Servicing The Cutting Blades - Toro 74253 Operator's Manual

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 set the parking brake. Turn the
ignition key to Off. Remove the key.
Inspecting the Blades
Service Interval: Before each use or daily
1. Inspect the cutting edges (Figure 78). 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 78). If you notice any damage, wear, or a slot
forming in this area (Figure 78), immediately install a
new blade.
1. Cutting Edge
2. Curved Area
Checking for Bent Blades
1. Disengage the PTO, move the motion control levers
to the neutral locked position and set the parking
brake.
2. Stop the engine, remove the key, and wait for all
moving parts to stop before leaving the operating
position.
3. Rotate the blades until the ends face forward and
backward (Figure 79). Measure from a level surface
to the cutting edge, position A, of the blades
(Figure 79). Note this dimension.
1. Measure here from blade
to hard surface
4. Rotate the opposite ends of the blades forward.
5. Measure from a level surface to the cutting edge of
the blades at the same position as in step 3 above.
The difference between the dimensions obtained in
steps 3 and 4 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.
55
Figure 78
3. Wear/slot Forming
4. Crack
Figure 79
2. Position A