Inspecting The Blade; Removing The Blade; Sharpening The Blade - Toro 71209 Operator's Manual

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.

Inspecting the Blade

1. Remove the mower; refer to Removing the
Mower.
2. Inspect the cutting edges (Figure 35). If the
edges are not sharp or have nicks, remove the
blade and sharpen them; refer to Sharpening
the Blade.
Figure 35
1. Cutting edge
2. Curved area
3. Inspect the blade, especially the curved area
(Figure 35). If you notice any damage, wear,
or a slot forming in this area (Figure 35),
immediately install a new blade.

Removing the Blade

1. Remove the mower; refer to Removing the
Mower.
2. Carefully tip the mower over.
3. Remove the bolt (5/8 inch wrench), curved
washer, retainer, and blade (Figure 36). Use a
block of wood as a wedge between the blade
and the mower to lock the blade when you are
removing the bolt.
3. Wear/slot forming
Figure 36
1. Bolt
2. Retainer
3. Blade
4. Inspect all parts; replace any parts that are
damaged.

Sharpening the Blade

1. Use a file to sharpen the cutting edge at both
ends of the blade (Figure 37). Maintain the
original angle. The blade retains its balance if
you remove the same amount of material from
both cutting edges.
Figure 37
1. Sharpen at original angle
2. Check the balance of the blade by putting it
on a blade balancer (Figure 38). If the blade
stays in a horizontal position, the blade is
balanced and can be used. If the blade is not
balanced, file some metal off of the back side
of the blade. Repeat this step until the blade is
balanced.
Figure 38
1. Blade
31
4. Spindle
5. Curved washer
2. Balancer