Operating Tips. Toro 21in Heavy-Duty Recycler/Rear Bagger Lawn Mower

Removing the Grass Bag

1. Stop the engine and wait for all moving parts to stop.

2. Raise the discharge door handle and move it forward

to engage the pin with the catch (Figure 17).

3. Grasp the handles at the front and the rear of the bag and lift the bag off the mower.

4. Gradually tip the bag forward to empty the clippings.

5. To install the bag, refer to Installing the Grass Bag.

• Maintain a sharp blade throughout the cutting season. Periodically file down nicks on the blade.

• Replace the blade when necessary with an original

Toro replacement blade.

• Mow only dry grass or leaves. Wet grass and leaves tend to clump on the yard and can cause the mower to plug or the engine to stall.

If the discharge door does not close completely, the mower could throw objects, causing serious personal injury or death.

If you cannot close the door because the grass clippings clog the discharge area, stop the engine and gently move the discharge door handle back and forth until you can close the door completely. If you still cannot close the door, remove the obstruction with a stick, not your hand.

Wet grass or leaves can cause serious injury if you slip and contact the blade.

Mow only in dry conditions.

• Clean under the mower housing after each mowing.

See Cleaning under the Mower Housing.

• Keep the engine in good running condition.

• Set the engine speed to the fastest position for the best cutting results.

The mower can throw grass clippings and other objects through an open discharge tunnel.

Objects thrown with enough force could cause serious personal injury or death to the operator or bystander.

Never open the door on the discharge tunnel when the engine is running.

Operating Tips

General Tips

• Review the safety instructions and read this manual carefully before operating the mower.

• Clear the area of sticks, stones, wire, branches, and other debris that the blade could hit and throw.

• Keep everyone, especially children and pets, away from the area of operation.

• Avoid striking trees, walls, curbs, or other solid objects. Never deliberately mow over any object.

• If the mower strikes an object or starts to vibrate, immediately stop the engine, disconnect the wire from the spark plug, and examine the mower for damage.

Operating a mower with its engine running at a speed greater than the factory setting can cause the mower to throw a part of the blade or engine into the operator’s or bystander’s area and result in serious personal injury or death.

– Do not change the engine speed setting.

– If you suspect the engine speed is faster than normal, contact an Authorized Service

Dealer.

• Clean the air filter frequently. Mulching stirs up more clippings and dust which clogs the air filter and reduces engine performance.

Cutting Grass

• Grass grows at different rates at different times of the year. In the summer heat, it is best to cut grass at the 2-1/4 inch (57 mm), 2-3/4 inch (70 mm), or

3-1/4 inch (83 mm) cutting height settings. Cut only about a third of the grass blade at a time. Do not cut below the 2-1/4 inch (57 mm) setting unless the grass is sparse or it is late fall when grass growth begins to slow down.

• When cutting grass over 6 inches (15 cm) tall, first mow at the highest cutting height setting and walk slower; then mow again at a lower setting for the best lawn appearance. If the grass is too long and

14

the leaves clump on top of the lawn, the mower may plug and cause the engine to stall.

• Alternate the mowing direction. This helps disperse the clippings over the lawn for even fertilization.

If the finished lawn appearance is unsatisfactory, try one or more of the following:

• Sharpen the blade.

• Walk at a slower pace while mowing.

• Raise the cutting height on your mower.

• Cut the grass more frequently.

• Overlap cutting swaths instead of cutting a full swath with each pass.

• Set the cutting height on the front wheels one notch lower than the rear wheels. For example, set the front wheels at 2-1/4 inches (57 mm) and the rear wheels at 2-3/4 inches (70 mm).

Cutting Leaves

• After cutting the lawn, ensure that half of the lawn shows through the cut leaf cover. You may need to make more than one pass over the leaves.

• For light leaf coverage, set all the wheels at the same cutting height setting.

• If there are more than 5 inches (12.7 cm) of leaves on the lawn, set the front cutting height 1 or 2 notches higher than the rear cutting height. This makes it easier to feed the leaves under the mower housing.

• Slow down your mowing speed if the mower does not cut the leaves finely enough.

• If you mow over oak leaves, you can add lime to the grass in the spring to reduce the acidity of the oak leaves.

15