Troy-Bilt 654J User Manual
Operator’s Manual
Rear-tine Tiller
654J—Thoroughbred
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IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
WARNING: 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. A spark arrester for the muffler is available through your nearest engine
authorized service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 361131 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-0019.
TROY-BILT LLC, P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
FORM NO.
769-01146.fm
(3/17/2004)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page
Customer Support 2
Safety 3
Assembly 6
Features and Controls 9
Operation 11
Content Page
Maintenance and Adjustments 15
Off-season Storage 21
Troubleshooting 22
Parts List 23
Warranty Information Back Cover
FINDING MODEL NUMBER
This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new rear-tine tiller. It will help you assemble, prepare and maintain
the unit for best performance. Please r ead and understand wh at it says.
Before you start assembling your new equipment, please locate the mod el plate on th e equipment and
copy the information from it in the space provided below. A sample model plate is also given below. You can
locate the model plate by standing behind the unit and looking down at re ar surface of the tine shield. This
information will be necessary to use the manufacturer’s web site and/or help from the Customer Support
Department or an authorized service dealer.
Copy the model number here:
www.troybilt.com
TROY-BILT LLC
P. O. BOX
361131
CLEVELAND, OH 44136
330-558-7220
1-800-520-5520
Copy the serial number here:
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Please do NOT return the unit to the retailer from where it was purchased, without first contacting Customer Support.
If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls, operation or maintenance of
this unit, you can seek help from the experts. Choose from the op tions below:
Visit troy-bilt.com for many useful suggestions. Click on Customer Support button and you
will get the four options reproduced here. Click on the appropriate button and help is
immediately available.
The answer you are
looking for could be just
a mouse click away!
If you prefer to reach a Customer Support Representat ive, please call 1(800) 520-5520.
The answer you are
looking for could be just
a mouse click away!
Engine
Manual
The engine manufa cturer is responsible for all engin e-related issues with regard s to
performance, power-rating, specifications, wa rranty and service. Please refer to the engine
manufacturer’s Owner’s/Operator’s Manua l, packed separately with your unit, for more
information.
2
SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES
WARNING: This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed, could endanger
the personal safety and/or property of yourself and others. Read and follow all instructions in this manual
before attempting to operate this machine. Failure to comply with these instr uctions may result in persona l
injury. When you see this symbol—heed its warning.
DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this man-
ual. As with any type of power equipme nt, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in
serious injury. This machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to
observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.
California Proposition 65 Warning:
WARNING: Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Training
1. Carefully read this Operator’s Manual, the separate
Engine Owner/Operator’s Manual, and any ot her
literature you may receive. Be thoroughly familiar
with the controls and the proper use of the tiller and
its engine. Know how to stop the unit and
disengage the controls quickly.
2. Never allow children to operate the tiller. Never
allow adults to operate the tiller without proper
instruction.
3. Keep the area of operation clear of all persons,
particularly children and pets.
4. Keep in mind that the operator or user is
responsible for accidents or hazards occurring to
other people, their property, and themselve s.
Preparation
1. Thoroughly inspect the area where the tiller is to be
used and remove all foreign objects.
2. Be sure all control levers are released before
starting the engine.
3. Do not operate the tiller without wearing adequate
outer garments. Avoid loose garments or jewe lry
that could get caught in moving parts.
4. Do not operate the tiller when barefoot or wearing
sandals, sneakers, or light footwear. Wear
protective footwear that will improve footing on
slippery surfaces.
5. Do not till near underground electric cables,
telephone lines, pipes or hoses. If in doubt, contact
your telephone or utility company.
6. Never make adjustments when engine is running
(unless recommended by the Engine
manufacturer).
WARNING: Handle fuel with care; it is highly flammable
and its vapors are explosive. Take the following precautions:
a. Store fuel in containers specifically de signed
for this purpose.
b. The gas cap shall never be removed or fuel
added while the engine is running. Allow the
engine to cool for several m inutes before
adding fuel.
c. Keep matches, cigarettes, cigars, pipes,
open flames, and sparks away from the fuel
tank and fuel container.
d. Fill fuel tank outdoors with extreme care.
Never fill fuel tank indoors. Use a funnel or
spout to prevent spillage.
e. Replace all fuel tank and container ca ps
securely.
f. If fuel is spilled, do not attempt to start the
engine, but move the machine away from the
area of spillage and avoid creating any
source of ignition until fuel vapors have
dissipated.
Operation
1. Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating
parts.
2. Exercise extreme caution when on or crossing
gravel drives, walks, or roads. Stay alert for hid den
hazards or traffic. Do not carry passengers.
3. After striking a foreign object, stop th e engine,
thoroughly inspect the machine for an y damage,
and repair the damage before rest arting and
operating the machine.
4. Exercise caution to avoid slipping or falling.
5. If the unit should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the
engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration
is generally a warning of trouble.
6. Stop the engine before unclogging the tines, or
when making any repairs, adjustments or
inspections.
7. Take all possible precautions when leaving the
machine unattended. Stop the engine and mo ve
the Wheel Shift Lever to FORWARD.
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8. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, stop the
engine and make certain all moving parts have
stopped.
9. Always keep the tiller’s rear tine shield down.
10. Never use the tiller unless proper guards, pla te s , o r
other safety protective devices are in place.
11. Do not run engine in an enclosed area. Engine
exhaust contains carbon monoxide gas, a deadly
poison that is odorless, colorless, and tast eless.
12. Keep children and pets away.
13. Be aware that the tiller may unexpectedly bounce
upward or jump backward if the tines should strike
extremely hard packed soil, frozen ground, or
buried obstacles like large stones, roots, or stumps.
If in doubt about the tilling conditions, always use
the following operating precautions to assist you in
maintaining control of the tiller:
a. Walk behind and to one side of the tiller,
using one hand on the handlebars. Relax
your arm, but use a secure hand grip.
b. Use slower engine speeds.
c. Clear the tilling area of all large stones, roots
and other debris.
d. Avoid using downward pressure on
handlebars. If need be, use slight upward
pressure to keep the tines from digging too
deeply.
e. Before contacting hard packed soil at the e nd
of a row, reduce engine speed and lift
handlebars to raise tines out of the soil.
f. In an emergency, stop tines and wheels by
releasing the Wheel Engagement Handle.
Do not attempt to restrain the tiller.
15. Do not overload the tiller’s capacity by attempting to
till too deeply at too fast a rate.
16. Never operate the tiller at high transport speeds on
slippery surfaces. Look behind and use care when
backing up.
17. Do not operate the tiller on a slope that is too steep
for safety. When on slopes, slow down and make
sure you have good footing. Never permit the tiller
to freewheel down slopes.
18. Never allow bystanders near the unit.
19. Only use attachments and accessories that are
approved by Troy-Bilt LLC.
20. Never operate the tiller without good visibility or
light.
21. Never operate the tiller if you are tired, or under the
influence of alcohol, drugs or medication.
22. Operators shall not tamper with the enginegovernor settings on the machine; the governor
controls the maximum safe operating speed to
protect the engine and all moving parts from
damage caused by overspeed. Authorized service
shall be sought if a problem exists.
23. Do not touch engine parts which may be hot from
operation. Let parts cool down
24. Please remember: You can always stop the tines
and wheels by releasing the Wheel Engagement
Handle.
25. Use extreme caution when reversing or pulling the
machine towards you.
26. Start the engine carefully according to instructions
and with feet well away from the tines.
27. Never pick up or carry a machine while the engine
is running.
Maintenance and Storage
1. Keep the tiller, attachments and accessories in safe
working condition.
2. Check all nuts, bolts, and screws at frequent
intervals for proper tightness to be sure the
equipment is in safe working condition.
3. Never store the tiller with fuel in the fuel tank inside
a building where ignition sources are present such
as hot water and space heaters, furnaces, clothes
dryers, stoves, electric motors, etc.). Allow engine
to cool before storing in any enclosure.
4. To reduce the chances of a fire hazard, keep the
engine free of grass, leaves, or excessive grease.
5. Store gasoline in a cool, well-ventilated area, safely
away from any spark- or flame-producing
equipment. Store gasoline in an approved
container, safely away from the reach of children.
6. Refer to the storage instructions in the
Maintenance section of this Manual and the
separate Engine Owner’s Manual for inst ructions if
the tiller is to be stored for an extended period.
7. If the fuel tank has to be drained, do this outdoor s.
WARNING: YOUR RESPONSIBILITY Restrict the use of this power machine to person s who read,
understand and follow the warnings and instructions in this man ual and on the machin e.
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SAFETY LABELS FOUND ON YOUR TILLER
WARNING
Hot surfaces can
cause severe burns.
Do not touch
muffler or
S30647
adjacent areas.
WARNING
KEEP AWAY FROM
ROTATING TINES.
ROTATING TINES
WILL CAUSE INJURY.
CAUTION:
SLOWLY PULL STARTER ROPE BEYOND
BUMPER BEFORE STARTING.
DEPTH
STAKE
SHALLOW /
TRANSPORT
POSITION
DEEP /
FINAL TILLING
POSITION
WATCH OUT FOR HANDS.
I20943
WARNING
TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY
1. READ THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL.
2. KNOW LOCATION AND FUNCTIONS
OF ALL CONTROLS.
3. KEEP ALL SAFETY DEVICES AND
SHIELDS IN PLACE AND WORKING.
4. NEVER ALLOW CHILDREN OR
UNINSTRUCTED ADULTS TO
OPERATE TILLER.
5. SHUT OFF ENGINE BEFORE
UNCLOGGING TINES OR MAKING
REPAIRS.
6. KEEP BYSTANDERS AWAY FROM
MACHINE.
7. KEEP AWAY FROM ROTATING
PARTS.
8. USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN
REVERSING OR PULLING THE
MACHINE TOWARDS YOU.
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SECTION 2: ASSEMBLING THE TILLER
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NOTE: All references to the RIGHT or LEFT side of the
tiller are observed from operator’s position.
Tools Needed for Assembly
• 9/16” Wrench (Handle Mount Bracket)
• 7/16” Wrench or Nutdriver (Control Box)
• Two 1/2” Wrenches (Threaded Cable Adjuster)
• Phillips Screwdriver (Control Box)
Attaching the Handle
NOTE: Before beginning assembly, unfasten the cables
and lay them across the back of the tiller. Having an
assistant will ease completion of the following steps.
1. Remove the lower handle hardware (two hex screws,
two lock washers, one carriage screw & one handle
crank) from the tiller’s frame.
2. Position the handle mount bracket over the tiller
frame.
3. Align the handle mount brack et’ s rear holes (either
upper or lower , dependin g on the operator’s height)
with the holes in the tiller frame. Insert the carriage
bolt through the holes from right to left and secure it
with the handle crank.
4. Align the handle mount bracket’s front holes with the
holes in the tiller frame. Using a 9/16” wrench, secure
the handle mount bracket to the tiller frame with the
hex screws and lock washers removed earlier.
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Attaching the Control Box
5. Remove the four Phillips screws and lock nuts from
the control box plate.
6. Insert the ends of the two springs into the holes found
in the control levers located on the underside of the
handle panel.
7. Using a Phillips screwdriver and a 7/16” wrench,
secure the control box to the underside of the handle
panel with the four screws and lock nuts removed
earlier.
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Attaching the Shift Cable
8. Place the shift lever in the forward position. Insert the
end of the shift cable into the hole in shift lever
located on the underside the handle panel.
9. Position the shift cable’s threaded adjuster in the slot
found on the shift lever mount bracket. (one nut below
the mount bracket and the flat washer, lock washer
and second nut above the mount bracket. See Inset).
10. Adjust the shift cable as follows:
a. Using a ½” wrench, thread the bottom nut
upward until the cable is taut.
b. Using a ½” wrench, thread the top nut
downward to secure the adjuster to the mount
bracket.
Position the shift cable (and three other cables)
against the left handle tube. Secure them to the
handle with the cable tie provided as shown in the
illustration at the top of the page.
Gas and Oil Fill-up
Gasoline
Service the engine with gasoline as instructed in the
separate Briggs & Stratton Operator /Owner Manual
packed with your tiller. Read instructions carefully.
Oil
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IMPORTANT:
bottle into the engine’s oil fill.
Pour the entire contents of the provided oil
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SECTION 3: KNOW YOUR TILLER
Wheel Shift Lever
Tine Direction Selector
Engine
Starter Handle
Read this operator’s manual and safety rules before
operating your tiller. Compare the illustrations above with
your unit to familiarize yourself with the location of various
controls. Save this manual for future reference.
Engine
See the Briggs & Stratton Owner/Operator manual
packed with your unit for the location and functi on of the
controls on the engine.
Starter Handle
The starter handle is located on the engine. Pull the
starter handle to start engine.
Wheel Shift Lever
The shift lever is located on the
right side of the handle panel
and has three positions,
FORWARD, NEUTRAL and
REVERSE. Place the wheel
shift lever in either FORWARD
or REVERSE before engaging
the drive handle. Always bring
the tiller to a complete stop
prior to moving the shift lever
from FORWARD to REVERSE
or vice-versa.
IMPORTANT:
shift lever. Doing so may result
in serious damage to the tiller’s
transmission.
Never force the
WHEEL DRIVE
F
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Wheel Engagement Handle
Tine Engagement Lever
Depth Regulator Lever
(Depth Stake)
Handle Height Adjuster
Wheel Engagement Handle
The wheel engagement handle
is located below the tiller’s
upper handle.
Closing the wheel engagement
handle with the wheel shift
lever in either FORWARD or
REVERSE will cause the tiller’s
wheels to drive.
Releasing/Opening the wheel
engagement handle
automatically stops the tiller’s
wheels from driving
NOTE: If the tiller’s tines and
wheels are engaged, releasing/
opening the wheel engagement
handle automatically stops
BOTH the tiller’s tines and the
tiller’s wheels from driving.
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Tine Direction Selector
The tine direction selector (found in the lower left area the
handle panel) is used to alternate tine rotation bet ween
FRT mode (Forward Rotating Tines) to CRT mode
(Counter Rotating Tines).
• Operate the tiller in CRT mode when tilling virgin
ground, sod or hard soil.
• Operate the tiller in FRT mode when cultivating or
tilling soft ground or previously tilled soil.
IMPORTANT:
always lower the depth regulator lever (for a shallower
tilling depth).
When operating the tiller in FRT mode,
Depth Regulator Lever
The highest notch (lever all the
way down) raises the tines
approximately 1/2-inch off the
ground. This “travel” position
allows the tiller to be moved
without the tines digging into
the ground.
Moving the lever up increases
the tilling depth. The lowest
notch allows a tilling depth of
approximately six to eight
inches, depending on soil
conditions.
SHALLOW /
TRANSPORT
POSITION
Tine Engagement Lever
The tine engagement lever is
located on the left side of the
handle panel and has two
positions, ON and OFF. To
engage the tines and begin
tilling, place the lever in the ON
position. To disengage the
tines, move the lever into the
OFF position.
ON
NOTE: The tIne engagement
lever cannot be placed in the
ON position without first closing
the wheel engagement handle.
Also, the tIne engagement
lever cannot be placed in the
ON position unless the wheel
shift lever is in the FORWARD
position. Refer to Safety Interlock
System on Page 11.
TINES
OFF
Handle Height Adjuster
The handle mount bracket can be adjusted downward (for
shorter operators) or upward (for taller ope rators) using
the handle height adjuster . Align the handle mount
bracket’ s rear holes with the holes in the tiller frame. Insert
the carriage bolt through the holes from right to left and
secure it with the handle crank.
DEEP /
FINAL TILLING
POSITION
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