Mower Maintenance; Servicing The Cutting Blades - Toro 74704 Operator's Manual

Figure 35
1. Valve stem

Mower Maintenance

Servicing the Cutting Blades

Maintain sharp blades throughout the cutting
season because sharp blades cut cleanly without
tearing or shredding the grass blades. Tearing and
shredding turns grass brown at the edges, which
slows growth and increases the chance of disease.
Check the cutter blades daily for sharpness, and
for any wear or damage. File down any nicks
and sharpen the blades as necessary. If a blade is
damaged or worn, replace it immediately with a
genuine Toro replacement blade. For convenient
sharpening and replacement, you may want to
keep extra blades on hand.
A worn or damaged blade can break, and a
piece of the blade could be thrown into the
operator's or bystander's area, resulting in
serious personal injury or death.
• Inspect the blade periodically for wear
or damage.
• Replace a worn or damaged blade.
Before Inspecting or Servicing the
Blades
Park the machine on a level surface, disengage
the blade control (PTO), and move the motion
control levers to the brake position. Stop the
engine, remove the key, and disconnect the spark
plug wire(s) from the spark plug(s).
Inspecting the Blades
1. Inspect the cutting edges (Figure 36). If the
edges are not sharp or have nicks, remove and
sharpen the blades; refer to Sharpening the
Blades.
2. Inspect the blades, especially the curved area
(Figure 36). If you notice any damage, wear, or
a slot forming in this area (item 3 in Figure 36),
immediately install a new blade.
Figure 36
1. Cutting edge
2. Curved area
Checking for Bent Blades
1. Rotate the blades until the ends face forward
and backward (Figure 37). Measure from a
level surface to the cutting edge, position A, of
the blades (Figure 37). Note this dimension.
Figure 37
2. Rotate the opposite ends of the blades forward.
3. Measure from a level surface to the cutting
edge of the blades at the same position as in
step 1. The difference between the dimensions
obtained in steps 1 and 2 must not exceed
1/8 inch (3 mm). If this dimension exceeds
1/8 inch (3 mm), the blade is bent and must be
replaced. Refer to Removing the Blades and
Installing the Blades.
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3. Wear/slot forming