Troy-Bilt 15009 - Manual (Page 27)

BEFORE STARTING, ALWAYS:
1. Check the engine oil level; add oil as neces­
sary to bring the level up to the FULL mark on
the dipstick or to the point of overflowing if your
engine has an oil fill tube.
2. Make sure the engine air cleaner element is
clean and the air cleaner assembly is tight.
3. Be sure the gas tank has clean, fresh gasoline.
The gas tank cap must be screwed on tightly.
4. Check the spark plug wire; make sure that it is
securely attached to the spark plug.
5. Put the Wheel Gear Lever (on Econo-Horse
and Pony Models) in ENGAGE. On Junior tillers,
the Wheel Drive Pins must be ENGAGED
through the wheel hubs and the wheel shaft.
TO BEGIN TILLING:
1. Make sure that the Wheel Gear Lever is in
ENGAGE on Econo-Horse and Pony Models. On
the Junior Model, the Wheel Drive Pins have to
be engaged.
2. Move the Depth Regulator Lever to the de­
sired position.
When practicing with your tiller or when mov­
ing the tiller to or from the garden, keep the tines
in the “travel” position.
When tilling, you must move the Depth
Regulator Lever to the desired setting, increase
the engine speed, and then begin tilling.
3. Start the engine and allow it to warm up be­
fore increasing the engine speed.
4. For forward motion of the wheels/tines, pull
the Forward Clutch “paddles” up and hold them
up against the handlebars.
If you want to go forward in close quarters,
push the Maneuvering Clutch Lever in. The
tines/wheels rotate while you hold the lever in.
5. For REVERSE motion of the wheels/tines, lift
the rear of the tiller up until its tines clear the
ground and then pull the Maneuvering Clutch
Lever out. Hold the Maneuvering Clutch Lever
out for as long as you need to move in reverse.
To
stop reverse motion, let go of the
Maneuvering Clutch Lever. It will automatically
return to NEUTRAL.
TURNING AROUND
Turning your tiller around is fairly easy. You
should practice this maneuver before you take
your tiller into the garden for the first time. See
Photos 4-2 and 4-3.
The key to turning around is remembering that
the balance point of your tiller is the wheels.
When ready to turn around, lift up on the handle­
bars to find where the engine and tines are bal­
anced. Then push sideways on the handlebar to
move the tiller in the direction of the turn.
Photo 4-2: When you reach the end of a row, slow
the engine down and lift up on the handlebars to
raise the tines from the soil.
Photo 4-3: Use the wheels as a pivot point to balance
the engine and tines. Push the handlebars sideways
to move the tiller in the direction of the turn, and con­
tinue up the next row.
STOPPING THE TILLER AND ENGINE
1. To stop the wheels/tines, release the
Forward Clutch “paddles” or release the
Maneuvering Clutch Lever (whichever control
you have engaged).
2. If you want to stop the engine, move the
Engine Throttle Lever to STOP. If you have an
electric start model, you could also turn the
Engine Ignition Switch to OFF.
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