Hills; Loading And Dumping - Toro 07383 Operator's Manual

The best way to prevent accidents involving utility vehicles
is through continuous supervision and training of operators
and paying constant attention to the area in which vehicle
is being operated.
The best way for operators to prevent serious injury or death
to themselves or others, is to familiarize themselves with the
proper operation of the utility vehicle, to stay alert and to
avoid actions or conditions which could result in a accident.
In the event of a tip over, the risk of serious injury or death
will be reduced if the operator is using the ROPS system and
seat belts and is following the instructions provided.

Hills

WARNING
Tipping or rolling the vehicle on a hill will cause
serious personal injury.
• Do not operate the vehicle on steep slopes.
• If engine stalls or you lose headway on a hill,
never attempt to turn vehicle around.
• Always back straight down a hill in reverse gear.
• Never back down in neutral or with the clutch
depressed, using only the brakes.
• Never drive across a steep hill, always drive
straight up or down.
• Avoid turning on a hill.
• Don't "drop the clutch" or slam on the brakes.
Sudden speed change can initiate a tip over.
Use extra care when on hills. Never go on hills that are
extremely steep. Stopping while going down a hill will take
longer than on level ground. Turning while going up or down
a hill is more dangerous than turning on the level. Turns while
going down hill, especially with the brakes on, and, turning
up hill while traversing a hill are particularly dangerous. Even
at a slow speed and without a load, tip overs are more likely if
you turn on a hill.
Slow down and shift into a lower gear before starting up or
down a hill. If you have to turn while on a hill, do it as slowly
and cautiously as possible. Never make sharp or fast turns
on a hill.
If you stall or begin to lose headway while climbing a steep
hill, quickly apply the brakes, shift to neutral, restart the
engine and shift to reverse. At idle speed, the engine and
transaxle drag will aid the brakes in controlling the vehicle on
the hill and help you back down the hill more safely.
Reduce the weight of the load if it is a steep hill or if the
load has high center of gravity. Remember, loads can shift,
secure them.
Note: The vehicle has excellent hill climbing ability. The
differential lock will increase this ability. Hill climbing traction
can also be increased by adding weight to the rear of the
vehicle in one of the following ways:
•
Adding weight to inside of box, making sure it is secured.
•
Mounting wheel weights to rear wheels.
•
Adding liquid ballast (calcium chloride) to rear tires.
•
Traction will increase with no passenger in front seat.

Loading and Dumping

The weight and position of the cargo and passenger can
change the vehicle center of gravity and vehicle handling.
To avoid loss of control resulting in personal injury, follow
these guidelines.
Do not carry loads which exceed the load limits described
on the vehicle weight label.
WARNING
The bed will lower whenever the dump lever is
pushed down, even when the engine is off. Turning
off the engine will not prevent the box from
lowering. Always place the safety support on the
extended lift cylinder to hold the box up if you are
not going to lower it right away.
The vehicle has several combinations of boxes, platforms,
and attachments available. These can be used in various
combinations that allow for maximum capacity and versatility.
The full sized box is 140 cm (55 inches) wide by 165 cm (65
inches) long and can hold up to 1477 kg (3249 lb) of evenly
distributed cargo.
Loads vary in how they are distributed. Sand spreads out
evenly and quite low. Other items, such as bricks, fertilizer or
landscape timbers, stack higher in the box.
The height and weight of the load has a significant influence
on tip overs. The higher a load is stacked, the more likely the
vehicle is to tip over. You may find that 1477 kg (3249 lb)
stacks too high for safe operation. Reducing the total weight
is one way to reduce the risk of a tip over. Distributing the
load as low as possible is another way to reduce the risk of
a tip over.
If the load is positioned toward one of the sides, it will make
the vehicle much more likely to tip over on that side. This is
especially true when turning if the load is on the outside of
the turn.
Never position heavy loads behind the rear axle. If the load is
positioned so far to the rear that it is behind the rear axle, it
will reduce the weight on the front wheels and this will reduce
steering traction. With the load all the way to the back, the
front wheels can even come off of the ground when going
over bumps or up a hill. This will result in a loss of steering
and may lead to the vehicle tipping over.
As a general rule, position the weight of the load evenly
from front to rear and evenly from side to side.
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