Servicing The Cutting Blades - Toro 74978 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.
DANGER
A worn or damaged blade can break, and a piece
of the blade could be thrown into the operator's
or bystander's area, resulting in serious personal
injury or death.
• Inspect the blade periodically for wear or
damage.
• Replace a worn or damaged blade.
Before Inspecting or Servicing the
Blades
Park the machine on a level surface, disengage the blade
control switch (PTO), and set the parking brake. Turn the
ignition key to Off. Remove the key.
Inspecting the Blades
Service Interval: Before each use or daily
1. Inspect the cutting edges (Figure 90). If the edges
are not sharp or have nicks, remove and sharpen the
blades. Refer to Sharpening the Blades.
2. Inspect the blades, especially the curved area
(Figure 90). If you notice any damage, wear, or a slot
forming in this area (Figure 90), immediately install a
new blade.
Figure 90
1. Cutting Edge
2. Curved Area
3. Wear/slot Forming
4. Crack
Checking for Bent Blades
1. Disengage the blade control switch (PTO), move the
motion control levers to the neutral locked position
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 (Figure 91). Measure from a level surface to
the cutting edge, position A, of the blades (Figure 91).
Note this dimension.
1. Measure here from blade
to hard surface
4. Rotate the opposite ends of the blades forward.
5. Measure from a level surface to the cutting edge of
the blades at the same position as in step 3 above.
The difference between the dimensions obtained in
steps 3 and 4 must not exceed 1/8 inch (3 mm). If this
dimension exceeds 1/8 inch (3 mm), the blade is bent
and must be replaced; refer to Removing the Blades
and Installing the Blades.
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.
• Never file or create sharp notches in the
edges or surfaces of blade.
Removing the Blades
Blades must be replaced if a solid object is hit, if the blade is
out of balance or is bent. To ensure optimum performance
57
Figure 91
2. Position A