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Keep everyone, especially children and pets, away
from the area of operation.
Avoid striking trees, walls, curbs, or other solid
objects. Never deliberately mow over any object.
If the lawn mower strikes an object or starts to vibrate,
immediately stop the engine, disconnect the spark plug
wire, and examine the lawn mower for damage.
Maintain a sharp blade throughout the cutting season.
Periodically file down nicks on the blade.
Replace the blade when necessary with an original
Toro replacement blade.
Mow only dry grass or leaves. Wet grass and leaves
tend to clump on the yard and can cause the lawn
mower to plug or the engine to stall.
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 the clippings or leaves from the underside of the
lawn mower deck after each mowing. See Cleaning
the Underside of the Lawn Mower Housing on
page 15.
Keep the engine in good running condition.
WARNING
POTENTIAL HAZARD
Operating a lawn mower with its engine
running at a speed greater than the factory
setting can cause an unsafe operating condition.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN
The lawn mower could throw a part of the
blade or engine into the operator's or
bystander's area and cause serious personal
injury or death.
HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD
Do not change the engine speed setting.
If you suspect the engine speed is faster than
normal, contact your Authorized Service
Dealer.
Clean the air filter frequently. Mulching stirs up more
clippings and dust which clogs the air filter and
reduces engine performance.
Cutting Grass
Grass grows at different rates at different times of the
year. In the summer heat, it is best to cut grass at the
2-, 2-1/2-, or 3-inch cutting height settings. Cut only
about a third of the grass blade at a time. Do not cut
below the 2-inch setting unless the grass is sparse or it
is late fall when grass growth begins to slow down.
When cutting grass over six inches tall, first mow
using the highest cutting height setting and walking
slower; then mow again at a lower setting for best
lawn appearance. If the grass is too long and the leaves
clump on top of the lawn, the lawn mower may plug
and cause the engine to stall.
Alternate the mowing direction. This helps disperse
the clippings over the lawn for even fertilization.
If the finished cut lawn appearance is unsatisfactory, try
one or more of the following:
Sharpen the blade.
Walk at a slower pace while mowing.
Raise the cutting height setting on your lawn mower.
Cut the grass more frequently.
Overlap cutting swaths instead of cutting a full swath
with each pass.
Mow across the marginal areas a second time.
Set the cutting height on the front wheels one notch
lower than the rear wheels.
Cutting Leaves
After cutting the lawn, make sure that half of the lawn
shows through the cut leaf cover. You may need to
make one or more passes over the leaves.
For light leaf coverage, set all the wheels at the same
cutting height setting.
If there are more than five inches (12.7 cm) of leaves
on the lawn, set the front wheels one or two notches
higher than the rear wheels. This makes it easier to
feed the leaves under the lawn mower deck.
Slow down your mowing speed if the lawn mower
does not cut the leaves finely enough.
If you cut up a lot of oak leaves, you can add lime to
your grass in the spring to reduce the acidity of the oak
leaves.
Adjusting the Handle Height
The handle has three height positions: high, medium, and
low (Fig. 15). Select a handle height position that is most
comfortable for you.
12
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