Toro TimeCutter Z5020, Operator'S Manual

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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 40).
Figure 40
1. Sail area of blade 4. Blade bolt
2. Blade 5. Blade stiffener
3. Curved washer
Sharpening the Blades
1. Use a file to sharpen the cutting edge at both ends
of the blade (Figure 41). Maintain the original angle.
The blade retains its balance if the same amount of
material is removed from both cutting edges.
Figure 41
1. Sharpen at original angle
2. Check the balance of the blade by putting it on a
blade balancer (Figure 42). If the blade stays in a
horizontal position, the blade is balanced and can be
used. If the blade is not balanced, file some metal off
the end of the sail area only (Figure 41). Repeat this
procedure until the blade is balanced.
Figure 42
1. Blade 2. Balancer
Installing the Blades
1. Install the blade onto the spindle shaft (Figure 40).
Important:
The curved part of the blade must
be pointing upward toward the inside of the
mower to ensure proper cutting.
2. Install the blade stiffener, the curved washer (cupped
side toward the blade) and the blade bolt (Figure 40).
3. Torque the blade bolt to 35-65 ft-lb (47-88 N-m).
Leveling the Mower from
Side-to-Side
The mower blades must be level from side to side.
Check the side-to-side level any time you install the
mower or when you see an uneven cut on your lawn.
1. Park the machine on a level surface and disengage
the blade control switch.
2. Move the motion control levers outward to the
park position, stop the engine, remove the key, and
wait for all moving parts to stop before leaving the
operating position.
3. Check the air pressure of all four tires. If needed,
adjust to the recommended inflation; refer to
Checking the Tire Pressure in the Drive System
Maintenance section.
4. Set the height-of-cut lever to position D
[3 inch (76 mm)].
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