Craftsman 917.2922 User Manual

Owner’s Manual

CRRnSMRN

3 75 HP

17 INCH TINE WIDTH

PROMT TIME TILLER

Model No. 917,292200

® Safety ® Assembly

® Operation ® Maintenance ® Repair Parts

This product has a low emission engine which operates differ ently from previously built engines. Before you start the engine, read and understand this Owner's Manual.

CAUTION:

Read and follow ail Safety Rules and instructions before operating this equipment

For answers to your questions about this product, Call;

1-800-659-5917

Sears Craftsman Help Line

5 am - 5 pm, Mon - Sat

Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

Safety Rules.. Warranty

Product Specifications ... Assembly Operation Maintenance,,'.

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2 Service and Adjustments,...

Storage

Troubleshooting

Illustrated Parts List Parts Ordering

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...Back Cover

13 16 18 20

PÜi

LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN TILLER For one (1) year from date of purchase, when this Craftsman Tiller is maintained, lubri

cated, and tuned up according to the operating and maintenance instructions in the owner’s manual, Sears will repair free of charge any defect in materia! or workmanship. This Warranty does not cover: “ Expendable items which become worn during norma! use, such as tines, spark plugs,

air cleaners and belts.

0 Repairs necessary because of operator abuse or negligence, including bent crank

shafts and the failure to maintain the equipment according to the instructions con tained in the owner's manual,

® If this Craftsman Tiller is used for commercial or rental purposes, this Warranty

applies for only thirty (30) days from the date of purchase. Warranty service is available by returning the craftsman power mower to the nearest sears service center/department in the united states. This warranty applies only while this product is in use in the united states.

This Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you tnay also have other rights which vary from state to state, ' SEARS, ROEBUCKANDCO., D/817WA, HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL 60179

SAFETY RULES

TRAINING

® Read the Owner’s Manual carefully. Be

thoroughly familiar with the controls and the proper use of the equipment. Know

how to stop the unit and disengage the

controls quickly.

“ Never allow children to operate the

equipment Never allow adults to oper ate the equipment without proper instruction,.

» Keep the area of operation clear of all

persons, particulariy small children, and pets.

PREPARATION

® Thoroughly inspect the area where the

equipment is to be used and remove ail

foreign objects.

o Disengage all dutches and shift into

neutral before starting the engine (mo tor).

Do not operate the equipment without wearing adequate outer garments. Wear footwear that will improve footing on slippery surfaces.

Handle fuel with care; it is highly flam mable.

Use an approved fuel container. Never add fuel to a running engine or hot engine. Fill fuel tank outdoors with extreme cate. Never fill fuel tank indoors. Replace gasoline cap securely and clean up spilled fuel before restarting. Use extension cords and receptacles as specified by the manufacturer for all units with electric drive motors or elec tric starting motors. Never attempt to make any adjustments while the engine (motor) is running (except where specifically recommend ed by manufacturer).

OPERATION

® Do not put hands or feet near or under

rotating parts,

“ Exercise extreme caution when operat

ing on or crossing gravel drives, walks, or roads. Stay alert for hidden hazards or traffic. Do not carry passengers,

® After striking a foreign object, stop the

engine (motor), remove the wire from the spark plug, thoroughly inspect the tiller for any damage, and repair the damage before restarting and operating the tiller,

o Exercise caution to avoid slipping or

failing.

“ If the unit should start to vibrate abnor

mally, stop the engine (motor) and check immediately for the cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.

® Stop the engine (motor) when leaving

the operating position.

® Take all possible precautions when leav

ing the machine unattended. Disengage

the tines, shift into neutral, and stop the

engine.

* Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting,

shut off the engine and make certain all

moving parts have stopped. Disconnect

the spark plug wire, and keep the wire

away from the plug to prevent accidental

stalling. Disconnect the cord on electric

motors,

® Do not run the engine indoors; exhaust

fumes are dangerous,

e Never operate the tiller without proper

guards, plates, or other safety protective

devices in place.

" Keep children and pets away. “ Do not overload the machine capacity

by attempting to till too deep at too fast a

rate.

" Never operate the machine at high

speeds on slippery surfaces. Look

behind and use care when backing.

• Never allow bystanders near the unit. ® Use only attachments and accessories

approved by the manufacturer of the

tiller (such as wheel weights, counter

weights, cabs, and the like),

® Never operate the tiller without good vis

ibility or light,

® Be careful when tilling in hard ground.

The tines may catch in the ground and

propel the tiller forward. If this occurs, let go of the handlebars and do not restrain the machine.

MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE

» Keep machine, attacHments, and

accessories in safe working condition,

■> Check shear pins, engine mounting bolts, and other bolts at frequent inter vals for proper tightness to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition.

» Never store the machine with fuel in thi

fuel tank inside a building where ignitioi sources are present, such as hot water and space heaters, clothes dryers, and the like. Allow the engine to cool before storing in any enclosure.

• Always refer to the operator’s guide instructions for important details if the tiller is to be stored for an extended pei od,

AcAUTION: Always disconnect spark plug wire and place wire where it cannot contact spark plug in order to prevent acc

dental starting when setting up, transport

ing, adjusting or making repairs,

AWARNiNG: The engine exhuast from this product contains chemicals known to

the State of California to cause cancer,

birth defectd, or other reproductive harm.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

HORSEPOWER: DISPLACEMENT: 9,03 CU. IN.

GASOLINE CAPACITY:

OIL (APl-SF/SG/SH):

(CAPACITY: 20 oz.)

SPARK PLUG :

(GAP: .030")

Congratulations on your purchase of a Sears Tiller. It has been designed, engi neered and manufactured to give you the best possible dependability and perform ance.

Should you experience any problems you cannot easily remedy, please contact your nearest authorized Sears Service Center/Department. We have competent, well-trained technicians and the proper tools to service or repair this unit.

Please read and retain this manual The instructions will enable you to assemble and maintain your tiller properly. Always observe the “SAFETY RULES”,

Your new tiller has been assembled at the

factory with exception of those parts left

unassembled for shipping purposes. To ensure safe and proper operation of your tilier all parts and hardware you assemble must be tightened securely

3.75 HP

(148CC)

2 Quarts Unleaded Regular

SAE30

(Above 32° F) SAE 5W-30 (Below 32°F)

Champion J19LM

Use the correct tools as necessary to insure proper tightness.

MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT

A Sears Maintenance Agreement is avail

able on this product. Contact your nearest Sears store for details.

CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

<• Read and observe the safety rules. « Follow a regular schedule in maintain

ing, caring for and using your tiller,

» Follow the instructions under the

“Customer Responsibilities” and “Stor age” sections of this Owner’s Manual.

AiWARNING: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved

forest-covered, brush-covered or grass

covered land unless the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting applicable local or state laws (if any), if a spark arrester is used, it should be maintained in effective working order by the operator. In the state of California the above is required ;by law (Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code), Other states may have similar laws. Federal laws apply on federal lands. See your Sears Authorized Service Center for spark arrester. Refer to the Repair Parts section of this manual for part number.

ACCESSORIES

These accessories were available when the tiller was purchased. They are also avail able at most Sears Retail outlets and Service Centers. Most Sears Stores can order repair parts for you when you provide the model number of your tiller,

ENGINE

SPARK PLUG

TILLER WlAINTENAM

BELT

MUFFLER

AIR FILTER

TINES

GAS CAN

CLEVIS PIN

ENGINE OIL

i >

tj B

HAIRPIN CUP

STABILIZER

BAG OF PARTS

TOOLS REQUIRED FOR ASSEMBLY OPERATOR’S POSITION

A socket wrench set will make assembly When right or left hand is mentioned ir easier Standard wrench sizes are listed, this manual, it means when you are in

(1) Utility knife the operating position {standing (1) Pair of pliers behind tiller handles), (1) Screwdriver (2) 1/2" wrenches

Front

Right

* « ______________________

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UNPACK CARTON & INSTALL HAN

DLE

AiCAUTION: Be careful of exposed sta

ples when handling or disposing of carton

ing material. IMPORTANT:: When uNpacking and as

sembling tiller, be careful not to stretch or

kinK cable(s). « Cut cable ties securing handles. « The handle may be assembled in high

or low position. Slowly lift handle as sembly up and align handle holes with desired handle panel hole and slot.

« Loosely assemble hardware as shown.

Be sure the ‘ shorter {3/4" long) hex bolt is assembled in lower hole of handle. Repeat for opposite side. Tighten all hardware se

curely.

® Cut cable ties securing tiller to skid and

remove tiller from skid.

Handle Panel

Lock Washer

Flat Washer

. Handle

Hex Bolts •

5/16-18x3/4"

Hex Boit

5/16-18x1”

Engine Bracket Halves

Depth Stake

Support Bolt

Stake Spring

Hex Bolts, Lockwashers, and Hex nuts

HANDLE HEIGHT

® Handle height may be adjusted to better

suit operator. (See “HANDLE HEIGHT" in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual).

TILLING WIDTH

“ Tilling width may be adjusted to better

handle your tilling conditions (See ‘TINE ARRANGEMENT’ in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual).

TINE OPERATION

8 Check tine operation before first use,

(See ‘TINE OPERATION CHECK” in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual).

Handles Handle

Panel Bolts

INSTALL DEPTH STAKE ASSEMBLY

® Loosen nut "A".

® Insert stake support between engine

bracket halves with stake spring down.

« Boit stake support to engine brackets

with bolts, lock washers and nuts.

Tighten securely. Tighten nut “A”.

® Depth stake must move freely. If it does

not, loosen support bolt.

KNOW YOUR TILLER READ THIS OWNER’S MANUAL AND SAFETY RULES BEFORE OPERATING YOUR

TILLER. Compare the illustrations with your tiller to familiarize yourself with the location of vari

ous controls and adjustments. Save this manual for future reference.

These symbols may appear on your Tiller or in literature supplied with the prod

uct. Learn and understand their meaning.

iFURAS

TILLING FORWARD NEUTRAL REVERSE CAUTION ENGINE ENGINE

OR WARNING ON OFF

«А |\| (iQ *

FAST SLOW СКОКЕ FUEL OIL

STOP I }

MEETS ANSI SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

Sears tillers conform to the safety standards of the American National Standards

Institute

FORWARD TINE CONTROL - Engages tines in forward direction.

CHOKE CONTROL - Used when starting a cold engine.

DEPTH STAKE - Controls forward speed and the depth at which the tiller will dig,

RECOIL STARTER HANDLE - Used to start the engine.

THROTTLE CONTROL - Controls engine

speed.

The operation of any tiller can result in foreign objects thrown into the eyes,

which can result in severe eye damage. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields before starting your tiller and while tilling,. We recommend a wide vision safety mask over the spectacles or standard safety glasses.

HOW TO USE YOUR TILLER

Know how to operate all controls before adding fuel and oil or attempting to start engine.

STOPPING

TINES

® Release tine control to stop movement. ENGINE

® Move throttle control to “STOP” position. ® Never use choke to stop engine.

0 For normal tilling, set depth stake at the

second or third hole from the top.

WHEELS

Adjust wheels by removing the hairpin clip

and clevis pin , Change wheel position. Replace the hairpin clip and clevis pin,

® For normal tilling, set wheels at the sec

ond or third hole from the top.

TINE OPERATION FORWARD

«» Squeeze forward tine control to handle,

TILLING

The speed and depth of tilling is regulated

by the position of the depth stake and

wheel height. The depth stake should always be below

the wheels for digging. It serves as a brake to slow the tiller’s forward motion to

enable the tines to penetrate the ground. Also, the more the depth stake is lowered into the ground the deeper the tines will dig.

DEPTH STAKE

Adjust depth stake by removing the hair

pin clip and clevis pin. Change depth stake to desired position. Replace the cle vis pin and hairpin dip.

TRANSPORTING YOUR TILLER

AcAUTION: Before lifting or transport ing, allow tiller engine and muffler to cool. Disconnect spark plug wire. Drain gaso-

iine from fuel tank. AROUND THE YARD

® Tip depth stake forward until It is held by

the stake spring.

® Push tiller handles dowa, raising tines

off the ground.

® Push or pull tiller to desired location. AROUND TOWN

® Disconnect spark plug wire. ® Drain fuel tank. » Transport In upright position to prevent

oil leakage.

BEFORE STARTING ENGINE IMPORTANT; Be very careful not to allow dirt to enter the engine when checking or adding oil or fuel. Use clean oil and fuel and store in approved, clean, covered containers, use clean fill funnels.

FILL ENGINE WITH OIL » Remove hangtag from engine. ® With engine level, remove engine oil

filler plug.

® Fill engine with oil to point of overflow

ing. For approximate capacity see “PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS" on page 4 of this manual.

® Tilt tiller back on its wheejs and then re

level.

® With engine level, refill to point of over

flowing if necessary. Replace oil filler plug.

“ For cold weather operation you should

change oil for easier starting (See "OIL VISCOSITY CHART' in the Customer

Responsibilities section of this manual).

0 To change engine oil, see the Customer

Responsibilities section of this manual

® Fill fuel tank. Use fresh, clean, regular

unleaded gasoline. (Use of leaded gasoline will increase carbon and lead oxide deposits and reduce valve life.)

IMPORTANT: When operating in Temperatures below 32°F (0°Cj, use fresh, clean, winter grade gasoline to help insure

good cold weather starting.

WARNING: Experience indicates that

alcohol blended fuels (called gasoho! or

using ethanol or methanol) can attract

moisture which leads to separation and

formation of acids during storage. Acidic

gas can damage the fuel system of an

engine while in storage. To avoid engine

problems, the fuel system should be emp

tied before storage of 30 days or longer.

Drain the gas tank, start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and carburetor are empty. Use fresh fuel next season. See Storage section of this manual for addition al information. Never use engine or carbu

retor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur.

A CAUTION: Fill to within 1/2 inch of top

of fuel tank to prevent spills and to allow for fuel expansion. If gasoline is acciden tally spilled, move machine away from

area of spill. Avoid creating any source of

ignition until gasoline vapors have disap

peared. Do not overfill. Wipe off any

spilled oil or fuel Do not store, spill or use

gasoline near an open flame.

TO START ENGINE

ACAUTiON: Keep tine control in “OFF"

position when starting engine.

When starting engine for the first time or if

engine has run out of fuel, it will take extra pulls of the recoil starter to move fuel from

the tank to the engine.

0 Make sure spark plug wire is properly

connected. « Place throttle control in “FAST' position. » Move choke control to full “CHOKE”

position. Grasp recoil starter handle with

one hand and grasp tiller handle with

other hand. Puli rope out slowly until

engine reaches start of compression cycle (rope will pul! slightly harder at this point).

« Pull recoil starter handle quickly. Do not

let starter handle snap back against starter. Repeat if necessary.

» If engine fires but does not start, move

choke control to half choke position. Pull

recoil starter handle until engine starts.

® When engine starts, slowly move choke

control to “RUN" position as engine

warms up.

NOTE: A warm engine requires less chok ing to start.

® Move throttle control to desired running

position.

9 Allow engine to warm up for a few min

utes before engaging tines.

NOTE: if at a high altitude (3000 feet) or in cold temperatures (below 32'"F), the car buretor fuel mixture may need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See “TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual

NOTE: If engine does not start, see trou bleshooting points,

Spark Plug

Throttle Control

Choke Control

Recoil Starter

BREAKING IN YOUR TILLER

Break-in your belt(s), pulleys and tine con

trol before you actually begin tilling.

® Start engine, tip tines off ground by

pressing handles down and engage tine control to start tine rotation. Allow tines to rotate for five minutes.

« Check tine operation and adjust if nec

essary. See ‘TINE OPERATION CHECK” in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual .

TILLING HINTS

CAUTION: Until you are accustomed to handling your tiller, start actual field use

with throttle in slow position (mid-way be

tween “FAST” and “IDLE”). To help tiller move forward, lift up the han dies slightly (thus lifting depth stake out of ground). To slow down the tiller, press down on handies.

If you are straining or tiller is shaking, the wheels and depth stake are not set prop erly in the soil being tilled. The proper set

ting of the wheels and depth stake is

through trial and error and depends upon

the soil condition. (The harder or wetter the ground, the slower the engine and tine speed needed. Under these poor condi tions, at fast speed the tiller will run and

jump over the ground).

A properly adjusted tiller will dig with little

effort from the operator. ® Tilling is digging into, turning over, and

breaking up packed soil before planting. Loose, unpacked soil helps root growth. Best tilling depth is 4” to 6". A tiller will also clear the soil of unwanted vegeta

tion. The decomposition of this veg

etable matter enriches the soil.

Depending on the climate (rainfall and wind), it may be advisable to till the soil at the end of the growing season to fur ther condition the soil,

• Soil conditions are important for proper tilling. Tines will not readily penetrate dry, hard soil which may contribute to excessive bounce and difficult handling

of your tiller. Hard soil should be mois tened before tilling; however, extremely wet soil will “bail-up" or clump during till 

ing. Wait until the soil is less wet in order to achieve the best results. When tilling in the fall, remove vines and long grass to prevent them from wrapping around the tine shaft and slowing your tilling operation.

o You will find tilling much easier if you

leave a row unfilled between passes.

Then go back over the entire area at right angles. There are two reasons for doing this. First, wide turns are much easier to negotiate than about-faces. Second, the tiller won’t be pulling itself, and you. toward the row next to it. Set depth stake and wheel height for shallow tilling when working extremely hard soil or sod. Then work across the first cuts at normal depth,

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CULTIVATING

Cultivating is destroying the weeds between rows to prevent them from rob bing nourishment and moisture from the plants. At the same time, breaking up the upper layer of soil crust will help retain moisture in the soil. Best digging depth is

1"to3".

■» You will probably not need to use the depth stake. Begin by tipping the depth stake forward until it is held by the stake spring,’

» Cultivate up and down the rows at a

speed which will allow tines to uproot weeds and leave the ground in rough condition, promoting no further growth of weeds and grass.

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