Toro Groundsmaster 3505-D - Operating Tips and Techniques

OperatingTips
CreatingaSiteSurvey
Toperformasitesurvey,laya1.25mplank(4ftlong
2x4)ontheslopesurfaceandmeasuretheangle
oftheslopewiththeinclinometerprovidedwiththe
machine.Theplank(2x4)willaveragetheslopebut
willnottakeintoconsiderationdipsorholeswhich
cancauseasuddenchangeinsidehillangle.After
completingthesitesurvey,refertoBeforeOperation
Safety(page23).
Additionally,themachineisequippedwithanangle
indicatormountedonthesteeringtube.Thisindicates
thesidehillanglethatthemachineison.
OperatingtheMachine
•StarttheengineandrunitatHALFIDLEuntilit
warmsup.Pushthethrottleleveralltheway
forward,liftthecuttingunits,disengagethe
parkingbrake,presstheforwardtractionpedal,
andcarefullydrivetoanopenarea.
•Practicemovingforwardandreverse,andstarting
andstoppingthemachine.Tostopthemachine,
removeyourfootfromthetractionpedalandletit
returntoNEUTRALorpressdownonthereverse
pedal.Whengoingdownhillinthemachine,you
mayneedtousethereversepedaltostop.
•Practicedrivingaroundobstacleswiththecutting
unitsupanddown.Becarefulwhendriving
betweennarrowobjectssothatyoudonotdamage
themachineorcuttingunits.
•OntheSidewinderunit,getaccustomedtothe
reachofthecuttingunitssothatyoudonothang
themupordamagethem.
•Donotshiftthecuttingunitsfromsidetoside
unlesstheyaredownandthemachineismoving,
orthecuttingunitsareinthetransportposition.
Shiftingthecuttingunitswhentheyaredownand
themachineisnotmovingmaydamagetheturf.
•Alwaysdriveslowlyinroughareas.
•TheSidewinderunitoffersuptoamaximumof
33cm(13inches)ofoverhang,allowingyouto
trimclosertotheedgeofsandtrapsandother
obstacles,while,atthesametime,keepingthe
tractortiresasfarawayfromtheedgeoftrapsor
waterhazardsaspossible.
•Ifanobstacleisintheway,shiftthecuttingunits
tomowaroundit.
•Whentransportingthemachinefrom1workarea
toanother,raisethecuttingunitstothefully
upwardposition,movethemow/transportslideto
thelefttotransport,andplacethethrottleinthe
FASTposition.
ChangingMowingPatterns
Changemowingpatternsoftentominimizeapoor
after-cutappearancefromrepeatedlymowinginthe
samedirection.
UnderstandingCounterbalance
Thecounterbalancesystemmaintainshydraulic
backpressureonthecuttingunitliftcylinders.
Thispressureimprovestractionbytransferringthe
cuttingunitweighttothemower-drivewheels.The
counterbalancepressurehasbeensetatthefactory
toanoptimalbalanceofafter-cutappearanceand
tractioncapabilityinmostturfconditions.
Decreasingthecounterbalancesettingcanproducea
morestablecuttingunit,butcandecreasethetraction
capability.Increasingthecounterbalancesettingcan
increasethetractioncapability,butmayresultina
poorafter-cutappearance.Refertothemachine
ServiceManualforyourtractionunitforinstructionsto
adjustthecounterbalancepressure.
ResolvingAfter-CutAppearance
RefertotheAfter-cutAppearanceTroubleshooting
Guideavailableatwww.Toro.com.
UsingProperMowingTechniques
•Tobegincutting,engagethecuttingunits,then
approachthemowingareaslowly.Oncethefront
cuttingunitsareoverthemowingarea,lowerthe
cuttingunits.
•Toachievetheprofessionalstraight-linecutand
stripingthatisdesirableforsomeapplications,nd
atreeorotherobjectinthedistanceanddrive
straighttowardit.
•Assoonasthefrontcuttingunitsreachtheedgeof
themowingarea,liftthecuttingunits,andperform
ateardrop-shapedturntoquicklylineupforyour
nextpass.
•Tomowaroundbunkers,ponds,orothercontours
easily,usetheSidewinderunitandmovethe
controllevertotheleftorright,dependingonyour
mowingapplication.Youcanalsoshiftthecutting
unitstovarythetiretracking.
•Thecuttingunitstendtothrowgrasstotheleft
sideofthemachine.Ifyouaretrimmingaround
bunkers,mowinaclockwisedirectiontoprevent
throwingclippingsintothebunker.
•Bolt-inmulchingbafesareavailableforthe
cuttingunits.Themulchingbafesperformwell
whenyoumaintainturfonaregularschedule
toavoidremovingmorethan25mm(1inch)of
growthpercutting.Whenyoucuttoomuchgrowth
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