Operator's Manual

17
DANGER
POTENTIAL HAZARD
• A worn or damaged blade could break and a
piece of the blade could be thrown into
operator’s or bystander’s area.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN
• A thrown piece of the blade could cause serious
personal injury or death to the operator or
bystanders.
HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD
• Inspect the blade periodically for wear or
damage.
• Replace a worn or damaged blade.
Removing the Blade
1. Grasp the end of the blade using a rag or thickly
padded glove.
2. Remove the blade nuts, anti-scalp cup, blade
accelerator and blade (Fig. 26).
796
1
2
3
4
Figure 26
1. Blade
2. Blade nuts
3. Anti-scalp cup
4. Accelerator
Sharpening the Blade
Using a file, sharpen top side of the blade and maintain
the original cutting angle (Fig. 27).
153
1
Figure 27
1. Sharpen at this angle only
Note: The blade will remain balanced if same amount of
material is removed from both cutting edges.
Balancing the Blade
1. Check the balance of the blade by placing the center
hole of the blade over a nail or screwdriver shank
clamped horizontally in a vise (Fig. 28).
Note: You can also check the balance using a
commercially manufactured, blade balancer.
1007
Figure 28
2. If either end of the blade rotates downward, file that
end (not the cutting edge or the end near the cutting
edge). The blade is properly balanced when neither
end drops.
Installing the Blade
1. Install the blade, blade accelerator, anti-scalp cup and
blade nuts (Fig. 26).
2. Tighten the blade nuts to 15-27 ft-lbs (20-37 Nm).
WARNING
POTENTIAL HAZARD
• Operating the mower without the accelerator in
place could cause the blade to flex, bend, or
break.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN
• A broken blade could cause serious injury or
death to the operator or bystanders.
HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD
• Do not operate the mower without the
accelerator.
Lubricating the Self–propel
Drive
1. Wipe the grease fittings on the rear height-of-cut
adjustors (Fig. 29) with a clean rag.