Craftsman C459-62206-1 Operator's Manual

15OPERATION• When breaking up sod and for shallow cultivation, use the settingwhich gives 1” of tilling depth (second hole from the top). Placethe side shields in their lowest position.• For further depth, raise the depth stake and side shields and alsomake one or two more passes over the area.• When tilling loose soil, the depth stake may be raised to itshighest position (use bottom adjustment hole) to give the deepesttilling depth. Raise the side shields to their highest position.• To transport tiller, lower the depth stake (use top adjustment hole).To adjust the depth stake, remove the clevis pin and cotter pin. Movethe depth stake to the desired setting and secure with the clevis pinand cotter pin. See Figure 15.To adjust the side shields, remove the wing nuts. Move the side shieldto the desired position and replace the wing nuts. Tighten securely.See Figure 16.TILLING TIPS & TECHNIQUESWARNINGBefore tilling, contact your telephone or utilities company and inquireif underground equipment or lines are used on your property. Do nottill near buried electric cables, telephone lines, pipes or hoses.Tilling Depth• Don’t overload the engine, but dig as deeply as possible on eachpass. On later passes, the wheels may tend to spin in the soft dirt.Help them along by lifting up slightly on the handlebar (one hand,palm up, works most easily).• Avoid the temptation to push down on the handlebars in anattempt to force the tiller to dig deeper. Doing so takes the weightoff the powered wheels, causing them to lose traction. Withoutthe wheels to hold the tiller back, the tines will attempt to propeltowards the operator or away from the operator.• When cultivating (breaking up the surface soil around the plantsto destroy weeds, See Figure 17), adjust the tines to dig only 1” to2” deep. Using the shallow tilling depth helps prevent injury to theplants whose roots often grow close to the surface. If needed, liftup on the handlebars slightly to prevent the tines from digging toodeeply. (Cultivating on a regular basis not only eliminates weeds, italso loosens and aerates the soil for better moisture absorption andfaster plant growth.) Watering the garden area a few days prior totilling will make tilling easier, as will letting the newly worked soil setfor a day or two before making a final, deep tilling pass.Figure 17Choosing the Correct Wheel & Tine SpeedsWith experience, you will find the tilling depth and tilling speed combina-tion that is best for your garden. Set the engine throttle lever at a speedto give the engine adequate power and yet allow it to operate at the slow-est possible speed until you have achieved the maximum tilling depthyou desire. Faster engine speeds may be desirable when making finalpasses through the seedbed or when cultivating. Selection of the correctengine speed, in relation to the tilling depth, will ensure a sufficient powerlevel to do the job without causing the engine to labor.Transport7”5”3”1”Cotter PinClevis PinDepth StakeFigure 15Wing NutSide ShieldFigure 16