Honda Tiller Troubleshooting

Honda tillers can help you take out grass, break up clumps of hard, inconsistent dirt, and mix fertilizer or fresh soil into a new area. These tillers are well-suited for creating new flower beds or gardens, or for readying an area for concrete. Honda tillers are fairly reliable, but as with all mechanical devices, you have to be ready for unexpected problems. Knowing how to troubleshoot your tiller correctly can save you both time and money each season.

If experiencing engine troubles, check to make sure that the fuel valve that controls the fuel intake of the engine is open and turned on. If the choke is open while the engine is warm, you should close the choke. On Honda tillers, there is a switch that turns the engine on and off. Make sure this is turned on. If all of these things are correct, check to make sure you have gas in the engine. If not, fill the engine. If there is gasoline, you may want to refill it to ensure that it is not corrupted fuel. Check the oil if the gasoline is filled correctly. If the oil checks out, remove the spark plug from the engine to check it for corrosion, dirt or anything that may be interrupting its connection. If the spark plug is dirty, clean it, but if it is worn, change it out.

If your Honda tiller is running on low power, or is not breaking through soil and moving slow, check the engine's air filter to see if it is clogged with debris. If it is, try to blow out the filter using light pressure from an air hose. If it is clean, run the engine in the fast position by pushing forward the throttle lever. If you have been running it fast, and the soil is not cutting correctly, run it in a slower speed. You may be cutting too fast. If you are still not getting good cutting power, check the tines of the tiller to make sure they are not worn, bent or otherwise damaged. Check to make sure that the tiller has authorized Honda blades on it to ensure quality.

Vibration on a tiller is natural, but if it feels like it is a bit too strong, you want to make sure all pieces of the tiller are adjusted properly. With excess use, the handles of a tiller may come loose from the body of the machine. There are a series of nuts and bolts up and down the arm, and under the body of the machine, that may come loose. Tighten these with a wrench to make sure they are not too loose. If there is still a lot of vibration, check the filters and the engine for issues. Check to see if it runs normally with the blades shut off. Check the blades to make sure they are rotating properly. If they are wobbling, try a different set of known good blades. If these blades still wobble, you will want to have your tiller checked out by an authorized Honda service technician.