OPERATION
10.1 Foreign Debris Hazards/Overhead Obstructions
An area to be cut must first be inspected for objects that could be thrown or that could damage the machine. Walk through the area looking for fences, boulders, rocks, culverts, stumps or metal objects. Mark the inspected area with flags. If the area is dense and cannot be walked thoroughly it may be necessary to inspect a smaller area as well as possible, then trim away the part that has been inspected and can safely be removed. Walk each new area again and repeat the inspection before cutting more away. Repeat as often as necessary until the area is cleared. It can be damaging and/or dangerous to work the cutter in an area that has not been visually inspected.
Place DANGER signs at least 300 feet beyond the perimeter of the area to be worked, not just 300 feet from where the machine started operating! It is convenient in many cases to work in 300 foot sections. Move the first Danger sign to the beginning of the freshly cleared area, place it, then take the first cutting area flag up to the end of the freshly cleared area 300 feet away. Walk and inspect the next 300 feet and place the second cutting area flag. Pick up the second DANGER sign, and take it a further 300 feet along the road or trail. Note that in many cases the DANGER area will extend in front of and behind the machine as well as along each side. Post signs accordingly.
Do not put hands or feet under mower decks. Blade Contact can result in serious injury or even death. Stay away until all motion has stopped and the decks are securely blocked up.
10.2 Operating Speed and Ground Speed
Ground speed for mowing will depend upon the height, type, and density of vegetation to be cut. Do Not exceed 2 MPH while operating. Operate the mower at its full rated PTO speed to maintain blade speed for a clean cut. Refer to the tractor operator’s manual or the tractor instrument panel for the engine speed and gear to provide the required operating and desired ground speed. Make sure that the mower is operating at its full rated speed before entering the vegetation to be cut. Always start and stop cutting blades with engine near idle.
Ground speed is achieved by transmission gear selection and not by the engine operating speed. The operator may be required to experiment with several gear range combinations to determine the best gear and range which provides the most ideal performance from the implement and most efficient tractor operation. As the severity of cutting conditions increase, the ground speed should be decreased by selecting a lower gear to maintain the proper operating PTO speed.
Do not exceed the rated PTO speed for the Implement. Excessive PTO speeds can cause Implement driveline or blade failures resulting in serious injury or death.
PT5 09/10 | Operation Section |
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