Chapter 3: Repair Procedures; General Safety Warning; Blades - MTD 188 Professional Shop Manual

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Table of Contents

General safety warning

Whenever working on a cordless lawn mower, remove

the safety key. Only leave the key in if it is needed to

perform a test.

CAUTION: Use caution while working around

this lawn mower. A cordless lawn mower may

start unexpectedly.

Blades

The condition of the blades will greatly effect the quality

of the cut.

The blades should be sharpened and balanced after

every hour of cutting, depending on local conditions. A

dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it. Torn

grass blades leaves a rough look and makes the grass

vulnerable to diseases.

Blades need to be examined for damage before sharp-

ening. Blades must be balanced after sharpening to

reduce the vibrations felt from the deck.

Bent blades are a sign of a blade impact. When a bent

blade is found, the blades must be replaced and the

motor inspected for a bent shaft and cracked motor

mount.

The cutting deck on this mower is mounted with a slight

rake, meaning that the front of the deck is a 1/4" - 3/8"

lower than the rear of the deck. This is very important

to get the proper air flow in the deck so that the blades

can make the grass blades stand up to get cut.

The air flow in the cutting deck is generated by the

spinning blades. If the blades are mounted upside

down, the air flow will be reversed pushing the grass

down instead of standing up.

NOTE: Blades that are mounted upside down,

increase the risk of blade damage from struck

objects.

NOTE: The blade also acts as the cooling fan for

the motor. The motor will over heat if the blade is

mounted upside.