Toro 74353 Operator's Manual page 29

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 switch, 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.
3. Wear/slot forming
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.
A blade that is bent or damaged could
break apart and could seriously injure or
kill you or bystanders.
• Always replace bent or damaged
blade with a new blade.
• Never file or create sharp notches in
the edges or surfaces of blade.
Removing the Blades
The blades must be replaced if a solid object is
hit, if the blade is out of balance, or the blade
is bent. To ensure optimum performance and
continued safety conformance of the machine, use
genuine Toro replacement blades. Replacement
blades made by other manufacturers may result in
non-conformance with safety standards.
Hold the blade end using a rag or thickly-padded
glove. Remove the blade bolt, curved washer,
blade stiffener, and blade from the spindle shaft
(Figure 38).
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