18in, 21in, and 26in; 8-Blade, 11-Blade, and 14-Blade Cutting Unit

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.

• 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.

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.

The cutting unit is shipped without a front roller. Obtain a roller from your authorized Toro dealer and install it on the cutting unit, as follows:

1. Remove the plow bolt, washer, and flange nut securing one of the height-of-cut arms to the cutting unit side plate (Figure 3).

   

   Figure 3

   1. Plow bolt
   2. Roller
   3. Height-of-cut arm
   4. Adjusting screw
   5. Washer
   6. Flange nut
   7. Roller-mounting screw
   8. Cutting-unit assembly

2. Loosen the roller-mounting screws in the height-of-cut arms.

3. Slide the roller shaft into the height-of-cut arm on the opposite end of the cutting unit.

4. Slide the height-of-cut arm onto the roller shaft.

5. Loosely secure the roller to the cutting unit with the height-of-cut arm and fasteners previously removed.

6. Center the roller between the height-of-cut arms.

7. Tighten the roller-mounting screws.

8. Adjust to the desired height-of-cut and tighten the height-of-cut arm mounting fasteners.

Install the cutting unit to the traction unit; refer to your traction unit Operator’s Manual for installation instructions.

1. Access the cutting unit by lowering the traction-unit handle to the ground (Figure 4).

   

   Figure 4

2. Adjust the bedknife to the reel; refer to Adjusting the Bedknife to the Reel.

3. Adjust the height of cut; refer to Adjusting the Height of Cut.

4. Adjust the grass shield; refer to Adjusting the Grass Shield.

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.

Set the height of cut to the desired height using a height-of-cut gauge, and ensure that your cutting unit is equipped with a bedknife that is best suited for your desired height of cut; refer to Height-of-Cut and Bedknife Selection Charts.

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

Note: Use extended or short bedknives for less or more aggressive cut.

1. Remove the hardware that secures the reel-drive assembly to the side plate (Figure 12).

   

   Figure 12

   1. Socket-head screw
   2. Spacer
   3. Washer
   4. Spring washer
   5. Nut

2. Remove the reel-drive assembly, flat washers, spring washers, and spacers from the side plate (Figure 12).

3. Check the inside of the reel driveshaft (Figure 13) for any remaining grease.

   If you do not see a sufficient amount of grease, add more grease to the male and female spline shaft.

   

   Figure 13

   1. Reel driveshaft

4. Use the previously removed socket-head screws, washers, and spacers to secure the reel-drive assembly to the side plate.

5. Install the cutting unit to the traction unit; refer to your traction unit Operator’s Manual.

1. Remove the cover from the reel drive housing by removing the 3 screws holding it in place.

2. Loosen the idler-arm bolt and rotate the idler arm to remove tension from the belt.

3. Use a beam-style torque wrench to apply 6 to 7 N∙m (55 to 60 in-lb) of force to the upper idler-arm internal screw (Figure 14).

   

   Figure 14

   1. Socket-head screw
   2. Belt cover
   3. Belt
   4. Idler-arm internal hex
   5. Idler arm
   6. Idler-arm bolt

4. Tighten the idler-arm bolt to secure the idler arm.

5. Install the cover with the 3 corresponding screws.

The clip rate is determined by the following machine settings:

• Reel speed: The reel speed can be adjusted to a high or low setting; refer to your traction unit Operator’s Manual.

• Reel-drive-pulley position: The reel-drive pulleys (22-tooth and 24-tooth) can be set in 2 positions:

  • position: “A” in Figure 15

  • position: “B” in Figure 15

  Note: The pulley position is set to the LOW position from the factory.

  

  Figure 15

  1. Pulley (24 tooth)
  2. Pulley (22 tooth)

To adjust the position of the pulleys, refer to the following steps:

1. Remove the belt cover to expose the belt (Figure 16).

   

   Figure 16

   1. Reel-drive-assembly housing
   2. Belt
   3. Idler-arm internal hex
   4. Idler arm
   5. Idler-arm bolt
   6. Belt cover
   7. Socket-head screw

2. Loosen the idler-arm bolt and rotate the idler arm (Figure 16) to release tension on the belt.

3. Remove the belt (Figure 16).

4. Loosen the nut on each pulley, remove the pulleys, and use the nuts to install the pulleys in your desired configuration.

   

   Figure 17

   1. Nut
   2. Pulley (22 tooth)
   3. Pulley (24 tooth)

5. Torque the pulley nuts to 37 to 45 N∙m (27 to 33 ft-lb)

6. Install the belt and tension the belt by applying 6 to 7 N∙m (55 to 60 in-lb) to the idler-arm internal hex shown in Figure 16.

7. Tighten the idler-arm bolt and install the belt cover.

Adjust the grass shield to ensure that the clippings are cleanly discharged from the reel area, as follows:

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

1. Loosen the screws that secure the grass shield (Figure 18) to the cutting unit.

   

   Figure 18

   1. Grass shield
   2. Bolt (2)
   3. Side plate
   4. Support rod

2. Insert a 1.5 mm (0.060 inch) feeler gauge between the top of the reel and the shield, then tighten the screws.

   Important: Ensure that the shield and reel are an equal distance apart across the entire reel.

   Note: Adjust the gap as needed for your turf conditions.

To backlap the cutting unit, use the Access Backlap Kit (Model No. 139-4342) or the Backlap Kit (Model No. 04800); refer to the operating instructions in the kit Installation Instructions. Contact your authorized Toro distributor to acquire one of these kits.