Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): rear tiller, tiller, troy bilt

Question
I have a CO-OP brand tr800 rear tiller, (made by American yard pro i believe) It is having a hard time staying in till. Is there any type of case oil or lube point that may be in need of servicing or am i looking at something much dif ? I am able to engage the tiller in forward and reverse bt once i select till and start to work with it it jumps gears out of till
Thanks Scott

Answer
If the tiller has two housings bolted together as the main gearbox assembley then there is no good method to check the lube.   

These types of tillers are very common these days.  They use chain drive systems and use a very thick lubricant, pretty much a grease.  The only tiller I know of that does not use this system is Troy Bilt.

We have had a few tiller with the symptoms you described and we had to replace the shifter fork assembly inside the gear box.  This isn't that difficult but you have to disassemble the entire unit to make the repair.  The repair can take anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on how easy the unit comes apart and we use lots of air tools/electic drivers to speed up the repair.

If you use the unit often and the tiller is less than 5 years old it may be worth fixing.  If the tiller is over 5 years old then you may be better off purchasing a new one.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
Eric