Toro 20318, Operator'S Manual

Page: 9 / 16

Installing the Grass Bag
1. Lift up the rear deflector (Figure 13).
Figure 13
1. Rear deflector
2. Insert the grass-bag handle onto the notches on the
handle brackets (Figure 13).
Removing the Grass Bag
1. Lift up the rear deflector (Figure 13).
2. Lift the grass-bag handle out from the notches on the
handle brackets and remove the bag from the machine.
3. Close the rear deflector.
Operating Tips
General Mowing Tips
•
Clear the area of sticks, stones, wire, branches, and other
debris that the blade could hit.
•
Avoid striking solid objects with the blade. Never
deliberately mow over any object.
•
If the machine strikes an object or starts to vibrate,
immediately stop the engine, disconnect the wire from
the spark plug, and examine the machine for damage.
•
For best performance, install a new blade before the
cutting season begins.
•
Replace the blade when necessary with a Lawn-Boy
replacement blade.
Cutting Grass
•
Cut only about a third of the grass blade at a time. Do not
cut below the 2 inch (51 mm) setting unless the grass is
sparse or it is late fall when grass growth begins to slow
down. Refer to Adjusting the Cutting Height (page 7).
•
When cutting grass over 6 inches (15 cm) tall, mow at the
highest cutting height setting and walk slower; then mow
again at a lower setting for the best lawn appearance. If
the grass is too long, the machine may plug and cause
the engine to stall.
•
Mow only dry grass or leaves. Wet grass and leaves tend
to clump on the yard and can cause the machine to plug
or the engine to stall.
WARNING
Wet grass or leaves can cause serious injury if
you slip and contact the blade. Mow only in dry
conditions.
•
Alternate the mowing direction. This helps disperse the
clippings over the lawn for even fertilization.
•
If the finished lawn appearance is unsatisfactory, try one
or more of the following:
– Replace the blade or have it sharpened.
– Walk at a slower pace while mowing.
– Raise the cutting height on your machine.
– Cut the grass more frequently.
– Overlap cutting swaths instead of cutting a full swath
with each pass.
– Set the cutting height on the front wheels one notch
lower than the rear wheels. For example, set the front
wheels at 2 inches (51 mm) and the rear wheels at
2-1/2 inches (64 mm).
Cutting Leaves
•
After cutting the lawn, ensure that half of the lawn shows
through the cut leaf cover. You may need to make more
than one pass over the leaves.
•
If there are more than 5 inches (13 cm) of leaves on the
lawn, set the front cutting height one or two notches
higher than the rear cutting height.
•
Slow down your mowing speed if the machine does not
cut the leaves finely enough.
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