Troy-Bilt 650 User Manual

To create a terrace, start at the top of the slope and work 

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down. Go back and forth across the first row as shown in 

Fig. 5-8. 

Each succeeding lower terrace is started by walking below 

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the terrace you’re preparing. For added stability of the 

tiller, always keep the uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled 

soil. Do not till the last 12” or more of the downhill outside 

edge of each terrace. This untilled strip helps prevents the 

terraces from breaking apart and washing downhill. It also 

provides a walking path between rows.

Loading and unloading the tiller into a 

vehicle is potentially hazardous and doing so is not 

recommend unless absolutely necessary, as this 

could result in personal injury or property damage. 
However, if you must load or unload the tiller, follow 

the guidelines given next.

Before loading or unloading, stop the engine, wait for all 

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parts to stop moving, disconnect the spark plug wire and 

let the engine and muffler cool. 
The tiller is too heavy and bulky to be lifted safely by one 

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person. Two or more people should share the load.
Use sturdy ramps and manually — with the engine shut 

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off — roll the tiller into and out of the vehicle. Two or more 

people are needed to do this.
The ramps must be strong enough to support the 

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combined weight of the tiller and any handlers. The ramps 

should provide good traction to prevent slipping, they 

should have side rails to guide the tiller along the ramps 

and they should have a locking device to secure them to 

the vehicle.
The handlers should wear sturdy footwear that will help 

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prevent slipping.
Position the loading vehicle so that the ramp angle is as flat 

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as possible (the less incline to the ramp, the better). Turn 

the vehicle’s engine off and apply its parking brake.
When going up ramps, stand in the normal operating 

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position and push the tiller ahead of you. Have a person at 

each side to turn the wheels.
When going down ramps, walk backward with the tiller 

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following you. Keep alert for any obstacles behind you. 

Position a person at each wheel to control the speed of the 

tiller. Never go down ramps tiller-first, as the tiller could tip 

forward.
Place wooden blocks on the downhill side of the wheels 

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if you need to stop the tiller from rolling down the ramp. 

Also, use the blocks to temporarily keep the tiller in place 

on the ramps (if necessary), and to chock the wheels in 

place after the tiller is in the vehicle.
After loading the tiller, prevent it from rolling by engaging 

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the wheels in the WHEEL DRIVE position. Chock the wheels 

with blocks and securely tie the tiller down.

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