Figure 19
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 Toro
replacement blade.
Cutting Grass
•
Cut only about a third of the grass blade at a time. Do not
cut below the 54 mm (2-1/8 inch) 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 9)
.
•
When cutting grass over 15 cm (6 inches) 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.
•
Be aware of a potential fire hazard in very dry conditions,
follow all local fire warnings, and keep the machine free
of dry grass and leaf debris.
•
Alternate the mowing direction. This helps disperse the
clippings over the lawn for even fertilization.
•
If the finished lawn appearance is unsatisfactory, try 1
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 a notch
lower than the rear wheels. For example, set the front
wheels at 54 mm (2-1/8 inches) and the rear wheels
at 64 mm (2-1/2 inches).
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 a single pass over the leaves.
•
If there are more than 13 cm (5 inches) of leaves on the
lawn, set the front cutting height 1 or 2 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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