MTD 217-100A User Manual

ASSEMBLY
OPERATION

TEN CENTS

ANUAL

Model Nos.

217-100A

MAINTENANCE
PARTS LIST

Important:

Read Safety Rules and

Instructions Carefully

217-100-300

VERTICAL

ROTARY

TILLERS

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

FORM NO. 770-6788

IMPORTANT

It is suggested that this manual be read in its entirety before attempting to assemble or operate. Keep this
manual in a safe place for future reference and for ordering replacement parts.

This unit is shipped WITHOUT GASOLINE or OIL. After assembly, see operating section of this manual
for proper fuel and amount.

Your tiller is a precision piece of power equipment, not a play thing. Therefore exercise extreme caution at
all times.

SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES FOR TILLERS

1. Read the Operating and Service Owner’s
Manual carefully. Be thoroughly familiar with
the controls and the proper use of the equip
ment.

2. Never allow children to operate a power tiller.
Only persons well acquainted with these rules
of safe operation should be allowed to use
your tiller.

3. Keep the area of operation clear of all
persons, particularly small children and pets.

4. Do not operate equipment when barefoot or
wearing open sandals. Always wear substan
tial footwear.

5. Do not wear loose fitting clothing that could
get caught on the tiller.

6. Do not start the engine unless the shift lever
is in the neutral (N) position.

11. Do not fill gasoline tank while engine is
running. Spilling gasoline on hot engine may
cause a fire or explosion.

12. Do not run the engine while indoors. Exhaust
gases are deadly poisonous.

13. Be careful not to touch the muffler after the
engine has been running, it is hot.

14. Before any maintenance work is performed or
adjustments are made, remove the spark plug
wire and ground it on the engine block for
added safety.

15. Use caution when tilling near buildings and
fences, rotating tines can cause damage or
injury.

16. Before attempting to remove rocks, bricks
and other objects from tines, stop the engine
and be sure the tines have stopped
completely. Disconnect the spark plug wire
and ground to prevent accidental starting.

7. Do not stand in front of the tiller while
starting the engine.

8. Do not place feet and hands on or near the

tines when starting the engine or while the
engine is running.

9. Do not leave the tiller unattended with the
engine running.

10. Do not walk in front of the tiller while the
engine is running.

17. Check the tine and engine mounting bolts at
frequent intervals for proper tightness.

18. Keep all nuts, bolts and screws tight to be
sure the equipment is in safe working
condition.

19. Never store the equipment with gasoline in
the tank inside of a building where fumes may
reach an open flame or spark. Allow the
engine to cool before storing in any
enclosure.

ASSEMBLY

Your rotary tiller is shipped complete in a single
carton. The tines, wheels, handle and depth bar
are to be assembled. This is done in the manner
described below.

Tines—Mount tines on tine shaft as shown. (See

page 10.) Tines must be mounted with the cutting

edges facing the correct direction. The tiller will

not operate properly unless the sharpened surface
of the tines enter the soil first. Secure tines in
position on tine shaft with cap screws (41), and
nuts (32).

Wheels—Insert axle bolts (23) into wheel hubs.

Place washers (26) between wheel and leg. Attach
wheel and axle assemblies to outside of tiller legs
(27) and (30). Secure with nuts (29) and

lockwashers (28). Tighten securely. See page 8 for
correct sequence of parts.

Handle—Assemble the handle brackets (8) to
the handle (2) with hex head screw (11),

lockwashers (9) and hex nuts (10). DO NOT

tighten. Place the handle brackets (8) in the

tailpiece slots. Line up lower holes in handle

brackets with mounting holes in tailpiece
assembly. Secure with carriage bolt 5/16-18 x
3/4” Lg. (20), lockwasher (13) and hex nut (12).

Line up upper holes in handle brackets with

mounting holes in mounting plate assemblies (19)
and secure with carriage bolt (20), lockwasher (13)
and hex nut (12). See page 8 for correct sequence.
Tighten all nuts and bolts securely.

CHECK LIST BEFORE OPERATION

A. After the tiller is assembled and before

gasoline and oil are added to the engine, check
the case for correct lubricant level.

1. Remove rear pipe plug from tiller gear case.
See figure 1.

Pipe Plug

IS

Adjustable
Wrench

FIGURE 1.

2. If lubricant flows from the outlet, lubricant
is at the correct level. See figure 2.

CLUTCH CONTROL LEVER ASSEMBLY
Clutch Lever—Assemble in this order: rubber

washer (42), steel washer (41), clutch lever
assembly (43), (rod bracket to the front), steel
washer (41) and lock nut (40). Tighten until rubber
washer compresses slightly. (See page 8.)

Clutch Control Assembly—Screw the ferrule (37)
on the threaded end of the control rod (38) until
about Vz" of the threads show above the ferrule.
Insert the ferrule through the control pivot lever
(36), fasten with flat washer (35) and cotter hairpin
(34). Put the clutch handle in the neutral position.
Insert the control rod in the bracket on the clutch
lever and secure with a cotter hairpin (34) through
the center of the bracket. Adjust the ferrule so the
belt Is slack when the clutch lever is in the neutral
position. (See page 8.)

Depth Bar—Attach depth bar (18) in desired
position with clevis pin (17) and locking pin (15).
(See page 8.)

Grips—Slip hand grips on the upper end of each
handle. They will slip on more easily if you first
soak them in warm soapy water.

FIGURE 2.

3. If lubricant fails to flow from the outlet,
lubricant should be added. USE PENNANT
OIL EP #35000. This is available in 8 ounce
squeeze tubes. Order part number

737-0136. See figure 3.

FIGURES.

B. Remove spark plug wire from spark plug and

ground. Check tiller tines for proper installa
tion. With throttle control lever set on STOP
position and the clutch control handle set in
FORWARD position, slowly crank engine to

determine direction of tine rotation. Be sure all

tines are mounted so the sharpened edges

enter the soil first.

C. Now place the clutch control handle in

NEUTRAL position. Slowly crank engine. The

tines should not rotate.

D. Check all nuts and bolts for proper tightness.

This is especially important during the initial
operation period. Make this same check
periodically thereafter.

E. Fill fuel tank with clean, fresh, regular grade

gasoline. This should be used at all times.

F. Check engine crankcase for proper oil level.

The engine is shipped without oil in the
crankcase. Be sure to fill crankcase before
starting engine. Be sure crankcase is FULL.
See engine manual for correct type and
amount.

Hi^ NOTE

The engine is warranted separately
by the engine manufacturer. For
warranty service contact the engine

manufacturer or their local author
ized service station. All important
information pertaining to care and

operation is included in the engine

manual.

STARTING YOUR TILLER

1. Be sure clutch control handle is in NEUTRAL
position.

2. Move throttle lever to START position on
engine.

3. After cranking the engine several times or as

the engine fires, move the throttle lever to
RUN position.

4. Adjust throttle lever for desired operating
speed.

5. To stop engine, move throttle lever to STOP
position. Keep throttle lever in STOP position
at all times when tiller is not in use.

NOTE

A brief break-in period is essential
to insure maximum engine life. This
consists of running the engine at
half speed for a period of time re
quired to use one tank of gasoline.
This is necessary on the initial run
only. It is also recommended that
the oil be changed after five (5) hours
of operation. This allows for the re
moval of impurities which may have

accumulated during the break-in

period. Subsequent oil changes
should be made as stated in the en
gine manual. Always check oil be
fore using your tiller. Be sure oil lev
el is adequate.

OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS

For your own convenience and safety, observe all
safety suggestions shown in this manual. Your
tiller is not a toy, it is a precision piece of power
equipment. Treat it as such.

It is important to recognize the fact that the
forward and penetrating action of the rotary tiller

is obtained from the rotating action of the tines

in the soil. The depth bar acts as a brake for the
tiller and controls the depth and speed at which
the machine will operate. By lowering the setting
of the depth bar, the forward speed of the machine

is reduced and the working depth of the tines is

increased. Raising the setting of the depth bar

increases the forward speed and reduces the
working depth. When soil conditions are severe
and several passes must be made over a certain
area, the depth bar setting should be lowered each
time a pass is made. Further control of tilling
depth and travel speed can be obtained by
variation of pressure on the handles or the throttle

setting. A downward pressure on the handles will

increase the working depth and reduce the

forward speed. An upward pressure on the

handles will reduce the working depth and

increase the forward speed. The type of soil and

working conditions will determine the actual

setting of the depth bar and the handle pressure

required.

1. Tine engagement and forward travel is
achieved by moving the clutch lever to

FORWARD position. Tine rotation and

forward motion are stopped by moving the

clutch lever to NEUTRAL position.

2. The throttle lever adjusts the engine speed. It
also gives fingertip control of the carburetor
and magneto stop switch. When the throttle
lever is pushed completely to the right from
behind the tiller, the carburetor is in START

position. Pulling the lever to the left reduces
the engine speed to SLOW. When the lever is
pulled completely to the left from behind the
tiller, the magneto stop switch grounds out
the spark and stops the engine.

3. When the depth bar is positioned out of
ground engagement, self-propelled trans

porting of the tiller is easily achieved. With no
pressure on the handles and the throttle lever
set for SLOW engine speed, move the clutch
control handle to the FORWARD position and

let the tiller gently propel itself.

1. Standard tine arrangement

2. Remove tines that point outward from outer
tine assemblies. Tines may be interchanged

with opposite sides..........................................20”

3. Add tine extensions to standard arrangement

(See page 6.).................................................. 40”

NOTE

When adjusting tines, be sure the
cutting edges enter the soil first.

....

........................

26”

MAINTENANCE AND LUBRICATION

Engine—Service engine in accordance with the

engine manufacturer's owner’s guide.

ADJUSTMENTS

Belts—Belt slack is taken up by a spring loaded

idler pulley. Because of this, belt adjustment is
not required.

Clutch—No adjustment of the lower clutch rod is
required. This is done automatically by the spring
loaded idler.

NOTE

Belt and clutch adjustments can be
made by moving the engine bed.
Loosen the four bolts which secure
it and move the engine bed forward
or backward as required. Adjusting
the control rod will also effect the
belt and clutch adjustment. These
adjustments may be necessary if
handle position is changed.

Handle—The position of the handle may be
adjusted by removing and moving carnage bolts
to the desired mounting holes. Adjustment
should be made for the most convenient operating

height.
Wheels—Wheel positions may be varied to give

further adjustment of handle height. Various
wheel positions also give variations of the

leverage and weight distribution over the tines.
Wheels should be set to suit the local soil
conditions and the operator’s convenience.

Tines—The standard width of cut is 26”. Because
of the various types of work to which the tiller may
be put, variation in the tilling widths may be
necessary. This can be accomplished in a number
of ways.

NOTE

To drain oil, remove oil filler plug
and tip tiller on its side. Drain oil
while the engine is warm. See en
gine manual for filling instructions.

Gear Case—Whenever disassembly of gear case
is required, gear case should be thoroughly
cleaned and lubricated with 4V2 ounces of
PENNANT OIL EP #35000. This is available in 8
ounce squeeze tubes. Order part number

747-0136. See figure 4.

Belt—Access to V belt and pulley assemblies is
accomplished by removing the engine and engine
bed as described below.

1. Remove four cap screws which secure engine
bed to mounting plate assembly. Remove
engine bed with engine attached.