General Operating Instructions - Land Pride FM3188 Operator's Manual

Section 2: Operating Instructions

General Operating Instructions

Now that you have familiarized yourself with the
Operator's Manual, completed the Operators Checklist,
properly attached your Flail Mower to your tractor, made
the right offset or center adjustments, and preset your
cutting height, you're almost ready to begin using your
Land Pride FM3188 or FM4188 Flail Mower.
It's now time to do a running operational safety check. If
at any time during this safety check you detect a
malfunction in either the mower or tractor shut the tractor
off immediately, remove the key, and make necessary
repairs or adjustments before continuing on.
Make sure the tractor's park brake is engaged, the
tractor's PTO is disengaged, and the mower is resting on
the ground. Start the tractor and then back the tractor
throttle off till the engine is at low idle. With the tractor's
rear hydraulic lift control lever, raise the mower to
transport position making sure that the PTO shaft is not
in a bind and does not come in contact with the mower
frame. Lower the unit to cutting position and, with the
tractor still at low idle, engage the PTO. If everything is
running smoothly at this point increase the engine rpm
until the tractor's engine reaches full PTO operating
speed which will be 540 rpm. Slowly raise the cutter to
transport height to make sure the driveline does not bind
or chatter. Then return the engine to low idle, disengage
PTO, and position the adjustable stops on the tractor's
hydraulic lift lever control console so the cutter can be
consistently returned to the same cutting and transport
height.
You should now be ready to move to the cutting site to
begin mowing. You should have inspected and should
only be cutting in an area you are familiar with which is
relatively free of debris and unseen objects. Never
assume an area is clear. Extremely tall grass or brush
should be cut twice to detect potential hazards. In the
event you do strike an object, stop the tractor and mower
immediately to inspect the rotor and make any necessary
repairs before resuming operation. It pays to inspect a
new area and to develop a plan before you cut.
Normal mowing speed will be between 2-5 mph and you
will need to maintain tractor PTO speed to produce a
clean cut so make a tractor gear and range selection that
will maintain this combination. Generally the quality of
cut or degree of debris pulverization will be better at
lower ground speeds and cutting denser ground cover or
heavier brush may create the need to slow down. Always
cut downward on slopes and avoid crossing the face of
steep slopes. Avoid sharp drops and cross diagonally
through dips to prevent hanging up the tractor and
mower. Slow down in turns and avoid sharp turns if at all
possible. Remember to look back often.
15 FM3188 & FM4188 Flail Mowers 309-523M
Table of Contents
Now you're prepared and well briefed so let's begin
cutting. Reduce the tractor's engine rpm, make sure the
mower is on the ground and in cutting position, engage
the PTO, raise the engine rpm to the appropriate PTO
speed, and begin mowing. Operators must plan ahead
and choose a cutting route that allows safe turns. Try
increasing or decreasing ground speed to determine the
effect on quality of cut. With a little practice you will be
pleased with what you and your Land Pride Flail Mower
can do.
If you are cutting with an FM4188 and using the hammer
knives and the standard brush rake teeth you will
accumulate and force more material into the rotor for
pulverization. This will require more horsepower and will
cause you to slow down especially if you are
encountering material up to 2" in diameter. The fine
cutting knives on the FM3188 are much better suited for
a finer quality of cut in grass cutting applications and in
no case should fine cut blades be used for cutting
material greater than 1" in diameter.
When you are done mowing, need to take a break, or just
need to make a few adjustments to the mower,
remember to always do the following. Reduce the
tractor's engine rpm, disengage the PTO, stop on level
ground, set the park brake, turn off the engine, and
remove the key.
6/24/11