11 and 14-Blade Cutting Unit

The cutting unit is shipped without a front roller. Install the roller using the loose parts supplied with the cutting unit and installation instructions included with the roller.

Whenever the cutting unit has to be tipped to expose the bedknife/reel, prop up the rear of the cutting unit to make sure the nuts on the back end of the bedbar adjusting screws are not resting on the work surface (Figure 3).

Figure 3

1. Prop (not provided)
2. Bedknife adjusting screw nut (2)

Note: For eFlex cutting units the reel to bedknife contact has significant impact on energy consumption. Very light contact is recommended for optimum cutting performance and battery consumption.

The bedknife to reel adjustment is accomplished by rotating the bedbar adjusting screws, located on top of the mower.

1. Position the cutting unit on a flat, level work surface. Make sure the reel contact is removed by turning the bedbar adjusting screws counterclockwise (Figure 4).

   

   Figure 4

   1. Bedbar adjusting screw

2. Tip the cutting unit on its back to expose the bedknife and reel.

   Important: Make sure the nuts on the back end of the bedbar adjusting screws are not resting on the work surface (Figure 3).

3. At one end of the reel, insert a long strip of newspaper between the reel and bedknife (Figure 5). While slowly rotating the reel forward, turn the bedbar adjusting screw clockwise (on same end of reel, one click at a time, until the paper is pinched lightly, when inserted from the front, parallel to the bedknife. You should notice a slight drag as you pull the paper.

   

   Figure 5

   Note: Each time the adjusting screw is rotated one click clockwise, the bedknife moves 0.0007 inch (0.018 mm) closer to the reel. Do not overtighten the adjusting screws.

4. Check for light contact at the other end of the reel using paper and adjust it as required.

5. After the adjustment is accomplished, check to see if the reel can pinch paper when inserted from the front and cut the paper when inserted at a right angle to the bedknife (Figure 5).

   Note: It should be possible to cut the paper with minimum contact between the bedknife and the reel blades. Should excessive reel drag be evident, it will be either necessary to backlap or regrind the cutting unit to achieve the sharp edges needed for precision cutting (refer to the Toro Reel Sharpening Manual).

Depending on your desired height-of-cut range you need to adjust the the rear roller brackets (Figure 6 or Figure 7) to the low or high position:

• Position the spacer above the sideplate mounting flange (factory setting) when the height-of-cut settings range from 1/16 to 1/4 inch (Figure 6).

  

  Figure 6

  1. Spacer
  2. Sideplate mounting flange
  3. Roller bracket

• Position the spacer below the sideplate mounting flange when the height of cut settings range from 1/8 inch to 1 inch (Figure 7).

  

  Figure 7

  1. Sideplate mounting flange
  2. Spacer
  3. Roller bracket

To adjust rear roller proceed as follows:

1. Raise the rear of the cutting unit and place a block under the bedknife.

2. Remove the 2 nuts securing each roller bracket and spacer to each sideplate mounting flange.

3. Lower the roller and screws from the sideplate mounting flanges and spacers.

4. Place the spacers onto the screws above of below the roller brackets, as required (Figure 6 or Figure 7).

5. Secure the roller bracket and spacers to the underside of the mounting flanges with the nuts previously removed.

6. Verify that the bedknife to reel contact is correct. Tip the mower to expose the front and rear rollers and the bedknife.

   Note: The position of the rear roller to the reel is controlled by the machining tolerances of the assembled components and paralleling is not required. A limited amount of adjustment is possible by setting the cutting unit on a surface plate and loosening the sideplate mounting bolts (Figure 8). Adjust and tighten bolts when finished.

   

   Figure 8

   1. Sideplate mounting bolts

   Important: Whenever the cutting unit has to be tipped to expose bedknife/reel, prop up rear of cutting unit to make sure nuts on back end of bedbar adjusting screws are not resting on work surface (Figure 3).

Note: This cutting unit comes standard with the Edgemax Micro-cut bedknife and standard bedbar. The effective height of cut is dependent on previous mower configurations and turf conditions (i.e. roller type, bedknife behind center distance, soft or firm greens, season conditions). Set initial height of cut .010 – .015 inch higher than previous greensmower setup and adjust to match conditions.

Note: For heights of cut greater than 0.500 inch, the high height of cut kit must be installed.

Note: Use the following chart to determine which bedknife is best suited for the desired height of cut.

1. Loosen the locknuts securing the height-of-cut arms to the cutting unit side plates (Figure 9).

   

   Figure 9

   1. Height-of-cut arm
   2. Locknut
   3. Adjusting screw

2. Loosen the nut on the gauge bar and set the adjusting screw to the desired height of cut (Figure 10).

   Note: The distance between the bottom of the screw head and the face of bar is the height of cut.

   

   Figure 10

   1. Gauge bar
   2. Height adjusting screw
   3. Nut

3. Hook the screw head onto the cutting edge of the bedknife and rest the rear end of the bar onto the rear of the roller (Figure 11).

   

   Figure 11

   1. Gauge bar

4. Rotate the adjusting screw until the roller contacts the front of the gauge bar. Adjust both ends of the roller until the entire roller is parallel to the bedknife.

   Important: When set properly, the rear and front rollers will contact the gauge bar and the screw will be snug against the bedknife. This ensures that the height-of-cut is identical at both ends of the bedknife.

5. Tighten the nuts to secure the adjustment. Do not overtighten them. Tighten them only enough to remove play from the washer.

Adjust the cut-off bar to ensure that the clippings are cleanly discharged from the reel area, as follows:

1. Loosen the screws securing the top bar (Figure 12) to the cutting unit.

   

   Figure 12

   1. Cut-off bar

2. Insert a 0.15 cm (0.060 inch) feeler gauge between the top of the reel and the bar and tighten the screws.

   Important: Ensure that the bar and reel are equal distance apart across the complete reel.

   Note: The bar is adjustable to compensate for changes in turf conditions. The bar should be adjusted closer to the reel when the turf is extremely dry. By contrast, adjust the bar further away from the reel when the turf conditions are wet. The bar should be parallel to the reel to ensure optimum performance and should be adjusted whenever the reel is sharpened on a reel grinder.

Parts needed for this procedure:

Installing the Pitch-Arm Springs

If you will be using the cutting unit on an eFlex machine, install a spring onto the post on the back of each pitch arm (Figure 14).

Figure 14

1. Springs installed on the pitch arms

Remove and save the springs before using the cutting unit on a gas powered machine.

Close section

A selection of Toro approved attachments and accessories is available for use with the machine to enhance and expand its capabilities. Contact your Authorized Service Dealer or Distributor or go to www.Toro.com for a list of all approved attachments and accessories.

The dual point bedknife-to-reel adjustment system incorporated in this cutting unit simplifies the adjustment procedure needed to deliver optimum mowing performance. The precise adjustment possible with the dual point/bedbar design gives the necessary control to provide a continual self-sharpening action-thus maintaining sharp cutting edges, ensuring good quality of cut, and greatly reducing the need for routine backlapping.

Prior to mowing each day, or as required, check the cutting unit to verify proper bedknife-to-reel contact. Perform this procedure even though quality of cut is acceptable.

1. Move the cutting unit onto a hard, level surface, shut off the engine, and remove the key.

2. Engage the parking brake.

3. Shut off the machine as follows:

   • Gas units: stop the engine and disconnect the spark plug wire.

   • Electric units: turn off the machine and disconnect the battery connector (T-handle).

4. Slowly rotate the reel in a reverse direction, listening for reel-to-bedknife contact. If no contact is evident, turn the bedknife adjusting knobs clockwise, 1 click at a time, until you hear and feel light contact.

   Note: The adjustment knobs have detents corresponding to 0.018 mm (0.0007 inch) bedknife movement for each indexed position.

5. If excessive contact is felt, turn the bedknife adjusting knobs counterclockwise, 1 click at a time until no contact is evident. Then turn the bedknife adjusting knobs 1 click at a time clockwise, until you feel light contact.

   Important: Light contact is preferred at all times. If light contact is not maintained, the bedknife/reel edges will not sufficiently self-sharpen and dull cutting edges will result after a period of operation. If excessive contact is maintained, bedknife/reel wear will be accelerated, uneven wear can result, and quality of cut may be adversely affected.

   Note: For eFlex cutting units, the reel to bedknife contact has significant impact on energy consumption. Very light contact is recommended for optimum cutting performance and battery consumption.

   Note: As the reel blades continue to run against the bedknife, a slight burr will appear on the front cutting edge surface along the full length of the bedknife. If a file is occasionally run across the front edge to remove this burr, improved cutting can be obtained.After extended running, a ridge will eventually develop at both ends of the bedknife. These notches must be rounded off or filed flush with the cutting edge of the bedknife to ensure smooth operation.

There are 6 clip settings on the cutting unit that you can set to match your turf conditions. Start out setting the clip to match the height of cut, but should then test the cutting unit and adjust the clip to obtain the quality of cut that you desire.

1. Shut off the machine as follows:

   • Gas units: Stop the engine and disconnect the spark-plug wire.

   • Electric units: Turn off the machine and disconnect the battery connector (T-handle).

2. Loosen the flange bolt securing the belt cover and remove the belt cover to expose the belt (Figure 15).

   

   Figure 15

   1. Belt cover

3. Loosen the bearing-housing nut (Figure 16).

   

   Figure 16

   1. Bearing-housing nut
   2. Reel drive belt
   3. Compression spring

4. Using a 16 mm (5/8 inch) wrench, rotate the bearing housing to make sure that it operates freely.

5. Remove the belt (Figure 16).

6. Using the chart shown on the decal in Figure 17, determine the clip setting you want and which pulleys you will need to move.

   Note: Each pulley is numbered (22, 24, and 25). Move the pulleys to the positions indicated in the chart for your clip setting.

   

   Figure 17

   1. Clip setting in inches
   2. Number of reel blades
   3. Pulley configuration to attain clip setting
   4. Pulley layout

7. Loosen the 2 set screws on each pulley you need to move using a 1/8 inch hex wrench.

8. Remove each pulley.

9. Install each pulley in the new configuration as indicated on the decal (Figure 17).

   Note: Ensure that the setscrews on each pulley are positioned to align with the key and flat area on the shaft.

10. Torque the setscrews to 6.8 to 7.3 N-m (60 to 65 in-lb).

11. Install the belt.

12. Ensure that the compression spring is applying tension to the belt (Figure 16).

13. Tighten the bearing-housing nut.

14. Install the belt cover.

You can backlap the reels either by leaving the cutting unit on the traction unit or removing the cutting unit completely from the traction unit. If the cutting unit is left on the traction unit, the hex coupler between the main drive and cutting unit drive should be moved to the decoupled position to prevent excessive wear to the reel brake. The following procedure describes backlapping:

1. Position the machine on a clean, level surface.

2. Shut off the machine as follows:

   • Gas units: stop the engine and disconnect the spark-plug wire.

   • Electric units: turn off the machine and disconnect the battery connector (T-handle).

3. Engage the parking brake.

4. Connect the backlapping machine to the cutting unit by connecting a 1/2 inch hex socket to the reel pulley output shaft on the left side of the cutting unit.

   Note: Additional instructions and procedures on Backlapping are available in the Toro Sharpening Reel and Rotary Mowers Manual, Form No. 80-300PT.

   Note: For a better cutting edge, run a file across the front face of the bedknife when the lapping operation is completed. This will remove any burrs or rough edges that may have built up on the cutting edge. A very light file touch may be necessary on the top edge to break the burr off completely from the cutting edge.

   Note: If the cutting unit was left attached to the machine during backlapping remember to couple the hex shaft of the machine back to the cutting unit.