Operation
MOWING |
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| Tall Grass Requires Incremental Cutting | ||
Before mowing, set the cutting height as described in |
| For extremely tall grass, set the cutting height at | |||
the Troubleshooting, Adjustments & Service section. |
| maximum for the first pass, and then reset it to the | |||
1. | Engage the parking brake. Make sure the PTO |
| desired height and mow a second or third time. | ||
| Don’t cover the grass surface with a heavy layer of | ||||
| switch is disengaged and operator is seated in |
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| operator’s position with feet on foot rests. |
| clippings. Consider using a grass collection system | ||
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| and starting a compost pile. |
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2. | Start the engine (see STARTING THE ENGINE). |
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3. | Set the throttle control to FAST. |
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4. | Disengage parking brake. |
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5. | Extend the deck actuator fully so that the blades |
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| are parallel to the ground. A “ratcheting” sound is |
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| heard when the deck actuator is fully extended. |
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6. | Engage the PTO by pulling up on the PTO switch. |
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7. | Begin mowing. |
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8. | When finished, shut off the PTO. |
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9. | Stop the engine (see STOPPING THE ENGINE & |
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| MOWER) |
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MOWING RECOMMENDATIONS |
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Several factors can affect how well your machine cuts |
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grass, Ferris recommends following proper mowing | for |
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recommendations to improve the performance and |
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life of your machine. |
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Height of Grass |
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Often cutting height is a matter of personal |
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| Proper C tting Height |
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preference. Typically, you should mow the grass |
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when it is is between three and five inches high. |
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The proper cutting height range for a specific lawn |
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will depend upon several factors, including the |
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type of grass, the amount of rainfall, theNotprevailing |
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temperature, and the lawn’s overall condition. |
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Cutting the grass too short causes weak, thin grass |
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plants, which are easily damaged by dry p riods and |
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pests. Cutting too short is often more damaging than |
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allowing the grass to be slightly higher. |
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Letting grass grow a bit |
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is hot and |
| Cut Here On | Cut | ||
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| Reproduction | |||
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needed moisture and protects the grass from heat |
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damage and other problems. However, allowing grass | First Pass | Here On |
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to grow too high can cause thin turf and additional |
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problems. |
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Cutting off too much at one time shocks the plant’s growth system and weakens the grass plants. A good rule of thumb is the 1/3 rule: to cut no more than one third of the grass height, and never more than 1 inch at a time.
The amount of grass you are able to cut in one pass
is also effected by the type of mowing system you are Incremental Cutting using (for example, broadcasting with side discharge
decks can process a much larger volume of grass than mulching does).
16 | www.ferrisindustries.com |