64
Maintenance Instructions
S18
Checking and Servicing
4. If the blade cutting edge is
dull or nicked,
it
should be sharpened. Remove blades for
sharpening by grasping the end of the blade
using a rag or a thick, padded glove, while
loosening and removing the nut, lock washer,
and flat washer that mount the blade.
5. Grind cutting edge at the same bevel as the
original. Sharpen only the top of the cutting
edge to maintain sharpness.
NOTE:
Blades can be sharpened with an
electric blade sharpener, conventional electric
grinder, or a hand file.
CAUTION
ALWAYS wear eye protection and gloves
when sharpening a blade.
Wing
Tip
Do Not Grind or
Sharpen on Underside
Intersection
Wear Area
Sharpen at
Original 30° Angle
30°
Mower Blade Profile for Sharpening
6. Check blade balance by positioning the blade
horizontally
on a blade balancer or use a nail
or shaft through the center hole. If either end
of the blade rotates downward, grind (remove)
metal on that end until the blade will balance.
The blade is properly balanced when neither
end drops. Balance of a blade is generally
maintained by removing an equal amount of
material from each end of the blade when
sharpening.
Blade Balancer
Blade Balanced on Magnetic
Wall-Mounted Balancer
7. Mount the blade with wing tips pointing up into
the housing. For
gear-driven decks
reinstall
the blade, washer, lock washer, and nut.
Tighten the nut to 60 lb·ft (81 N·m).
For
belt-driven decks
reinstall the spacer (if ap-
plicable), blade, washer, and bolt.
Tighten
the bolt to 70 lb·ft (95 N·m).
NOTE:
When reinstalling blades on
GHS
models, remember, the blades counter-rotate
and the LH and RH blades must not be
switched. Check for proper blade rotation
before installing blades on the deck. Refer to
Blade Rotation
illustrations shown in
Clog-
ging Checklist on page 41
for correct blade
rotation.
Drive Belts
Raise the body and inspect the condition of the
three (3) drive belts after
every 25 hours
of opera
-
tion—engine, PTO drive, and ground drive. If the
belts show
signs of cracking or deteriorating,
the belts should be
replaced.
Refer to
Drive Belts
on page 67.