Servicing The Cutting Blades - Toro 74906 Operator's Manual

Servicing the Cutting Blades

Maintain sharp blades throughout the cutting season, because
sharp blades cut cleanly without tearing or shredding the grass
blades. Tearing and shredding turns grass brown at the edges,
which slows growth and increases the chance of disease.
Check the cutter blades daily for sharpness, and for any
wear or damage. File down any nicks and sharpen the
blades as necessary. If a blade is damaged or worn, replace
it immediately with a genuine Toro replacement blade. For
convenient sharpening and replacement, you may want to
keep extra blades on hand.
WARNING
A worn or damaged blade can break, and a piece
of the blade could be thrown at you or bystanders,
resulting in serious personal injury or death.
• Inspect the blades periodically for wear or
damage.
• Replace a worn or damaged blade.
Before Inspecting or Servicing the
Blades
1. Park the machine on a level surface, Disengage the
blade-control switch (PTO), and set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to off. Remove the key, and
disconnect the spark plug wires from the spark plugs.
Inspecting the Blades
Service Interval: Before each use or daily
1. Inspect the cutting edges ().
2. If the edges are not sharp or have nicks, remove and
sharpen the blade; refer to
Blades (page 62).
3. Inspect the blades, especially in the curved area.
4. If you notice any cracks, wear, or a slot forming in this
area, immediately install a new blade ().
Figure 97
1. Cutting edge
2. Curved area
(page ) and Installing the
3. Wear/slot forming
4. Crack
Checking for Bent Blades
1. Disengage the blade-control switch (PTO), move the
motion-control levers to the N
and set the parking brake.
2. Stop the engine, remove the key, and wait for all moving
parts to stop before leaving the operating position.
3. Rotate the blades until the ends face forward and
backward ().
4. Measure from a level surface to the cutting edge,
position A, of the blades ().
1. Measure here from blade
to hard surface
5. Rotate the opposite ends of the blades forward.
6. Measure from a level surface to the cutting edge of the
blades at the same position as in step .
Note: The difference between the dimensions
obtained in steps and must not exceed 3 mm
(1/8 inch).
Note: If this dimension exceeds 3 mm (1/8 inch), the
blade is bent and must be replaced.
WARNING
A blade that is bent or damaged could break
apart and could seriously injure or kill you or
bystanders.
• Always replace bent or damaged blade
with a new blade.
• Do not file or create sharp notches in the
edges or surfaces of the blade.
Removing the Blades
Replace a blade if it hits an object, if the blade is out of balance,
or if the blade is bent. To ensure optimum performance and
60
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EUTRAL LOCK
Figure 98
2. Position A
position,