Craftsman 247.29932 Operator's Manual page 82

to the desiredpositionand replacethe wing nuts.Tightensecurely.
See Figure11.
ADJUSTING THE HANDLE HEIGHT
The handleshouldbe adjustedso that whenthe tilleris digging3-4"
intothe soil, the handlefalls to aboutwaste-high. T o adjusthandle,
simplyunlockthe HandleAdjustmentLock,then movethe handle bars
to the desiredpositionand then re-lockthe HandleAdjustmentLock.
CLEARING THE TINES
Beforeclearingthe tines by hand,stop theengine,allowall moving
partsto stopand disconnectthe sparkplug wire. Failureto followthis
warningcouldresultin personalinjury.
to 2" deep.Usingthe shallowtillingdepthhelpspreventinjuryto
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 soilfor better moisture
absorptionand fasterplantgrowth.)Wateringthe gardenarea a
few days priorto tillingwill maketillingeasier,as willletting the
newlyworked soilset for a dayor two beforemakinga final, deep
tilling pass.
Choosing the Correct Wheel & Tine Speeds
f
• Thetines havea self-clearingactionwhich eliminatesmostof the
tanglingof debris. However, o ccasionally dry grass,stringystalks
or toughvines may becometangled. Followthese procedures to
help avoidtanglingand to clearthe tines,if necessary.
• To reducetangling,set the depth regulatordeep enoughtoget
maximum"chopping"actionas the tines chopthe materialagainst
theground.Also,try to till undercrop residuesor cover crops
whilethey are green,moistandtender.
• Whiletilling,try swayingthe handlebarsfrom sideto side (about
6" to 12").This "fishtailing"actionoften clears thetines of debris.
TILLING TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Beforetilling,contactyour telephoneor utilitiescompanyand inquire
l ifunderground equipmentor linesare usedon your property.Do not
_tillnear buriedelectriccables,telephonelines,pipesor hoses.
Tilling Depth
• This is a DDT(dual-direction fine) tiller.As thewheels pull
forward,the tines rotatebackward.As thewheels pull rearward,
thetines rotateforward.This createsan "uppercut"fineaction
whichdigs deeply,uprootingsoil and weeds.Don'toverloadthe
engine,but dig as deeplyas possibleon eachpass On later
passes,the wheelsmay tendto spinin the softdirt. Helpthem
along bylifting up slightlyon the handlebar(one hand,palm up,
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 surfacesoilaroundthe plants
to destroyweeds,See Figure12),adjustthetines to dig only 1"
Deep tilling position
Figure11
f
Figure12
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