Operating Tips - Toro 30809 Groundsmaster 3500-G Operator's Manual

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Requires more horsepower to run.
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Tends to discharge further left and can tend to windrow
at a lower height of cut.
WARNING
Do not use the high-lift blade with the mulching
baffle. The blade could break, resulting in personal
injury or death.
Atomic Blade
This blade was designed to provide excellent leaf mulching.
Attributes: Excellent leaf mulching

Operating Tips

General Tips
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Practice operating the machine and become thoroughly
familiar with it.
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Start the engine and run it at half idle until it warms up.
Push the throttle lever all the way forward, lift the cutting
units, disengage the parking brake, press the forward
traction pedal, and carefully drive to an open area.
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Practice moving forward and reverse, and starting and
stopping the machine. To stop, take your foot off the
traction pedal and let it return to neutral or press down
on the reverse pedal to stop. Going down a hill, you may
need to use the reverse pedal to stop.
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When driving on slopes, drive slowly to maintain steering
control and avoid turns to prevent rollovers. In side
hill situations, shift the sidewinder cutting units to the
uphill side to give you more stability. Conversely, shifting
the cutting units to the down hill side will give you less
stability. This should always be done before going on a
side hill.
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When possible, mow up and down hills rather than across
them. Have the cutting units lowered when going down a
hill to maintain steering control. Do not attempt to turn
on a hill.
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Practice driving around obstacles with the cutting units
up and down. Be careful when driving between narrow
objects so you do not damage the machine or the cutting
units.
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On the Sidewinder unit, get a feel for the reach of the
cutting units so that you do not hang them up or damage
them in any way.
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Do not shift the cutting units from side to side, unless the
cutting units are down and the machine is moving, or the
cutting units are up in the transport position. Shifting the
cutting units when they are down and the machine is not
moving may cause turf damage.
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Always drive slowly in rough areas.
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If a person appears in or near the operating area, stop the
machine, and do not start it again until the area is cleared.
The machine is designed for 1 person. Never let anyone
else ride on the machine with you. This is extremely
dangerous and could result in serious injury.
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Accidents can happen to anyone. The most common
causes are excessive speed, sudden turns, terrain (not
knowing which slopes and hills can be mowed safely), not
stopping the engine before leaving the operator's seat,
and drugs, which impair your alertness. Cold capsules or
prescription drugs may cause drowsiness, as can alcohol
and other drugs. Stay alert and stay safe. Failure to do so
could result in serious injury.
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The Sidewinder offers up to a maximum of 33 cm (13
inch) of overhang, allowing you to trim closer to the edge
of sand traps and other obstacles, while at the same time
keeping the tires as far away from the edge of traps or
water hazards as possible.
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If an obstacle is in the way, shift the cutting units to easily
mow around it.
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When driving the machine from one work area to another,
raise the cutting units to the fully-up position, move the
Mow/Transport slide to the left to Transport, and place
the throttle to the Fast position.
Mowing Patterns
Change mowing patterns often to minimize aftercut
appearance issues that are induced by repetitive mowing in
only one direction.
Counterbalance
The counterbalance system maintains hydraulic back pressure
on the cutting unit lift cylinders. This counterbalance pressure
transfers cutting-unit weight to the traction-unit drive wheels
to improve traction. The counterbalance pressure has been
factory set to an optimal balance of aftercut appearance and
traction capability in most turf conditions. Decreasing the
counterbalance setting can produce a more stable cutting
unit, but can decrease the traction capability. Increasing the
counterbalance setting can increase the traction capability,
but may result in aftercut appearance issues. Reference the
service manual for your traction unit for instructions to adjust
counterbalance pressure.
Resolving Aftercut Appearance
Reference the Aftercut Appearance Troubleshooting Guide
available at www.Toro.com
Mowing Techniques
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To begin cutting, engage the cutting units, then approach
the mowing area slowly. Once the front cutting units are
over the mowing area, lower the cutting units.
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To achieve the professional straight-line cut and striping
that is desirable for some applications, find a tree or other
object in the distance and drive straight toward it.
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