MTD 340 Series Operator's Manual page 10

4.
Throttle Control: The throttle control lever
adjusts the engine speed and stops the engine.
With the throttle control lever pushed completely
forward, the carburetor is in START position.
Pulling the throttle control back slightly adjusts
the engine speed to FAST. Pulling the throttle
back further reduces the engine speed to
SLOW. Pull the throttle completely back to stop
the engine.
Use maximum engine speed for deep tilling.
Move the throttle control to SLOW when
transporting the tiller.
TRANSPORTING THE TILLER
To transport the tiller to or from the garden, pivot the
depth stake forward, out of the way. (See Figure 12.)
With the throttle control in SLOW position, the unit
will walk freely on top of the lawn. If the operator
does not allow the tiller to move freely, the unit will
start to till the surface.
C ULTIVATING
For cultivating, a two to three inch depth is desirable.
Setting the wheels and depth stake so that the
wheels are about two inches above the ground while
the tiller is resting on the tines and depth stake will
allow the machine to work at cultivating depth. The
throttle should be set to control forward movement to
a slow walking speed. With the outer tines installed,
the working width of the machine is 22 or 24 inches.
For cultivation, this may be reduced to 13 inches by
removing the outer tines. Refer to Tine Width
Adjustment in Adjustment section. When laying out
plant rows, be sure to allow enough width to permit
cultivation between the rows. In growing corn or
similar crops, check-row planting will permit cross
cultivation and practically eliminate hand hoeing.
(See Figure 14.)
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The tiller has many uses other than tilling and
cultivating a garden. One of these is the preparation
of lawn area for seeding. The tiller will prepare a
deep seed bed which will be free of hard untilled
spots, allowing a better stand of grass to grow. The
tiller is very useful for loosening hard soil for
excavation with a shovel. No tedious hand pickwork
will be necessary. Your tiller may be used for mixing
compost in the pile, or for mixing it with the soil in
your garden. This should be done after the soil has
been broken to the full working depth. The compost
should be worked in to a depth of six to seven
inches. This may be done by working the length of
the garden, and then by making separate passes
across its width. The addition of decayed organic
matter will substantially increase the fertility of your
garden. For proper decaying action, fertilizer should
be applied and worked in with the mulch materials.
Breaking up leaves and straw and mixing it with
several inches of soil causes the soil to hold
moisture longer and allows proper aeration of the
plant root system. This also retards the growth of
weeds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and various
state and local agencies offer published booklets
and expert advice on all phases of gardening. They
should be consulted regarding soil information,
planting dates, and the most satisfactory varieties of
crop for your particular area.
SECTION 8: ADJUSTMENTS
WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug
wire and ground against the engine
before performing any adjustments,
repairs, or maintenance.
TINE WIDTH ADJUSTMENT
The tilling width of the unit is 22 inches. (See Figure
15.) Tilling width can be increased to 24 inches by
removing the clevis pins and hairpin clips, sliding the
outer tines out one inch, and securing in this position
with the clevis pins and hairpin clips. (See Figure
16.) For cultivation, reduce the tine width to 13
inches by removing the outer tines completely. (See
Figure 17.)
Figure 14
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