Toro 30555 Operator's Manual page 18

ter blade: one area is the sail, the other is the cutting edge. Both
the cutting edges and the sail, which is the turned up portion oppo-
site the cutting edge, contribute to a good quality-of-cut. The sail is
important because it pulls grass up straight, thereby producing an
even cut. However, the sail will gradually wear down during opera-
tion, and this condition is normal. As the sail wears down, the
quality-of-cut will degrade somewhat, although the cutting edges
are sharp. The cutting edge of the blade must be sharp so the grass
is cut rather than torn. A dull cutting edge is evident when tips of
the grass appear brown and shredded. Sharpen the cutting edges to
correct this condition.
1. Position the machine on a level surface, raise the cutting unit,
engage the parking brake, be sure the traction pedal is in neu-
tral position, the PTO lever in the OFF position, shut engine
OFF, remove the key from the switch and disconnect wires
from spark plugs. Block the cutting unit to prevent it from
falling accidentally.
2. Examine the cutting ends of the blade carefully, especially
where the flat and curved parts of the blade meet (Fig. 13 A).
Since sand and abrasive material can wear away the metal that
connects the flat and curved parts of the blade, check the
blade before using the mower. If wear is noticed (Fig. 13 B),
replace the blade.
3. Examine the cutting edges of all blades. Sharpen the cutting
edges if they are dull or nicked. Sharpen only the top of the
cutting edge and maintain the original cutting angle to make
sure of sharpness (Fig. 14). The blade will remain balanced if
same amount of metal is removed from both cutting edges.
If the blade is allowed to wear, a slot will form
between the sail and the flat part of the blade (Fig. 13
C). Eventually a piece of the blade may break off and
be thrown from under the housing, possibly resulting
in serious injury to yourself or to bystanders.
Note: Remove the blades and sharpen them on a grinder: refer to
Removing Cutter Blades, steps 2 and 3. After sharpening the cut-
ting edges, reinstall the blade with the cup, flatwasher and blade
bolt. Blade sails must be on top of blade. Tighten the blade bolt to
115–149 Nm.
18
DANGER
A
B
C
Figure 13
1. Flat part of blade
2. Sail
3. Sail
4. Wear
5. Wear
6. Slot formed
Figure 14
1. Sharpen at this angle only
2
1
3
4
5
6