Maintenance Instructions

CHECKING/SERVICING

Sharpen Mower Blades

Check mower blade(s) for straightness, sharp- ness, condition of the cutting edge, and balance every 10 hours of operation (or more often when mowing abrasive type grass or operating on sandy soils). Replace blades if worn, bent, cracked, or otherwise damaged (refer to REPLACING/RE- PAIRING the Mower Blades in this section). Use the following procedure to check and sharpen blades:

NOTE: Keep blades sharp - cutting with dull blades not only yields a poor mowing job but slows the cutting speed of the mower and causes extra wear on the engine and blade drive by pulling hard.

1.Stop the engine, remove ignition key, and dis- connect the electrical plug on the fuel shut-off solenoid before raising the mower deck to ser- vice blades.

2.Raise the deck and secure it in the TILT-UPpo- sition. Refer to CLEANING the Grass Buildup in Mower Housing in this section for deck rais- ing instructions.

DANGER

NEVER operate cutter blades with the deck in the raised position.

3.Check the blades for straightness by marking the blade tip position inside the deck housing, and then rotating the opposite end of the blade to the same position and comparing. If the dif- ference in blade tip track is more than 1/8 in. (3 mm), the blade is bent and should be re- placed.

WARNING

DO NOT try to straighten a blade that is bent. NEVER weld a broken or cracked blade. ALWAYS replace with a new blade to assure safety.

4.If the blade cutting edge is dull or nicked, it should be sharpened. Remove blades for sharpening by grasping the end of the blade us- ing a rag or a thick, padded glove, while loosen- ing and removing the nut, lock washer, and flat washer that mounts the blade.

5.Grind cutting edge at the same bevel as the original. Sharpen only the top of the cutting edge to maintain sharpness.

NOTE: Blades can be sharpened with an elec- tric blade sharpener, conventional electric grind- er, or a hand file.

CAUTION

ALWAYS wear eye protection and gloves when sharpening a blade.

 

 

Intersection

Sharpen at

Original 30° Angle

 

Wear Area

 

 

 

 

 

Wing

30°

 

Tip

 

 

 

 

 

Do Not Grind or

Sharpen on Underside

Mower Blade Profile For Sharpening

6.Check blade balance by positioning the blade horizontally on a blade balancer or use a nail or shaft through the center hole. If either end of the blade rotates downward, grind (remove) metal on that end until the blade will balance. The blade is properly balanced when neither end drops. Balance of a blade is gener- ally maintained by removing an equal amount of material from each end of the blade when sharpening.

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