Mtd OEM-290-257 owners guide

IMPORTANT: Your new row marker is designed to attach to the Troy-Bilt Hiller-Furrower attachment. If you don’t have Hiller­Furrower, call us or visit www.troybilt.com to place an order:

OEM-290-250 for Horse Model tillers
OEM-290-251 for Pony, Econo-Horse and Junior Model tillers

Introduction

Row Marker OEM-290-257 will help you lay out your garden with speed, accuracy and convenience — without the bother of
stakes, strings, tape measures and other tools. It’s fast and easy to assemble, mount and use with your TROY-BILT HORSE Model,
ECONO-HORSE, PONY or JUNIOR Model tiller too! Just follow these assembly & use instructions.

NOTE: If you ordered a Hiller-Furrower with your Row Marker, be sure to install the Furrower blade first, as the Row Marker
attaches directly to the Furrower blade and must be used with it. Separate assembly instructions are included with the Hiller­Furrower. If you already had a Hiller-Furrower, just attach the Furrower blade to your TROY-BILT Tiller as always and follow the
Row Marker instructions here.

Row Marker

OEM-290-257 / 290-257-081

1 1904522 Main Support & Yoke Assembly ....... 1

2 GW-1594 Marker Blade ..................................... 1

3 1904524 Main Marker Arm .............................. 1

4 1904523 Marker Arm Extension (w/ stop pin). 1
5 GW-1837 Hardware Package (includes below) . 1

GW-9347 Hitch Pin ........................................... 1

GW-9828 Hex Nut, #10-24................................ 2

1100135 Screws, #10-24 x 1........................... 2

GW-9786 Thumb Screws, 1/4-20...................... 2

GW-1596 Nut Bar.............................................. 1

REF. PART
No. No. DESCRIPTION QTY.

TO PREVENT INJURY FROM MOVING PARTS OR HOT
SURFACES:

• Stop the engine and wait for all moving parts to
stop.

• Disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug
and allow the muffler to cool.

Tools Needed

• 9/16” wrench (or adjustable wrench)

• 3/8” wrench (or adjustable wrench)

• Pliers

Step 1: Attach Main Support to the Furrower

1. Using a 9/16” wrench or adjustable wrench, first
remove the two 3/8” hex nuts and lockwashers that
secure the furrower blade to its bracket.

2. Position the Row Marker Main Support on the two
3/8”-16 x 1-1 /2” long bolts (A and B in Photo 1).

Note: The Stop Bar on the Main Support faces out toward
the operator and the two bottom holes in the Main Support
are used for mounting.

3. Replace both lockwashers and hex nuts and tighten
securely.

4. Using a 9/16” wrench, remove hex nuts and lockwash­ers from bolts “A” and “B“, install Main Support on
bolts as shown. Replace nuts and washers.

Be sure you received all the hardware and parts listed below. If anything is missing or damaged, please write or give us a call
using the information provided on the back cover of this manual.

Contents of Carton

WARNING

Step 2: Mount the Marker Blade
on the Marker Arm Extension

1. The Marker Arm Extension is the 27” long solid steel
shaft with a stop pin at one end and two mounting
holes at the other end. Place this arm on a flat surface
(table, etc.) for working ease.

2. Slide the extension arm into the “V-shape” of the blade
(see Photo 2), aligning the holes in the arm with the
holes in the blade. Be sure the stop pin at the other end
of the arm and the points of the blade are facing you.

3. Insert two #10-24 x 1” lg. round head screws through
the blade and the arm holes and secure them with two
#10-24 hex nuts (the nuts have permanently attached
star washers) as shown in Photo 3. The star washer
side of the hex nut should face the Extension Arm.
Tighten firmly with a 3/8” wrench. Use a screwdriver, if
necessary, to keep the screws from turning while the
nuts are being tightened.

Step 3: Slide Marker Arm Extension
into the Main Arm

1. With the stop pin at the end of the Extension Arm and
the holes facing you, slide the Extension Arm into the
hollow Main Arm. See Photo 4.

Note: You may push the Extension Arm in as far as you
wish for now. When completely assembled, you’ll be able
to immediately adjust to whatever widths between rows
you may want just by retracting or extending the Extension
Arm.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

2. Insert the Nut Bar lengthwise into the Main Arm as
shown in Photo 5. Continue to slide the bar in until the
two tapped holes in the Nut Bar are aligned with the
two holes at the end of the Main Arm. When the holes
are aligned, and the Extension Arm is at the length you
want, then secure the arms together with two 1/4”-20 x
1/2” long thumbscrews (see Photo 6 inset) turning
them until they’re tight.

Note: To adjust the Marker Extension Arm in or out to suit
a row width for your application, simply unthread the
thumbscrews one full turn, then adjust the arm length
before retightening the thumbscrews. Fully extended, the
Row Marker is 49-3/4” long; fully retracted, 28”.

Step 4: Attach Main Marker Arm
to the Main Support

The Main Marker Arm connects to the Yoke at the top of
the Main Support with a quick-release pin.

1. Align the sleeve located at the end of the Main Arm
between either the top set or bottom set of holes on the
yoke sides. See Photo 7.

2. Once the sleeve is lined up, insert the quick release pin
(Photo 8, Inset). At this point, the Main Arm rests on
the Stop Bar and points straight back from the rear of
the tiller.

IMPORTANT: The top and bottom sets of holes on the yoke
sides allow the marker arm to rest on the Stop Bar at the
proper angle regardless of whether the Extension Arm is
fully extended or retracted. When the extension arm is

more than 50% extended, use the bottom set of holes,
otherwise use the top set of holes.

3. Pivot the Marker Arm from its “straight back” position a
full 90° to either the right or the left in order to get the
Marker Arm to point out to the side of the Tiller.
Whether you decide to pivot right or left, just be sure

the points of the Marker Blade face back toward the
operator after the arm has been pivoted. See Photo 9

and Photo 10 for the correct in-use position.

Photo 7 & Photo 8 (inset)

Photo 9

Photo 5 & Photo 6 (inset)

Photo 10