Land Pride | Table of Contents |
Section 2: Operating Instructions
13.Never work close to or on steep slopes.
14.Do not engage PTO with mower in the fully raised position. Do not engage PTO at full throttle. Do not lift mower with PTO engage.
15.Do not allow anyone including yourself near the mower when it is operating.
16.Periodically check for foreign objects wrapped around the rotor shaft and remove them after disengaging PTO, turning off tractor, and removing ignition key.
General Operating Instructions
Now that you have familiarized yourself with the Operator’s Manual, completed the Operators Checklist, properly attached your Flail Mower to your tractor, made the right offset or center adjustments, and preset your cutting height, you’re almost ready to begin using your Land Pride FM3188 or FM4188 Flail Mower.
It’s now time to do a running operational safety check. If at any time during this safety check you detect a malfunction in either the mower or tractor shut the tractor off immediately, remove the key, and make necessary repairs or adjustments before continuing on.
Make sure the tractor’s park brake is engaged, the tractor’s PTO is disengaged, and the mower is resting on the ground. Start the tractor and then back the tractor throttle off till the engine is at low idle. With the tractor’s rear hydraulic lift control lever, raise the mower to transport position making sure that the PTO shaft is not in a bind and does not come in contact with the mower frame. Lower the unit to cutting position and, with the tractor still at low idle, engage the PTO. If everything is running smoothly at this point increase the engine rpm until the tractor’s engine reaches full PTO operating speed which will be 540 rpm. Slowly raise the cutter to transport height to make sure the driveline does not bind or chatter. Then return the engine to low idle, disengage PTO, and position the adjustable stops on the tractor’s hydraulic lift lever control console so the cutter can be consistently returned to the same cutting and transport height.
You should now be ready to move to the cutting site to begin mowing. You should have inspected and should only be cutting in an area you are familiar with which is relatively free of debris and unseen objects. Never assume an area is clear. Extremely tall grass or brush should be cut twice to detect potential hazards. In the event you do strike an object, stop the tractor and mower immediately to inspect the rotor and make any necessary repairs before resuming operation. It pays to inspect a new area and to develop a plan before you cut.
Normal mowing speed will be between
heavier brush may create the need to slow down. Always cut downward on slopes and avoid crossing the face of steep slopes. Avoid sharp drops and cross diagonally through dips to prevent hanging up the tractor and mower. Slow down in turns and avoid sharp turns if at all possible. Remember to look back often.
Now you’re prepared and well briefed so let’s begin cutting. Reduce the tractor’s engine rpm, make sure the mower is on the ground and in cutting position, engage the PTO, raise the engine rpm to the appropriate PTO speed, and begin mowing. Operators must plan ahead and choose a cutting route that allows safe turns. Try increasing or decreasing ground speed to determine the effect on quality of cut. With a little practice you will be pleased with what you and your Land Pride Flail Mower can do.
If you are cutting with an FM4188 and using the hammer knives and the standard brush rake teeth you will accumulate and force more material into the rotor for pulverization. This will require more horsepower and will cause you to slow down especially if you are encountering material up to 2" in diameter. The fine cutting knives on the FM3188 are much better suited for a finer quality of cut in grass cutting applications and in no case should fine cut blades be used for cutting material greater than 1” in diameter.
When you are done mowing, need to take a break, or just need to make a few adjustments to the mower, remember to always do the following. Reduce the tractor’s engine rpm, disengage the PTO, stop on level ground, set the park brake, turn off the engine, and remove the key.
3/21/07 | FM3188 & FM4188 Flail Mowers | 13 |