Coarsegold Survival Garden: tiller falure

I tilled up most of my garden plots,
it is how I break up the soil for a first year garden,
I found out later that tillers are not meant for that, but it works if you do it correct and is cheaper than getting a tractor
I also use my tiller to mix things into the soil, like wood chips and leaves.
but I had something happen to me when I was one garden plot away from finishing getting the ground set,
a pin fell out that was holding on one of the tine sets

and it was shoved by the other tine set into the seal on the gear box,
and it is break the seal,

if you can make out the picture...

so it started leaking gear oil and making lots of noise,
I figured out what had gone wrong with it and knew I did not have the time to fix it (mainly waiting for the part to show up) before the plants needed to be planted.

I had no other way to do all that work in the amount of time I had,
I should have at least had a broad fork, it would have been very doable with one if not preferred over the tiller, but without proper hand tools I was stuck.
thankfully someone used a tractor and broke up all the ground for me
and I got to borrow a tiller (after fixing it, it was not that hard to fix it) to mix in the wood chips and soil in the ground.
by the way, I always drain the extra fuel out and run the motor dry on my tiller when I am done for the season, and that makes it start every time I need it, the one I borrowed had the fuel left in it, and that is why it would not run at first, and why it was not easy to fix)

so I did get everything planted in time,
but it would have been way nicer to have a good backup plan and not have to count on others saving me.

now I ask my self when using anything, what will I do if it breaks.

I have fixed my tiller now, so I am all set for next year.
and here is the gear box for my tiller removed and ready to be taken apart