Operating Tips (continued)
Proper Mowing Techniques
• To achieve the professional straight-line cut and striping that is desirable for some
applications, find a tree or other object in the distance and drive straight toward it.
• Maintain reel and bedknife sharpness.
• Maintain proper reel to bedknife clearance. Use light contact.
• Follow and maintain the 1/3rd rule (cut only 1/3 of the grass blade at a time).
• Set reel speed and traction speed to obtain the desired clip length.
• When mowing in wet conditions, open the rear shield of the cutting unit.
Maintaining the Machine after Mowing
Complete the following steps after mowing:
1. Thoroughly wash the machine with a garden hose with no nozzle to avoid contamination
and damage to the seals and bearings caused by excessive water pressure.
2. Ensure that the radiator and oil cooler are kept free of dirt or grass clippings.
3. Inspect the machine for possible hydraulic-fluid leaks, damage, or wear to the hydraulic
and mechanical components, and check the cutting-unit blades for sharpness.
Scalping, Circle Cutting, and Verticutting
• Scalping/Circle Cutting
– Scalping and circle cutting are considered severe applications. Dedicate reels
specifically to these applications.
– Follow and maintain the 1/3rd rule (cut only 1/3 of the grass blade at a time).
• Verticutting
– For 5-inch verticutters, set the verticutter blade depth to 1/8 inch or less. For 7-inch
verticutters, set the blade depth to 1/4 inch or less.
– Ensure that the cutting-unit blades are sharp, adjusted correctly, and that none of the
blades are bent. Dull and bent blades require more power.
– Adding more blades to reduce the blade spacing increases power consumption.
• Best Practices for Scalping, Circle Cutting, and Verticutting
– Open the rear cutting-unit shields.
– Recommended maximum mowing speed is 6 km/h (4 mph).
– Set the reel speeds to setting 6.
Note: Higher reel speed settings result in less torque. When scalping, better
performance and efficiency is achieved at lower reel speed settings.
– Do not use Economy Mode.
– Use the InfoCenter display to monitor the engine coolant temperature.
3464-490A Page 5–23 Operation: During Operation
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