Quality Of Cut; Quality Of Cut Troubleshooting; Washboarding - Ransomes Highway 3 Safety, Operation & Maintenance Manual

12 QUALITY OF CUT

12

QUALITY OF CUT TROUBLESHOOTING_________________________________

It is recommended that a "test cut" be performed to
evaluate the mower's performance before beginning
repairs.
An area should be available where "test cuts" can be
made. This area should provide known and consistent
turf conditions to allow accurate evaluation of the
mower's performance.
Another "test cut" should be performed after the com-
pletion of the repairs and/or adjustments to verify the
mower's performance.
Before performing a "test cut" to diagnose cut appear-
ance and mower performance, the following items
should be verified to ensure an accurate "test cut."
1. Mowing (Ground) Speed.
12.1

WASHBOARDING __________________________________________________

NOTE: Arrow indicates direction of travel.
Probable Cause
Mowing (ground) speed is too fast.
Grass build-up on roller.
Roller is out of round.
Mowing in the same direction.
Use of a groomer on cleanup pass.
en-80
2. Reel Bearing Condition and Pre-Load (End Play)
Adjustment.
3. Reel and Bedknife Sharpness.
4. Bedknife Alignment to Reel.
5. Reel-to-Bedknife Contact.
6. Height-of-Cut (HOC).
7. Roller and Roller Bearing Condition.
Washboarding is a cyclical pattern of varying cutting
heights, resulting in a wave-like cut appearance. In
most cases, the wave tip-to-tip distance is approxi-
mately
6—8 in. (15—20 cm). Colour variation (light-to-dark)
may also be noticed.
This condition is usually caused by a rocking motion
in the cutting unit(s). This condition is found mostly
on mowers with multiple (suspended) cutting units,
but other causes can produce the same result.
Washboarding may also be caused by variations in
the turf.
TN0159
Reduce mowing (ground) speed.
Clean the roller and use scrapers or brushes.
Replace roller.
Change mowing direction regularly.
Groomers should be used only in a straight line.
Remedy