingthe
engineto labor.
Suggested Tilling Patterns
• Whenpreparinga seedbed,go overthe samepathtwice in the
first row,then overlapone-halfthe tiller widthon the restof the
passes.See Figure19.
f
Whenfinishedin one direction,makea secondpass at a right
angle,See Figure20.Overlapeach passfor the best results(in
very hardground,itmaytake threeor fourpassesto thoroughly
pulverize the soil.)
r
Figure 20
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