convenient sharpening and replacement, you may want to
keep extra blades on hand.
DANGER
A worn or damaged blade can break, and a piece
of the blade could be thrown into the operator's
or bystander's area, resulting in serious personal
injury or death.
•
Inspect the blade periodically for wear or
damage.
•
Replace a worn or damaged blade.
Before Inspecting or Servicing the
Blades
Park the machine on a level surface, disengage the blade
control switch (PTO), and set the parking brake. Turn the
ignition key to off. Remove the key.
Inspecting the Blades
Service Interval:
Before each use or daily
1.
Inspect the cutting edges (Figure 89). If the edges
are not sharp or have nicks, remove and sharpen the
blades. Refer to Servicing the Cutting Blades (page 54).
2.
Inspect the blades, especially the curved area (Figure
89). If you notice any damage, wear, or a slot forming
in this area (Figure 89), immediately install a new blade.
Figure 89
1.
Cutting Edge
3.
Wear/slot Forming
2.
Curved Area
4.
Crack
Checking for Bent Blades
1.
Disengage the blade control switch (PTO), move the
motion control levers to the neutral locked position
and set the parking brake.
2.
Stop the engine, remove the key, and wait for all moving
parts to stop before leaving the operating position.
3.
Rotate the blades until the ends face forward and
backward (Figure 90). Measure from a level surface to
the cutting edge, position
A
, of the blades (Figure 90).
Note this dimension.
Figure 90
1.
Measure here from blade
to hard surface
2.
Position A
4.
Rotate the opposite ends of the blades forward.
5.
Measure from a level surface to the cutting edge of
the blades at the same position as in step 3 above.
The difference between the dimensions obtained in
steps 3 and 4 must not exceed 1/8 inch (3 mm). If this
dimension exceeds 1/8 inch (3 mm), the blade is bent
and must be replaced; refer to Removing the Blades
(page 56) and Sharpening the Blades (page 56).
WARNING
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.
55
