I Can't Shift My Poulan Tiller

Starting and Stopping

• To start the tiller, first disengage the clutch and shift the gear lever into neutral, indicated by an “N," then start the engine. To stop the tiller, release the drive control bar and shift the gear lever into neutral. You may then proceed to shut down the engine. If at any time you must let go of the tiller or leave the machine unsupervised, shift into neutral and stop the engine to prevent accidents.

Transitioning

• The first step in shifting, no matter what the gear, is to release the drive control bar. Once you reach the gear of choice, re-engage the drive control bar. Shifting is required for transitioning from turning to tilling, which you will do to realign the tiller to start a new row or to relocate the tiller.

Moving

• Ensure the depth stake pin is locked out of the way. To turn the tiller, release the drive control bar, reduce the throttle, then shift the gear lever into the forward position, indicated by an “F.” This gear stops the tines from spinning while you move the tiller, but allow the wheels to turn to assist you in relocating the machine. Use forward gear to move the tiller between most locations. Use reverse gear, indicated by an “R,” to back the tiller out of position. Adjust the throttle as needed for speed control during movement.

Tilling

• To till, shift the gear lever into the till position, denoted by a blade symbol. When you engage the drive control bar, both the tines and wheels will begin to move. You may then control their speed by adjusting the throttle.

Troubleshooting

• If you have difficulty shifting gears, two steps may free up the mechanism and permit you to shift without trouble. First, engage and release the drive control bar. If this fails to solve the problem, you can rock the tiller forward and backward until you are able to shift freely and change gears. If these steps fail to resolve the shifting problem, your machine may need servicing.