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1, Troy-Bilt 12180 Model 12180 Owner’s Manual BRONCO TM 5 HP Model Tiller • Safety • Assembly • Controls • Operation • Maintenance B R O N C O GARDEN WAY INCORPORATED
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2, Troy-Bilt 12180 2 Table of Contents SECTION 1: SAFETY ........................................... 3 Safety Decals .................................................................... 5 SECTION 2: ASSEMBLY ....................................... 6 Attach Handlebar ............................................................... 7 Move Tiller Off Shipping Platform...................................... 7 Install Forward Clutch Cable ..............................................…
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3, 3 Training 1. Carefully read this Owner’s Manual, the separate Engine Owner’s Manual, and any other 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. …
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4, 7. Take all possible precautions when leaving the machine unattended. Stop the engine. Disconnect spark plug wire and move it away from the spark plug. Be sure both wheels are in the Wheel Drive position. 8. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspect- ing, stop the engine and make certain all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the spark plug wire and prevent it from touching the spark plug to prevent acci- dental starting. 9. The flap on the tine hood must be down when operating the tiller. 10. Never use the tiller unless proper guards, …
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5, Section 1: Safety 5 Decals For your safety and the safety of others, various safety and operational decals are located on your unit (see Figure 1 below). Keep the decals clean and legible at all times. Contact your local service dealer or the factory for replacements if any decals are damaged or missing. Refer to the separate parts catalog for decal locations, part numbers and ordering instructions. BR O N CO Forward Clutch Control Operating Instruction Reverse Clutch Control Ope…
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6, 6 WARNING To prevent personal injury or property damage, do not start the engine until all assembly steps are complete and you have read and understand the safety and operating instruc- tions in this manual. Introduction Carefully follow these assembly steps to correctly prepare your tiller for use. It is recommended that you read this Section in its entirety before beginning assembly. Inspect unit Inspect the unit and carton for damage immediately after delivery. Contact the carrier (trucking company) if…
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7, 7 Section 2: Assembly STEP 2: Attach Handlebar 1. Attach the two legs of the handlebar support (A, Fig. 2-2) loosely to the inner sides of the tiller frame using two 3/8"-16 x 3/4" hex hd. screws (B), 3/8" flat washers (C) and 3/8"-16 hex locknuts (D). 2. Using the middle holes in the handlebar support brackets (E and F, Fig. 2-2), loosely attach the support brackets to the handlebar support (A) using two 5/16"-18 x 1-1/2" curved hd. screws (G), 5/16" split lockwashers (H) a…
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8, Troy-Bilt 12180 8 Section 2: Assembly STEP 4: Install Forward Clutch Cable 1. Place the forward clutch cable bracket (P, Fig. 2-4) on the handlebar support (A). Attach the cable bracket using a 1/4"-20 x 1-1/4" hex hd. screw (R, Fig. 2-4) and 1/4"-20 hex locknut (S). Tighten securely. 2. Carefully unwrap the forward clutch cable (the cable without a knob attached to it) from its shipping position and slide the thin cable wire (T, Fig. 2-4) into the slot in the cable bracket. Push the cable connector (U, Fig. 2-4) up through…
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9, 9 Section 2: Assembly Fig. 2-8: Install reverse cable bracket and reverse clutch cable. 3. Unwrap the reverse clutch cable (the cable with a knob and a large hex nut attached to it) from around its shipping position and route the cable (CC, Fig. 2-8 and Fig. 2-9) up to the cable bracket (BB, Fig. 2-8). Be sure that the cable goes beneath the Forward Clutch Bail as it is routed up to the cable bracket. 4. Insert the cable up through the slot in the cable …
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10, Troy-Bilt 12180 Wheel Drive Pins Each wheel is equipped with a Wheel Drive Pin (A, Figures 3-2 and 3-3) that secures the wheel to the wheel shaft (B). The wheels can be positioned in either a WHEEL DRIVE or a FREEWHEEL mode. Before starting the engine, put both wheels in the WHEEL DRIVE position by inserting the Wheel Drive Pins through the wheel hubs and the wheel shaft. This “locks” the wheels to the wheel shaft, causing the wheels to turn when either the Forward Clutch Bail or the Reverse Clu…
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11, 11 Section 3: Features and Controls 4. FOR WHEEL DRIVE mode (Figure 3-2): Slide the wheel outward and align the holes in the wheel hub (D, Figure 3-2)) and the wheel shaft (B). Insert the wheel drive pin (A) through the wheel hub and the wheel shaft. Secure the wheel drive pin with the hairpin cotter (C) by pushing the hairpin cotter in as far as it will go. Repeat for the other wheel and then remove the support from beneath the…
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12, Troy-Bilt 12180 12 Section 3: Features and Controls Depth Regulator Lever This lever (G, Figure 3-5) controls the tilling depth of the tines. Pull the lever straight back and slide it up or down to engage the notched height settings. The highest notch (lever all the way down) raises the tines approximately 1-1/2" off the ground. This “travel” setting allows the tiller to be moved without the tines digging into the ground. Also use this setting when starting the engine. Move the lever upwa…
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13, 13 Figure 4-1 Section 4 Operation WARNING Before operating your machine, carefully read and understand all safety (Section 1), controls (Section 3) and operating instructions (Section 4) in this Manual, in the separate Engine Owner’s Manual, and on the decals on the machine. Failure to follow these instruc- tions can result in serious personal injury. INTRODUCTION Read this Section of the manual thor- oughly before you start the …
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14, 14 Starting the Engine The following steps describe how to start and stop the engine. Do not attempt to engage the tines or wheels until you have read all of the operating instruc- tions in this Section. Also review the safety rules in Section 1: “Safety” and the tiller and engine controls information in Section 3: “Features and Controls.” 1. Complete the “Pre-Start Checklist” on the previous page. 2. Put the …
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15, 15 Section 4: Operation 5. For reverse motion of the wheels and tines: (a) Look behind and exercise caution when operating in reverse. Do not till while in reverse. (b) Stop all forward motion before reversing. Lift the handlebars with one hand until the tines are off the ground and then pull the Reverse Clutch Control knob out to engage reverse motion (see Figure 4-3). To stop reverse motion, let go of the Reverse Clutch Control knob. 6. To Turn the Tiller Around: (a) Practice turning the tiller in a level, open area. Be very careful to ke…
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16, 16 Section 4: Operation Tilling Tips & Techniques Let the tiller do the work • While tilling, relax and let the wheels pull the tiller along while the tines do the digging. Walk on the side that is not yet finished (to avoid making foot- prints in the freshly tilled soil) and lightly, but securely grip the handlebar with just one hand. See Figure 4-2. • Avoid the temptation to push down on the handlebars in an attempt to force the tiller to dig deeper. Doing so takes the weight off the powered wheels, …
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17, Troy-Bilt 12180 17 Section 4: Operation Tilling Tips & Techniques Clearing the tines The tines have a self-clearing action which eliminates most tangling of debris in the tines. However, occasionally dry grass, stringy stalks or tough vines may become tangled. Follow these proce- dures to help avoid tangling and to clean the tines, if necessary. • To reduce tangling, set the depth regulator deep enough to get maximum “chopping” action as the tines chop the material…
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18, 18 Section 4: Operation POWER COMPOSTING Power composting simply means tilling under and burying in the soil all manner of organic matter such as crop residues, leaves, grass clippings and cover crops. This material will decompose during the non-growing season and add important natural nutrients to the soil. The first place to begin is with crop residues such as leftover vines, stalks, stems and roots. Power compost these crop residues as soon as they finish bearing. The sooner this is done, t…
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19, Troy-Bilt 12180 19 Section 5 Maintenance REQUIRED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE Before Every Every As PROCEDURE Each 10 30 Noted Use Hours Hours Check engine oil level • And every 5 operating hours Clean engine • ▲ Check drive belt tension • ✝ Check nuts and bolts • ✝ Change engine oil • * Lubricate tiller • Service engine air cleaner system ▲ Check gear oil level in • ✝ transmission Check tines for wear • Check air pressure in tires • Service spark plug ▲ * Change more frequently in dusty or dirty conditions. Chang…
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20, 20 Section 5: Maintenance TILLER LUBRICATION Proper lubrication of the tiller is an essential part of your maintenance program. After every 10 operating hours, oil or grease the lubrication points shown in Figure 5-1 and described below. Use a good quality lubricating oil (#30 weight engine oil is suitable) and a good quality general purpose grease (grease that has a metal lubricant is preferred, if available). • Remove wheels, clean wheel shaft (A, Fig. 5-1) and apply thin coating of grease to shaft. �…
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21, Section 5: Maintenance B. To Drain the Transmission Gear Oil: The transmission gear oil does not need to be changed unless it has been contam- inated with dirt, sand or metal particles. 1. Drain gasoline from the fuel tank or run the engine until the fuel tank is empty. See “DANGER” statement above. 2. Drain the oil from the engine. 3. Remove the four screws (B, Figure 5-2) and washers from the transmission cover and remove the cover and gasket. 4. Remove the left-side wheel. 5. Tilt the left-…
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22, Troy-Bilt 12180 CHECKING AND ADJUSTING FORWARD DRIVE BELT TENSION Maintaining correct tension on the forward drive belt is important to good tilling performance and long belt life. A loose belt will slip on the engine and transmission pulleys and cause the tines and wheels to slow down – or stop com- pletely – even though the engine is running at full speed. A loose belt can also result in premature belt wear. If you find you cannot bring the Forward Clutch Bail all the way up to the bottom of the upper handlebars, you will need to loosen the belt tension. Als…
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23, Section 5: Maintenance WARNING Before inspecting, cleaning or servicing the unit, shut off engine, wait for all parts to come to a complete stop, disconnect spark plug wire and move wire away from spark plug. Failure to follow these instructions can result in serious personal injury or property damage. NOTE: If you have difficulty turning the adjuster by hand, have an assistant hold the Forward Clutch Bail to the handlebars while you insert a flat-tipped screwdriver into the screw located inside the top of the clu…
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24, 24 Section 5: Maintenance WARNING Before inspecting, cleaning or servicing the unit, shut off engine, wait for all parts to come to a complete stop, disconnect spark plug wire and move wire away from spark plug. Failure to follow these instructions can result in serious personal injury or property damage. ENGINE OIL SERVICE Check the engine oil level before starting the engine each day and check it after each 5 hours of continuous operation. Running the engine when it is low on oil will quickly ruin …
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25, 25 Section 5: Maintenance TROUBLESHOOTING Before performing any corrections, refer to the appropriate information in this Manual, or in the Engine Owner’s Manual, for the correct safety precautions and operating or maintenance procedures. Contact your local authorized Engine Service Dealer for engine service. Contact your local authorized equipment dealer or the factory for all other service problems. PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION Engine does 1. Spark plug wire disconnected. 1. Reconnect wire. not start. 2. Engine Throttle Control Lev…
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26, 26 TILLER SPECIFICATIONS/ATTACHMENTS TILLER SPECIFICATIONS TILLER HEIGHT (with Depth Regulator Lever in highest setting): Without Handlebars .................................................................................25-1/2" Handlebars in lowest setting.....................................................................38-1/4" Handlebars in highest setting ..................................................................…
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27, 27 CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMATION Owner Registration Card Please fill out and mail the enclosed owner registration card. The purpose of this card is to register each unit at the factory in order to keep the owner informed with informational bulletins and safety literature. Warranty Service The warranty statement is included in the unit’s literature package. Model/Serial Numbers A Model/Serial Numbers decal is located on top of the trans- mission (see figure below). For ready refer…
