25
Operating Characteristics
Danger
The slope angle at which the machine will tip is
dependent on many factors. Among these are:
mowing conditions such as wet of undulating turf,
speed (especially in turns), tire pressure, and
operator experience.
At side hill angles of 15 degrees or less, the risk of a
rollover is low. As the slope angle increases to a
recommended maximum limit of 20 degrees, the
risk of a rollover increases to a moderate level.
Do
not exceed a 20 degree side hill slope angle because
the risk of a rollover and serious injury or death is
very high.
To determine which hills or slopes may be safely
operated on, a site survey of the mowing area must
be done. When performing this site survey, always
use common sense and take into consideration the
turf condition and the rollover risk. To perform a
site survey, lay a 4 ft. 2x4 (1.25 meter plank) on the
slope surface and measure the angle of the slope.
The 2x4 will average the slope but will not take
into consideration dips or holes which can cause a
sudden change in side hill angle.
The maximum
side hill angle should not be greater than 20 degrees.
Always wear your seat belt.
Practice operating the machine and become thoroughly
familiar with it.
Start the engine and run it at half idle until it warms up.
Push the throttle lever all the way forward, lift the cutting
units, disengage the parking brake, press the forward
traction pedal, and carefully drive to an open area.
Practice moving forward and reverse, and starting and
stopping the machine. To stop, take your foot off
of the
traction pedal and let it return to neutral or press down on
the reverse pedal to stop. Going down a hill, you may need
to use the reverse pedal to stop.
When driving on slopes, drive slowly to maintain steering
control and avoid turns to prevent rollovers.
When possible, mow up and down hills rather than across
them. Have the cutting units lowered when going down a
hill to maintain steering control. Do not attempt to turn on a
hill.
Practice driving around obstacles with the decks up and
down. Be careful when driving between narrow objects so
you do not damage the machine or cutting units.
Always drive slowly in rough areas.
If a person appears in or near the operating area, stop the
machine, and do not start it again until the area is cleared.
The machine is designed for one person. Never let anyone
else ride on the machine with you. This is extremely
dangerous and could result in serious injury.
Accidents can happen to anyone. The most common causes
are excessive speed, sudden turns, terrain (not knowing
which slopes and hills can be mowed safely), not stopping
the engine before leaving the operator’s seat, and drugs
which impair your alertness. Cold capsules or prescription
drugs may cause drowsiness, as can alcohol and other
drugs. Stay alert and stay safe. Failure to do so could result
in serious injury.
When transporting the machine from one work area to
another, raise the cutting units to the fully up position,
move the mow/transport slide to the left to transport, and
place the throttle in the Fast position.
Mowing Techniques
To begin cutting, engage the decks, then approach the
mowing area slowly. Once the front decks are over the
mowing area, lower the cutting units.
To achieve the professional straight-line cut and striping
that is desirable for some applications, find a tree or other
object in the distance and drive straight toward it.
As soon as the front decks reach the edge of the mowing
area, lift the cutting units and perform a tear drop shaped
turn to quickly line you up for your next pass.
The decks tend to throw grass to the left side of the
machine. If trimming around bunkers, it is best to mow in a
clockwise direction to prevent throwing clippings into the
bunker.
The cutting decks can be equipped with bolt-in mulching
baffles. The mulching baffles perform well when turf is
maintained on a regular schedule to avoid removing more
than 1 inch (25 mm) of growth per cutting. When too much
growth is cut with the mulching baffles installed, after-cut
appearance may deteriorate and the observed power to cut
the turf increases. The mulching baffles also perform well
for shredding leaves in the fall of the year.
Blade Selection
Standard Angled Sail
The blade generally performs best in lower heights of cut
(3/4 to 2–1/2 inch). The optional high lift parallel sail blade
performs better in the higher heights of cut (2 to 4 inch).
Attributes:
•
Discharge remains more even at lower heights of
cut.
•
Discharge has less tendency to throw left and thus a
cleaner look around bunkers and fairways.
