Maintenance; Recommended Maintenance Schedule - Toro 20040 Operator's Manual

If an object is struck, or the mower starts to vibrate,
immediately stop the engine, disconnect the spark plug
wire, and examine the mower for damage.
Maintain a sharp blade throughout the cutting season.
Periodically file down nicks on blade.
Replace the blade when necessary with an original
Toro replacement blade.
Only mow dry grass or leaves. Wet grass and leaves
tend to clump on the yard and may cause the mower to
plug or the engine to stall. They may also be slippery
to walk on and could cause you to slip and fall.
WARNING
POTENTIAL HAZARD
Wet grass or leaves can cause you to slip and
contact the blade.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN
Blade contact can seriously injure you.
HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD
Mow only in dry conditions.
Clean clippings or leaves from the underside of the
mower deck after each mowing.
Keep the engine in good running condition.
Clean the air filter frequently. Mulching stirs up more
clippings and dust which clogs the air filter and
reduces engine performance.
Cutting Grass
In the heat of Summer, cut the grass at the 2, 2.5, or 3
inch height-of-cut settings. Only about / of the grass
blade should be cut off. Cut below the 2 inch setting
only if the grass is sparse or it is Autumn when the
grass grows slowly.

Maintenance

Recommended Maintenance Schedule

Service Item
Housing Clean built-up grass clippings and dirt.
Check blade and engine mounting
Fasteners fasteners. Keep all fasteners tight to keep
the mower in safe working condition.
Service Operation
9
When cutting grass over six inches tall, mow using the
highest height-of-cut setting and a slower walking
speed; then mow again at a lower setting for best lawn
appearance. If the grass is too long, the mower may
plug and cause the engine to stall.
Alternate the mowing direction. This helps disperse
clippings over the lawn for even fertilization.
If the finished lawn appearance is unsatisfactory, try one
or more of the following:
Sharpen the blade.
Walk at a slower pace while mowing.
Raise the height-of-cut setting on your mower.
Cut grass more frequently.
Overlap cutting swaths instead of cutting a full swath
with each pass.
Set the height-of-cut on the front wheels one notch
lower than the rear wheels. (example: set the front
wheels at the 2 inch setting and the rear wheels at the
2.5 inch setting)
Cutting Leaves
When cutting is complete, ensure that 50% of the grass
blades show through the cut leaf cover. This may
require one or more passes over the leaves.
Position all wheels at the same height-of-cut setting.
Walk at a slower mowing speed if the leaves are not
being cut up finely enough to be hidden in the grass.
If you cut up a lot of oak leaves, add lime to your grass
in the spring. Lime reduces the acidity of the leaves.
After
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