Troy-Bilt PONY 664DM - Manual (Page 15)

Tilling Tips & Techniques
Clearing the tines
The tines have a self-clearing action
which eliminates most tangling of debris
in the tines. However, occasionally dry
grass, stringy stalks or tough vines may
become tangled. Follow these proce­
dures to help avoid tangling and to clean
the tines, if necessary.
• To reduce tangling, set the depth regu­
lator deep enough to get maximum
“chopping” action as the tines chop the
material against the ground. Also, try
to till under crop residues or cover
crops while they are green, moist and
tender.
• While power composting, try swaying
the handlebars from side to side (about
6" to 12"). This “fishtailing” action
often clears the tines of debris.
• If tangling occurs, lift the tines out of
the soil and run the tiller in reverse for
a few feet. This reversing action
should unwind a good deal of debris.
• If reversing the tiller doesn’t clear the
debris, it may be necessary to remove
the debris by hand (a pocket knife will
help you to cut away the material).
A WARNING
Before clearing the tines by hand, stop
the engine, allow all moving parts to
stop and disconnect the spark plug
wire. Remove the ignition key on elec­
tric start models.
Failure to follow this warning could
result in personal injury.
Tilling on slopes
If you must garden on a moderate
slope, please follow two very important
guidelines:
1. Tiii oniy on moderate siopes, never on
steep ground where footing is difficult
(review safety rules in the “Safety”
Section of this Manuai).
2. We recommend tiiiing up and down
slopes rather than terracing. Tilling
verticaiiy on a siope aliows maximum
pianting area and aiso ieaves room for
cuitivating.
IMPORTANT: When tiiiing on siopes, be
sure the correct oil level is maintained in
the engine (check every one-haif hour of
operation). The inciine of the siope will
cause the oil to slant away from its
normal level and this can starve engine
parts of required lubrication. Keep the
engine oil level at the full point at all
times!
A. Tilling up and down slopes:
• To keep soil erosion to a minimum, be
sure to add enough organic matter to
the soii so that it has good moisture­
holding texture and try to avoid leaving
footprints or wheei marks.
• When tiiiing verticaiiy, try to make the
first pass uphill as the tiller digs more
deeply going uphili than it does down-
hili. In soft soil or weeds, you may
have to lift the handiebars siightiy whiie
going uphiii. When going downhiil,
overiap the first pass by about one-half
the width of the tiiier.
B. Terrace Gardening:
• When a siope is too steep or too short
for verticai tiiiing, it may be necessary
to tiii across the slope and create ter­
raced rows. Terraces are rows that are
cut into the side of a slope, creating a
narrow, but fiat area on which to piant.
• On a iong siope, you can make several
terraces, one below the other.
’ Terraces should be only 2-to-3 feet
wide. Digging too far into the side of
the slope will expose poor subsoil that
is unproductive for piants.
’ 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 4-10.
’ Each succeeding iower terrace is
started by waiking beiow the terrace
you’re preparing. For added stability of
the tiiier, aiways keep the uphiii wheel
In the soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till
the last 12" or more of the downhill
outside edge of each terrace. This
untiiled strip heips prevents the ter­
races from breaking apart and washing
downhill. It also provides a walking
path between rows.
12 ' UNTiLLED
REPEAT
Figure 4-10
C. Tilling across slopes without
using terraces:
• If vertical or terracing gardening aren’t
practical for you, then you can till later­
ally across a slope. We don’t really
recommend this method as it can
create unsure footing and invites soii
erosion.
• As in terrace gardening, start at the top
of the slope and overlap the first pass
by half the width of the tiiier. For added
stabiiity of the tiiier, aiways keep the
uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled soil.