Inspecting And Sharpening The Cutter Blade(S) - Toro 31598 Operator's Manual

Note: After striking a foreign object, torque all the
spindle pulley nuts to 176 to 203 N-m (130 to 150 ft-lb)
and the blade bolts to 115 to 149 N-m (85 to 110 ft-lb).
Figure 100
1. Blade bolt
Inspecting and Sharpening the
Cutter Blade(s)
Service Interval: After the first 10 hours
Every 50 hours
Before each use or daily
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. Trying to repair a damaged blade
may result in discontinued safety certification of
the product.
• Inspect the blade periodically for wear or
damage.
• Never try to straighten a blade that is bent or
weld a broken or cracked blade
• Replace a worn or damaged blade.
Two areas must be considered when checking and servicing
the cutter blade-the sail and the cutting edge. Both cutting
edges and the sail, which is the turned up portion opposite
the cutting edge, contribute to a good quality-of-cut. The
sail is important because it lifts the grass up straight, thereby
producing an even cut. However, the sail will gradually wear
down during operation, and this condition is normal. As the
sail wears down, the quality-of-cut will degrade somewhat,
although the cutting edges are sharp. The cutting edge of
the blade must be sharp so that the grass is cut rather than
torn. A dull cutting edge is evident when the tips of the grass
appear brown and shredded. Sharpen the cutting edges to
correct this condition.
1. Position the machine on a level surface. Raise the
cutting unit, engage the parking brake, put the traction
pedal in neutral, make sure the PTO switch is in the Off
position, stop the engine, and remove the ignition key.
2. Anti-scalp cup
2. Examine the cutting ends of the blade carefully,
especially where the flat and curved parts of the blade
meet (Figure 101). Since sand and abrasive material can
wear away the metal that connects the flat and curved
parts of the blade, check the blade before using the
mower. If wear is noticed
blade.
1. Cutting Edge
2. Curved Area
3. Examine the cutting edges of all of the blades. Sharpen
the cutting edges if they are dull or nicked. Sharpen
only the top of the cutting edge and maintain the
original cutting angle to make sure of sharpness
102). The blade will remain balanced if the same
amount of metal is removed from both cutting edges.
DANGER
If the blade is allowed to wear, a slot will form
between the sail and flat part of the blade
(Figure 102). Eventually a piece of the blade
may break off and be thrown from under the
housing, possibly resulting in serious injury
to you or bystanders.
• Inspect the blade periodically for wear or
damage.
• Never try to straighten a blade that is bent
or weld a broken or cracked blade.
• Replace a worn or damaged blade.
1. Sharpen at original angle
Note: Remove the blades and sharpen them on a grinder.
After sharpening the cutting edges, install the blade with
62
(Figure 101), replace the
Figure 101
3. Wear/slot Forming
4. Crack
Figure 102
(Figure