Troy-Bilt 8 HP - Manual (Page 30)

Clearing the tines of debris
Your Bolo Tines feature a self­
cleaning action which eliminates
most tangling in the tines. But oc­
casionally, dried out grass, stringy
stalks, or tough vines may become
tangled. It isn’t necessary to re­
move all the residue, but don’t let it
build up to a point where it chokes
off the action of the tines.
You can avoid most tangling
problems by setting the depth reg­
ulator deep enough to get maxi­
mum chopping action as the tines
chop the material against the
ground, and by tilling under crop
residues or cover crops while they
are still green, moist and tender.
Also, you might try swaying the
handlebars laterally from side to
side about 6 to 12 inches while
continuing to power compost. This
“fishtailing” action will often clear
the debris out of the tines.
If the tines become tangled.
STOP the engine and remove the
tangled material by hand. A small
pocket knife or linoleum knife will
help you to cut away the material.
A
WARNING
To help avoid personal injury, stop
the engine, remove the electric
start key and disconnect the spark
plug wire before attempting to
clean the tines by hand.
Tilling up and down slopes
If you must garden on a moderate
slope, then the best way to do so is
by planting rows up and down the
slope. Tilling vertically on a slope
permits you to use the entire area for
your seedbed, as well as to provide
enough room between rows so that
you can cultivate between them (you
lose these valuable benefits when
you terrace garden, which is dis­
cussed further on). See Photo 4-7.
Growing a garden vertically on a
slope does not involve much of a
soil erosion problem, as long as you
put in enough organic matter to im­
prove the moisture holding ability of
your soil and you do not leave foot­
prints or wheelmarks. Soil in this
condition is loose enough to pre­
vent packing, and is held together
well enough by those organic mate­
rials so that it readily absorbs water.
When tilling vertically on a slope,
try to make the first pass in an uphill
direction. The tines dig in much more
deeply going uphill than when going
downhill. In soft soil or weeds, you
may have to lift the handlebars up
slightly as you go uphill. When going
back down the slope, overlap your
first pass by about half the width of
the tiller. For best results, use the
“HIGH” belt range and “SLOW”
wheel speed setting while tilling up
and down slopes.
A
CAUTION
TO AVOID PERSONAL INJURY
• Do not operate the tiller on a
slope that is too steep for safe oper­
ation. Go slowly and make sure you
have good footing.
• Wear footwear that will increase
stability and reduce slippage.
• Do not use the “FAST” wheel
speed position while on sloping
ground.
• Do not shift the Wheel Speed
OR DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT:
Lever when heading up or down a
slope. If the lever is accidentally
placed in “FREE WHEEL”, the ma­
chine could roll out of control.
• To prevent engine damage due to
oil starvation, make sure that the
proper oil level is maintained during
all uphill tilling operations. Checkthe
oil level after every one-half hour of
operation.
4-7: Tilling on a moderate slope.
28