Sears Craftsman 450 Serie Manual De Uso página 13

Clearing the Tines
Before clearing the tines by hand, stop the engine, allow all moving parts
to stop and disconnect the spark plug wire. Failure to follow this warning
could result in personal injury.
• The tines have a self-clearing action which eliminates most of the tangling
of debris. However, occasionally dry grass, stringy stalks or tough vines may
become tangled. Follow these procedures to help avoid tangling and to clear
the tines, if necessary.
• To reduce tangling, set the depth regulator 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 tilling, try swaying the handlebars from side to side (about 6" to 12").
This "fishtailing" action often clears the tines of debris.
Tilling Tips and Techniques
Before tilling, contact your telephone or utilities company and inquire if
underground equipment or lines are used on your property. Do not till near
buried electric cables, telephone lines, pipes or hoses.
Tilling Depth
• This is a DDT (dual-direction tine) tiller. As the wheels pull forward, the tines
rotate backward. As the wheels pull rearward, the tines rotate forward. This
creates an "uppercut" tine action which digs deeply, uprooting soil and weeds.
Don't overload the engine, but dig as deeply as possible on each pass 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 an attempt to force
the tiller to dig deeper. Doing so takes the weight off the powered wheels,
causing them to lose traction. Without the wheels to hold the tiller back, the
tines will attempt to propel towards the operator or away from the operator.
OPERATION
WARNING
WARNING
• When cultivating (breaking up the surface soil around the plants to destroy
weeds, See Figure 16), adjust the tines to dig only 1" to 2" deep. Using the
shallow tilling depth helps prevent injury to the plants whose roots often
grow close to the surface. If needed, lift up on the handlebars slightly to
prevent the tines from digging too deeply. (Cultivating on a regular basis not
only eliminates weeds, it also loosens and aerates the soil for better moisture
absorption and faster plant growth.) Watering the garden area a few days
prior to tilling will make tilling easier, as will letting the newly worked soil
set for a day or two before making a final, deep tilling pass.
Choosing the Correct Wheel and Tine Speeds
• With experience, you will find the tilling depth and tilling speed combination
that is best for your garden. Set the engine throttle lever at a speed to
give the engine adequate power and yet allow it to operate at the slowest
possible speed until you have achieved the maximum tilling depth you
desire. Faster engine speeds may be desirable when making final passes
through the seedbed or when cultivating. Selection of the correct engine
speed, in relation to the tilling depth, will ensure a sufficient power level to
do the job without causing the engine to labor.
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Figure 16