Troy-Bilt 12235, Owner'S Manual

TROUBLESHOOTING: Push the primer
bulb in two (2) more times.  Using a rapid
full stroke, pull out the starting rope up to
ten (10) times.  If engine still does not
start, wait 15 minutes.  Do not prime
engine further.  Grasp start rope and pull
with a rapid, full stroke up to ten (10)
times.

TILLING AND CULTIVATING

Use your machine to break up sod, pre-
pare seedbeds and for cultivating in gar-
dens and flower beds.  It is easy to op-
erate, but it is important that you start out
slowly and read this Section thoroughly
before putting it to use.  Let the machine
do most of the work.  The tines will pull
the machine forward, letting you adjust
forward speed by pressing down or lifting
the handlebar.

1. Roll the machine to the work area.

2. Adjust the tilling depth to the desired
position (see Pre-Start Preparation, pre-
vious page).

3. Start the engine (see Stopping and
Starting the Engine, previous page).
Stand behind the handlebar and push
down on thehandlebar to raise the tines
off the ground.  

Squeeze the Throttle/Tines Lever– the
engine should speed up and the tines
start rotating.  Release the Throttle/Tines
Lever to return to idle, the tines should
stop rotating or they may rotate very
slowly.  Lowering them back to the
ground should stop any rotation.

NOTE: If tines continue to rotate when
engine is idling, either the idle speed is
too high or the centrifugal clutch is mal-
functioning.  If this occurs, contact the
Factory or your local authorized dealer.

4. Squeeze the Throttle/Tines Lever to
start the tines rotating.  Lower the tines to
begin tilling.  Firmly hold the handlebar to
prevent the machine from moving for-
ward too quickly and to allow enough
time for the tines to dig deeply enough.
Adjust engine speed to suit the tilling
conditions.  Remember that the rotating
tines help to pull the machine forward.
Use slower speeds and a shallow depth
setting when learning to use the unit and
whenever you are tilling on hard, rough or
uneven ground.

5. Do not try to till too deeply in the first
pass through sod or very hard ground.  If
the machine jumps or bucks, use a shal-
lower depth setting and reduce the engine
speed.  With each successive pass, till
more deeply.

6. Apply downward pressure on the han-
dlebar for shallower tilling.  Lift the han-
dlebar to dig more deeply.  If the machine
stays and tills in one spot, try swinging
the handlebar from side to side to start
moving forward again.

7. For easier tilling, water very hard soil a
few days before tilling.  Avoid working
soggy or wet soil.  Wait a day or two after
heavy rain for the ground to dry.

Cultivating

1. Cultivating is shallow tilling that dis-
rupts weeds and aerates the upper crust
of soil.

2. Do not till deeper than 1"-2" to avoid
injuring nearby plant roots.  Cultivate
often, so that weeds do not grow large
and cause needless tangling in the tines.

3. With careful planning, you can space
the seed rows far enough apart to allow
sufficient room for the machine to culti-
vate after the plants have grown.

Adjusting Tine Patterns

Depending upon the tilling project, you
have a choice of three tine patterns:

Wide (Standard) Tine Pattern – As
shipped from the factory, the unit is set
up for general tilling and cultivating.  This
10" wide tine pattern (the maximum tilling
width) uses all four tine sections 
(A, Figure 9).  See Tine Removal and In-
stallation in Section 5 for detailed informa-
tion on how to set up this tine pattern.

Narrow Tine Pattern – For a narrow, 
4-1/2" tilling width, remove the outside
tine section on the left- and right-sides 
(B, Figure 9).  See Tine Removal and In-
stallation in Section 5 for detailed informa-
tion on how to set up this tine pattern.

Stony Soil Tine Pattern – When tilling
deeply in stony soil, stones may become
jammed between the inner tines and the
machine hood.  This pattern swaps the
two inner tines to minimize jamming (C,
Figure 9).  See Tine Removal and Installa-
tion in Section 5 for detailed information
on how to set up this tine pattern.

Section 4:  Operation

Figure 9:  “A” - all four tine gangs in standard pattern; “B” - two outer gangs  removed for narrow tilling; “C” - the two inner gangs have
been swapped for stony tilling conditions.

A

B

C

9

Keep away from rotating tines.   Rotating
tines will cause serious personal injury.

WARNING