Gas-powered lawn tillers make quick work of small to moderately sized plots of land.
Whether you're preparing a new large patch of land for planting a lawn or a small section of your backyard for starting a garden, before you plant you often have to till the soil using a lawn tiller. Tilling breaks up the soil, creating a topsoil mix that's more suited for new growth than an untouched surface. A lawn tiller contains a set of blades that quickly breaks up the surface for you. While using a lawn tiller isn't difficult, there are several general types, each with a slightly different method of application. Knowing which type and apply that specific type can save you time and trouble. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Preparation
1. Remove any visible rocks from the tilling area and cut the groundcover low with a lawn mower. Water clay-rich soil with a garden hose to soften the clay surface slightly before tilling.
2. Examine the lawn tiller to determine the type that you're using. There are three primary tiller types: manual, electric and gas. You can tell the difference by looking for an engine and starter switch. If the engine is a pull string engine, then the tiller is gas powered; if it's a push button starter, then it's electric powered; and if there is no engine, then it's a manual tiller.
3. Move the tiller to a corner of the tilling area and position it so that you can push the tiller in lines across the tilling area to cover the entire ground.
Gas Tillers
4. Remove the gas cover and check to ensure that the tiller has fuel in its tank. Add more if the tank is empty or low, filling the tank to about the 3/4 full. Check the oil level, adding oil to the tiller if needed. Make certain the gas tank cover is firmly closed and the oil cap is in place before use.
5. Pull sharply on the starting string to start the engine, and then pull on the clutch on the tiller's handle bar to begin blade movement. Hold the tiller steady because it will start to move in the direction it's pointed.
6. Direct the tiller along the ground in a straight line following the edge of the tiller area. Do not push the machine, allow the blades to provide the momentum for the tiller as it breaks through the soil. When you reach the end of the line, direct the tiller in a turn and go back in the other direction towards your starting point along a new line of unbroken ground. Allow the tiller to overlap the first line by a few inches. Continue in this way covering each new row of ground until you've broken all the earth required. Release the clutch and turn off the tiller once you've finished.
Electric Tillers
7. Plug the cord of the tiller into a grounded socket nearby.
8. Press the start button to start the rotation of the tiller blades.
9. Push the tiller forward in a straight line along the edge of the tilling area. Use a slow, steady pace, allowing the blades to do the work of breaking through the soil. When your reach the end of a row, slowly turn the tiller back in the direction you came from and break another lane of soil with the blades. Make sure that you overlap the first lane of soil, and that you do not run the blades over the electrical cord. Continue breaking the soil until you've covered as much ground as you wish. Turn the starter to the off position to stop blade rotation.
Manual Tiller
10. Push the tiller forward holding onto the handles as you do so. The blades will dig into the ground and break up the soil as you move along.
11. Reposition the tiller at the end of the lane so that the edges overlap the previously broken grass by about 2 inches. Push the tiller in the opposite direction towards the starting position, breaking a new row of soil. Continue row after row until you complete the process over the entire tilling area.
12. Examine the tilling area for any spots not completely broken. Return to the spot with the tiller and go over that area a second time, allowing the blades to complete the process of breaking up the soil at the location.
Tags: tilling area, lawn tiller, breaking soil, engine then, Push tiller