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15
OPERATION
Tilling on a Slope
WARNING
Do not operate the tiller on a slope too steep for safe operation. Till slowly
and be sure you have good footing. Never permit the tiller to freewheel
down slopes. Failure to follow this warning could result in personal injury.
1. Till only on moderate slopes, never on steep ground where the footing is
difficult.
2. Tilling up and down slopes is recommended rather than terracing. Tilling
vertically on a slope allows maximum planting area and also leaves room for
cultivating.
NOTE: when tilling on slopes, be sure the correct oil level is maintained in
the engine (check every one-half hour of operation). The incline of the slope
will cause the oil to slant away from its normal level and this can starve
engine parts of the required lubrication. Keep the motor oil level at the full
point at all times.
Tilling Up & Down a Slope
1. To keep soil erosion to a minimum, be sure to add enough organic matter to
the soil so that it has good moisture-holding texture and try to avoid leaving
footprints or wheel marks.
2. When tilling vertically, try to make the first pass uphill as the tiller digs more
deeply going uphill than it does downhill. In soft soil or weeds, you may have
to lift the handlebars slightly while going uphill. When going downhill, overlap
the first pass by about one-half the width of the tiller.
Terrace Gardening
1. To create a terrace, start at the top of the slope and work down. Go back and forth
across the first row as shown in Figure 22.
1
2
3
12" UNTILLED
1
REPEAT
DOWNHILL
UPHILL
Figure 22
2. Each succeeding lower terrace is started by walking below the terrace you’re
preparing. For added stability of the tiller, always keep the uphill wheel in
the soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till the last 12” or more of the downhill
outside edge of each terrace. This untilled strip helps prevent the terraces
from breaking apart and washing downhill. It also provides a walking path
between rows.
Loading & Unloading the tiller
WARNING
Loading and unloading the tiller into a vehicle is potentially hazardous and
doing so is not recommended unless absolutely necessary, as this could
result in personal injury or property damage.
If it is necessary to load or unload the tiller, follow these guidelines.
• Stop the engine, wait for all parts to stop moving, disconnect the spark plug
wire and let the engine and muffler cool.
• The tiller is too heavy and bulky to be lifted safely by one person. Two or
more people should share the load.
• Use sturdy ramps and manually — with the engine shut off — roll the tiller
into and out of the vehicle. Two or more people are needed to do this.
• The ramps must be strong enough to support the combined weight of the tiller
and any handlers. The ramps should provide good traction to prevent slipping,
they should have side rails to guide the tiller along the ramps and they should
have a locking device to secure them to the vehicle.
• The handlers should wear sturdy footwear that will help prevent slipping.
• Position the loading vehicle so that the ramp angle is as flat as possible (the
less incline to the ramp, the better). Turn the vehicle’s engine off and apply
its parking brake.
• When going up ramps, stand in the normal operating position and push the
tiller ahead of you. Have a person at each side to turn the wheels.
• When going down ramps, walk backward with the tiller following you. Keep alert for
any obstacles behind you. Position a person at each wheel to control the speed of the
tiller. Never go down ramps tiller-first, as the tiller could tip forward.
• Place wooden blocks on the downhill side of the wheels if you need to stop
the tiller from rolling down the ramp. Also, use the blocks to temporarily
keep the tiller in place on the ramps (if necessary), and to chock the wheels
in place after the tiller is in the vehicle.
• After loading the tiller, prevent it from rolling by engaging the wheels in the
wheel drive position. Chock the wheels with blocks and securely tie the tiller
down.
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