Controls - Toro Groundsmaster 345 Operator's Manual

Traction Pedal (Fig.16)—Traction pedal has two
functions; one is to make the machine move forward,
the other is to make it move backward. Using the heel
and toe of the right foot, depress top of pedal to move
forward and bottom of pedal to move backward. Ground
speed is proportionate to how far pedal is depressed.
For maximum ground speed with no load, traction pedal
must be fully depressed while throttle is in FAST
position. Maximum speed forward is approximately 9.5
mph (15 km/hr). To get maximum power under heavy
load or when ascending a hill, have throttle in FAST
position while depressing traction pedal slightly to keep
engine rpm high. When engine rpm begins to decrease,
release traction pedal slightly to allow engine rpm to
increase.
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3
2
Figure 16
1. Traction pedal
2. Turn pedals
3. Brake pedal
CAUTION
When foot is removed from the traction pedal,
machine should stop; it must not creep in ei-
ther direction. If machine does creep, do not
operate until neutral assembly has been re-
paired and adjusted; refer to Adjusting Trac-
tion Drive for Neutral.
Turn Pedals (Fig. 16)—The left and right turn pedals
are connected to the left and right front wheel brakes
since both brakes work independently of each other.
The brakes can be used to turn sharply or to increase
traction if one wheel tends to slip while operating on a
hillside. However, wet grass or soft turf could be
damaged when brakes are used to turn.
Tilt Steering Control (Fig. 16)–Lever on right side of
steering column. Pull lever rearward to adjust steering
wheel to desired fore or aft operating position and push
lever forward to lock adjustment.

CONTROLS

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4. Parking brake knob
5. Tilt Steering Control
Brake Pedal (Fig. 16)—Whenever the engine is shut
off, the parking brake must be engaged to prevent
accidental movement of the machine.
The hydrostatic transmission will not, at any time, act as
a parking brake for the machine. To engage parking
brake, push down fully on brake pedal and pull parking
brake knob out; then release the pedal. To release
parking brake, depress brake pedal until parking brake
knob retracts. To stop quickly, remove right foot from
traction pedal and depress the brake pedal. To permit
straight stops, brake cables must be evenly adjusted.
Lift Lever (Fig. 17)—The hydraulic lift lever has three
positions: FLOAT, TRANSPORT, and RAISE. To lower
implement to the ground, move lift lever forward into
detent, which is the FLOAT position. The FLOAT
position is used for operation and also when machine is
not in operation. To raise implement, pull lift lever
backward to the RAISE position. After implement is
raised, allow lift lever to move to the TRANSPORT
position. Normally, implement should be raised when
driving from one work area to another, except when
descending steep slopes.
CAUTION
Never raise implement or cutting unit while
blades or other components are rotating. The
exposed, rotating blades are hazardous.
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Figure 17
1. Lift lever
PTO Lever (Fig. 18) – The PTO lever has two positions:
ON (engage) and OFF (disengage). Slowly push PTO
lever fully forward to ON position to start the implement
or cutting unit blades. Slowly, pull lever backward to
OFF position to stop implement operation. The only
time PTO lever should be in the ON position is when
implement or cutting unit is down in operating position.
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