MTD 216-100A - Manual (Page 3)

4. Check gear case for proper lubricant level. With
tiller on a level surface, lubricant level should be
up to the front pipe plug opening. This can be
checked by removing front pipe plug. Maintain cor­
rect lubricant level with Mobilube SAE 140 Gear Oil
or equivalent. The gear case holds five (5) ounces
of lubricant.
5. Fill fuel tank with clean, fresh, regular grade gas­
oline. This should be used at all times.
6. Check engine crankcase for proper oil level. The
engine is shipped without oil in the crankcase. Be
sure to fill crankcase before starting engine. Be
sure crankcase is FULL. See engine manual for cor­
rect type and amount.
NOTE
The engine is warranted separately by the engine
manufacturer. For warranty service contact the engine
manufacturer or their local authorized service station.
All important information pertaining to care and oper­
ation is included in the engine manual.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
For your own convenience and safety, observe all safe­
ty suggestions shown in this manual. Your tiller is
not a toy, it is a precision piece of power equipment.
Treat it as such.
It is important to recognize the fact that the forward
and penetrating action of the rotary tiller is obtained
from the rotating action of the tines in the soil. The
depth bar acts as a brake for the tiller and controls the
depth and speed at which the machine will operaie. By
lowering the setting of the depth bar, the forward
speed of the machine is reduced and the working depth
of the tines is increased. Raising the setting of the depth
bar increases the forward speed and reduces the work­
ing depth. When soil conditions are severe and sev­
eral passes must be made over a certain area, the
depth bar setting should be lowered each time a pass
is made. Further control of tilling depth and travel speed
can be obtained by variation of pressure on the han­
dles or the throttle setting. A downward pressure on
the handles will increase the working depth and reduce
the forward speed. An upward pressure on the han­
dles will reduce the working depth and increase the
forward speed. The type of soil and working conditions
will determine the actual setting of the depth bar and
the handle pressure required.
STARTING YOUR TILLER
1. Be sure clutch control handle is in NEUTRAL po­
sition.
1. Tine engagement and forward travel is achieved by
moving the clutch lever to FORWARD po­
sition. Tine rotation and forward motion are stopped
by moving the clutch lever to NEUTRAL
position.
2. Move throttle lever to START position on engine.
3. After cranking the engine several times or as the
engine fires, move the throttle lever to RUN posi­
tion.
4. Adjust throttle lever for desired operating speed.
5. To stop engine, move throttle lever to STOP posi­
tion. Keep throttle lever in STOP position at all
times when tiller is not in use.
NOTE
A brief break-in period is essential to insure
maximum engine life. This consists of running the en­
gine at half speed for a period of time required to
use one tank of gasoline. This is necessary on the ini­
tial run only. It is also recommended that the oil be
changed after five (5) hours of operation. This allows
for the removal of impurities which may have accumu­
lated
during the break-in period. Subsequent oil
changes should be made as stated in the engine man­
ual. Always check oil before using your tiller. Be sure
oil level is adequate.
2. The throttle lever adjusts the engine speed. It also
gives fingertip control of the carburetor and mag­
neto stop switch. When the throttle lever is pushed
completely to the right from behind the tiller, the
carburetor is in START position. Pulling the lever
to the left reduces the engine speed to SLOW. When
the lever is pulled completely to the left from be­
hind the tiller, the magneto stop switch grounds
out the spark and stops the engine.
When the depth bar is positioned out of ground en­
gagement, self-propelled transporting of the tiller
is easily achieved. With no pressure on the handles
and the throttle lever set for SLOW engine speed,
move the clutch control handle to the FORWARD
position and let the tiller gently propel itself.
ADJUSTMENTS
Belts—Belt slack is taken up by a spring loaded idler
pulley. Because of this, belt adjustment is not required.
Clutch—No adjustment of the lower clutch rod is re­
quired. This is done automatically by the spring loaded
idler.