Operator's Manual

20
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Practice operating the machine and become
thoroughly familiar with it.
Start the engine and run it at half idle until it warms up.
Push the throttle lever all the way forward, lift the cutting
units, disengage the parking brake, press the forward
traction pedal and carefully drive off to an open area.
Practice going both forward and in reverse, starting
and stopping the machine. To stop, take your foot off
the traction pedal and let it return to neutral or press
down on the reverse pedal to stop. Going down a hill,
you may need to use the reverse pedal to stop.
When driving on slopes, drive slowly to maintain
steering control and avoid turns to prevent rollovers. In
side hill situations you should shift the sidewinder
cutting units to the up hill side to give you more
stability. Conversely, shifting the cutting units to the
down hill side will give you less stability. This
should always be done before going on a side hill.
When possible, mow up and down hills rather than
across them. Have the cutting units lowered when
going down a hill to maintain steering control. Do not
attempt to turn on a hill.
Practice driving around obstacles with the decks up
and down. Be careful when driving between narrow
objects so you don't damage the machine or cutting
units.
On the Sidewinder unit, get a feel for the reach of the
cutting units so you don't hang them up or damage
them in any way.
Don't shift the units from side to side, unless the cutting
units are down and the machine is moving, or the
cutting units are up in the transport position. Shifting
the cutting units when they are down and the machine
is not moving may cause turf damage.
The Groundsmaster is a precision mowing machine,
so always drive slowly in rough areas.
If a person appears in or near the operating area, stop
the machine, and don't start up again until the area is
cleared. The Groundsmaster is a one-person
machine. Never let anyone else ride on the machine
with you. This is extremely dangerous and could result
in serious injury.
Accidents can happen to anyone. The most common
causes are excessive speed, sudden turns, terrain
(with the Groundsmaster 3500-D that's knowing what
slopes and hills can be mowed safely), not stopping
the engine before leaving the operator's seat, and
drugs which impair your alertness. Cold capsules or
prescription drugs may cause drowsiness, as can
alcohol and other drugs. Stay alert and stay safe.
Failure to do so could result in serious injury.
The Sidewinder offers up to a maximum of 13 inches of
overhang, allowing you to trim closer to the edge of
traps and other obstacles, while at the same time
keeping the tractor tires as far away from the edge of
traps or water hazards as possible.
If an obstacle is in the way, shift the cutting units to
easily mow around it.
CAUTION: This product may exceed noise levels of 85
dB(A) at the operator position. Ear protectors are
recommended for prolonged exposure to reduce the
potential of permanent hearing damage.
When transporting the machine from one work area to
another, raise cutting units to the fully up position,
move Mow/Transport slide to the left to transport and
place throttle in FAST position. (The cutting units will
not operate in transport.)
MOWING TECHNIQUES
To begin cutting, engage the decks, then approach the
mowing area slowly. Once the front decks are over the
mowing area, lower the cutting units.
To achieve the professional straight line cut and
striping that is desirable for some applications, find a
tree or other object in the distance and drive straight
toward it.
As soon as the front decks reach the edge of the
mowing area, lift the cutting units and perform a tear
drop turn, to quickly line you up for your next pass.
Mowing around bunkers ponds or other contours is
easily done with The Groundsmaster 3500-D with
Sidewinder. To use the Sidewinder application, move
the control lever left or right, depending on your
mowing application. The cutting units can also be
shifted to vary tire tracking.
The Groundsmaster 3500-D decks tend to throw
grass to the left side of the machine. If trimming around
bunkers, it is best to mow in a clockwise direction to
prevent throwing clippings into the bunker.
The cutting decks can be equipped with bolt in
mulching baffles. The mulching baffles perform well
when turf is maintained on a regular schedule to avoid
removing more than 1 inch of growth per cutting. When
too much growth is cut with the mulching baffles
installed, after-cut appearance may deteriorate and
the observed power to cut the turf increases. The
mulching baffles also perform well for shredding leaves
in the fall of the year.