Driving Forward Or Backward; Stopping The Tractor; Operating Tips - Toro 71253 Operator's Manual

Driving Forward or Backward

The throttle control regulates the engine speed as
measured in RPM (revolutions per minute). Shift the
throttle control lever into the Fast position for best
performance.
To go forward or backward:
1. Release the parking brake; refer to Releasing the
Parking Brake.
2. Place your foot on the traction control pedal and
slowly press on the top of the traction control pedal
to move forward or on the bottom of the pedal to
move backward (Figure 14).
Note: The farther you move the traction control
pedal in either direction, the faster the tractor will
move in that direction.
Figure 14
1. Traction control pedal
2. Forward
Note: To slow down, release the pressure on the
traction control pedal.
Important: To avoid transmission damage,
always release the parking brake before moving
the traction control pedal.
Note: To reverse the tractor with the blade control
(PTO) engaged, deactivate the operating-in-reverse
interlock using the KeyChoice switch located in
front of and below the seat.

Stopping the Tractor

1. Release the traction control pedal.
2. Disengage the blade control (PTO).
3. Turn the ignition key to Off to stop the engine.
4. Set the parking brake if you leave the tractor
unattended; refer to Setting the Parking Brake.
5. Remove the ignition key from the switch.
3. Backward
Children or bystanders may be injured if they
move or attempt to operate the tractor while it
is unattended.
Always remove the ignition and KeyChoice
keys and set the parking brake when leaving
the tractor unattended, even if just for a few
minutes.

Operating Tips

• For the best performance, operate the engine at
the maximum speed. The mower requires air to
thoroughly cut grass clippings, so do not set the
height-of-cut too low or completely surround the
mower in uncut grass. Always leave one side of the
mower free from uncut grass to allow the air to be
drawn into the mower.
• Cut the grass slightly longer than normal to ensure
that the cutting height of the mower does not scalp
any uneven ground. When cutting grass longer than
6 inch (15 cm) tall, cut the lawn twice to ensure an
acceptable appearance.
• It is best to cut only about 1/3 of the grass blade.
Do not cut more than that unless the grass is sparse
or it is late fall when grass grows more slowly.
• Alternate the mowing direction to keep the grass
standing straight. This also helps disperse clippings
and enhances decomposition and fertilization.
• Grass grows at different rates at different times of
the season. To maintain the same cutting height,
which is a good practice, mow more often in early
spring. As the grass growth rate slows in mid
summer, mow less frequently.
• To improve the quality of cut, use a slower ground
speed. For best operation on average lawns, operate
the engine at full throttle while controlling the
ground speed. You should operate the tractor
between 2 to 3.5 mph (3.2 to 5.6 km/h) while
mowing.
• If the grass is longer than normal, or if it contains
a high degree of moisture, raise the cutting height
higher than usual, cut the grass at that setting, and
then cut the grass again at the lower, normal setting.
• If you must stop the tractor while mowing, you may
leave a clump of grass clippings on your lawn. To
avoid this, do the following:
– Engage the blade and move to a previously cut
area.
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