Toro 20351 Quality Guide - Page 48

Appendices Blade-rotary mowers use a blade, usually steel, to provide the fan action that provides the airflow to stand up, hold, and transport the grass clippings. The blade also cuts the grass with a sharpened edge. The parts of the blade affecting airflow and grass cutting are identified in the following figure. 1 Ground Speed/Blade Passes Ground Speed (MPH) 1 2 3 Clips per Foot Moved Forward 68.18 34.09 22.72 Clips per Inch Moved Forward 5.68 2.84 1.89 2 Clumping (wet grass)-when the clippings come out of the mower in bunches or piles. If the clippings are 2 stuck together, moisture is usually the cause. The moisture source can be either external (rain or dew) or internal (dry ambient conditions but very lush grass). 1 1. Cutting edge 2. Sail blade.TIF Blade tracking-Blade tracking refers to the path the blade tip follows as it rotates within the housing. A normal track is a minimum of 1/8 inch above and parallel to the lower edge of the mower housing. bldtrack.TIF Blowout-a condition in which the mower throws clippings from under the mower housing somewhere other than the discharge chute. This term is normally used when the clippings fall back onto the mower, or the operator, when moving forward. Chute-a duct used to control the movement of grass from the mower. This term commonly refers to either the discharge chute or the bagging chute on a mower. Chute plugging-when grass clippings bunch up and clog the discharge chute or the bagging chute. Clip rate-the number of cutting blade passes over a given distance the mower travels. Clip rate is a way to measure how many opportunities the mower blade has to cut an individual blade of grass. See the following chart. (Calculations are based on a 21-inch blade rotating at 3,000 RPM.) clumpwet.TIF Clumping (dry grass)-similar in appearance to wet grass clumping but can occur in very dry conditions. The clippings will fall out in bunches but will not be stuck together. This may be more accurately termed a windrow where the clippings are not in a continuous row. Convertible mowers-mowers intended to be converted from side discharging to mulching to bagging. These mowers are good at each function, but cannot be optimized for all three functions without changes. Kits are available for some mowers to add an additional function. Cut path-the area that the mower covers in one pass. Deflector-a part designed to change the direction of cut grass. A deflector is usually attached to the discharge chute or is a part of the design of the discharge chute. Density-the number of grass blades in a defined area, usually one square foot. A lawn that has more grass plants per square foot is refer to as more dense or thicker than a lawn with fewer plants per square foot. Disbursement-describes how well a mower spreads or disburses the clippings. 7 - 2 Service Dealer's Guide to Great Quality of Cut