27-inch Verticutter

This product is capable of amputating hands and feet. Always follow all safety instructions to avoid serious personal injury.

• Read and understand the contents of this Operator’s Manual before starting the machine.

• Use your full attention while operating the machine. Do not engage in any activity that causes distractions; otherwise, injury or property damage may occur.

• Remove all debris or other objects that might be picked up and thrown by the blades of the cutting unit. Keep all bystanders away from the working area.

• Do not put your hands or feet near moving components of the machine.

• Do not operate the machine without all guards and other safety protective devices in place and functioning properly on the machine.

• Keep clear of any discharge opening.

• Keep bystanders and children out of the operating area. Never allow children to operate the machine.

• Before you leave the operator’s position, do the following:

  • Park the machine on a level surface.

  • Lower the cutting unit(s).

  • Disengage the drives.

  • Engage the parking brake (if equipped).

  • Shut off the engine and remove the key.

  • Wait for all movement to stop.

  • If the verticutter blades strike a solid object or the unit vibrates abnormally, stop and shut off the engine. Check the verticutter for damaged parts. Repair any damage before starting and operating the verticutter.

  • Ensure that the verticutters are in safe operating condition by keeping all hardware tight.

Improperly using or maintaining this machine can result in injury. To reduce the potential for injury, comply with these safety instructions and always pay attention to the safety-alert symbol , which means Caution, Warning, or Danger—personal safety instruction. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury or death.

• The cutting unit is only a complete machine when installed on a traction unit. Read the traction unit Operator’s Manual carefully for complete instructions on the safe use of the machine.

• Stop the machine, remove the key (if equipped), and wait for all movement to stop before inspecting the attachment after striking an object or if there is an abnormal vibration in the machine. Make all necessary repairs before resuming operation.

• Keep all parts in good working condition and all hardware tightened. Replace all worn or damaged decals.

• Use only accessories, attachments, and replacement parts approved by Toro.

A worn or damaged blade can break, and a piece of the blade could be thrown toward you or bystanders, resulting in serious personal injury or death.

• Inspect the blade periodically for wear or damage.

• Use care when checking the blades. Wrap the blades or wear gloves, and use caution when servicing the blades. Only replace or sharpen the blades; never straighten or weld them.

• On multi-bladed machines, take care as rotating 1 blade can cause other blades to rotate.

Parts needed for this procedure:

After the verticutter is removed from the box, inspect the following:

1. Check each end of the reel for grease. Grease should be visibly evident in the reel bearings and in the internal splines of the reel shaft.

2. Ensure that all hardware is securely tightened.

3. Make sure that the carrier frame suspension operates freely and does not bind when moved back and forth.

Parts needed for this procedure:

Secure a transport roller bracket to each side plate pin with a cotter pin (Figure 3).

Figure 3

1. Cotter pin
2. Transport roller assembly

Note: The roller should be positioned to the rear of the verticutter.

Parts needed for this procedure:

The grease fitting must be installed on the reel motor side of the verticutter. Use the following diagram to determine the position of each reel motor (Figure 4).

Figure 4

1. Verticutter 1
2. Verticutter 2
3. Verticutter 3
4. Verticutter 4
5. Verticutter 5
6. Reel motor
7. Weight

1. Remove and discard the setscrew on the reel-motor side plate (Figure 5).

   

   Figure 5

   1. Bolts
   2. Straight grease fitting (install)
   3. Setscrew (remove and discard)

2. Install the straight grease fitting (Figure 5).

3. For verticutter 2 and verticutter 4 locations (Figure 4), move the end weight to the opposite side of the cutting unit.

4. If there are no bolts on the reel-motor side plate, install them (Figure 5).

5. Install the O-ring on the reel motor (Figure 6).

   

   Figure 6

   1. O-ring

Parts needed for this procedure:

Install the turf compensation spring assembly on the same side as the reel motor (Figure 4 and Figure 7).

Figure 7

1. Long bolt
2. Compensation spring assembly
3. Carriage bolts
4. Flange locknuts
5. Flange nut

Refer to Adjusting the Verticutter.

Important: When lowering the verticutter reels, care must be taken to prevent damage to the reel blades due to contact with a concrete floor or a paved surface. Lower the transport rollers before lowering the verticutters to a concrete floor or a paved surface.

Verticutter reels are mounted to the traction unit the same way reel cutting units are. Refer to the traction unit Operator's Manual for mounting instructions.

Install the reel motor and grease the side plate until excess grease oozes out of the relief valve; refer to Lubricating the Verticutter.

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 authorized Toro distributor or go to www.Toro.com for a list of all approved attachments and accessories.

To ensure optimum performance and continued safety certification of the machine, use only genuine Toro replacement parts and accessories. Replacement parts and accessories made by other manufacturers could be dangerous, and such use could void the product warranty.

Before operating the verticutter reels, evaluate the performance of the reel at the desired setting. Operate in a clear, unused area to determine whether the desired results will be achieved. Make adjustments as necessary.

1. Operate the traction unit at full throttle, full reel speed (setting 9) and at desired traction speed.

2. The maximum recommended setting is 6 mm (1/4 inch) deep blade penetration.

3. Power requirements to operate the verticutter reels will vary with turf and soil conditions. Travel speed may need to be reduced in some conditions.

4. When operating in turf conditions where much debris is encountered, or unusually heavy thatch, open the front and rear discharge shields to help allow the debris to discharge from the reel.

   Caution

   Thrown debris could cause personal injury.

   Do not open the rear shield so that it is higher than level to the ground.

Note: Whenever the verticutter has to be tipped to expose the verticutter blades, use the kickstand (supplied with traction unit) (Figure 15).

Figure 15

1. Kickstand

Each verticutter has 5 grease fittings (Figure 16) that must be lubricated weekly with No. 2 lithium grease.

The lubrication points are the front roller (2), the rear roller (2), and the reel motor splines (1).

Important: Lubricating the cutting units immediately after washing helps purge water out of the bearings and increases bearing life.

1. Wipe each grease fitting with a clean rag.

2. Apply grease until you see clean grease coming out of the roller seals and the bearing relief valve (Figure 16).

   

   Figure 16

   1. Relief valve

3. Wipe any excess grease away.

1. Secure the end of the verticutter shaft, which has only one washer and nut, in a vise.

2. On other end of shaft, rotate the nut counter-clockwise and remove the nut.

   Caution

   The blades are extremely sharp and may have burrs that will cut your hands.

   Use caution when removing the blades from the shaft.

3. Remove the small spacer, the washer, the blades and the large spacers. Clean and lubricate the square shaft with a light coating of grease to simplify the assembly (Figure 17).

   

   Figure 17

   1. Shaft
   2. Nut
   3. Washer
   4. Small spacer
   5. Blade (19)
   6. Large spacer (18)

   Important: Do not invert the verticutter reel blades. The order of disassembly is extremely important. Do not invert the verticutter reel blades when disassembling or reverse the order when assembling them. Note the verticutter blades index hole. The index hole is provided for assembly in order to obtain the proper helix for the verticutter reel.

1. Assemble a reel blade (Figure 18).

2. Assemble a large spacer.

3. Do not invert the reel blades when assembling them onto the reel shaft.

   Note: If the blades are inverted, the blades that are in use (rounded) will mix with the sharp ends of the previously unused blades; this will cause unsatisfactory verticutter performance.

4. Install the next blade clockwise so that the index reference hole (Figure 18) is not aligned with the first blade hole by one flat of the shaft.

   

   Figure 18

   1. Index reference hole

5. Continue to install spacers and blades in this manner until the full complement of blades has been installed.

   Note: When properly assembled, the blades will be staggered in such a manner as to appear like a helix.

6. Install the small spacer to the shaft.

7. Apply Blue Loctite 242 to the nut. Install the nut onto the shaft (machined side of the nut toward the spacer) and tighten it to 109 to 135 N∙m (80 to 100 ft-lb).

The Roller Rebuild Kit (Part No. 114-5430) and the Roller Rebuild Tool Kit (Part No. 115-0803) (Figure 19) are available for servicing the roller. The Roller Rebuild Kit includes all the bearings, bearing nuts, inner seals, and outer seals to rebuild a roller. The Roller Rebuild Tool Kit includes all the tools and the installation instructions required to rebuild a roller with the roller rebuild kit. Refer to your parts catalog or contact your authorized Toro distributor for assistance.

Figure 19

1. Roller Rebuild Kit (Part No. 114-5430)
2. Roller Rebuild Tool kit (Part No. 115-0803)
3. Inner seal
4. Bearing
5. Outer seal
6. Bearing nut
7. Inner seal tool
8. Washer
9. Bearing/outer-seal tool