Toro TimeCutter Z380 Riding Mower User manual

Form No. 3352-224

TimeCutter® Z380 and Z420

Riding Mowers

Model No. 74402 —Serial No. 250000001 and Up

Model No. 74403 —Serial No. 250000001 and Up

T his spark ignition system complies with Canadian

ICES-002

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Safe Operation Practices for Ride-on

(riding) R otar y La wnmo w er

Mac hines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Safe Operating Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

T oro Riding Mo w er Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Sound Pressure for Model 74402 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sound P o w er for Model 74402 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Vibration for Model 74402 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sound Pressure for Model 74403 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sound P o w er for Model 74403 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Vibration for Model 74403 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Slope Char t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Safety and Instr uctional Decals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Product Ov er view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

T hink Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

R ecommended Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chec king the Engine Oil Lev el . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Star ting and Stopping the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Operating the P o w er T ak e Off

(PTO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

T he Safety Interloc k System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Dri ving F orw ard or Bac kw ard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Stopping the Mac hine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Adjusting the Height of Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

P ositioning the Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Adjusting the Motion Control

Lev ers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Pushing the Mac hine b y Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Adjusting the F ootrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Side Disc harg e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Operating Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

R ecommended Maintenance

Sc hedule(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Premaintenance Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

R emo ving and Installing the Engine

Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Greasing the Bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Engine Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Ser vicing the Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Ser vicing the Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Fuel System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Draining the Fuel T ank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

R e placing the Fuel Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Electrical System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Ser vicing the Spark Plug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Ser vicing the Batter y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Ser vicing the Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Dri v e System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chec king the Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Mo w er Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Ser vicing the Cutting Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Lev eling the Mo w er from

Side-to-Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Adjusting the F ront-to-R ear Blade

Slope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

R emo ving the Mo w er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Mo w er Belt Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Installing the Mo w er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

R e placing the Grass Deﬂector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

W ashing the Underside of the

Mo w er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Storag e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Cleaning and Storag e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

T roubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Sc hematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Introduction

R ead this infor mation carefully to lear n ho w to operate

and maintain y our product properly and to a v oid injur y

and product damag e . Y ou are responsible for operating

the product properly and safely .

Y ou ma y contact T oro directly at www .T oro .com for

product and accessor y infor mation, help ﬁnding a

dealer , or to register y our product.

W henev er y ou need ser vice , g en uine T oro par ts , or

additional infor mation, contact an A uthorized Ser vice

Dealer or T oro Customer Ser vice and ha v e the model

and serial n umbers of y our product ready . Figure 1

identiﬁes the location of the model and serial n umbers

on the product. W rite the n umbers in the space

pro vided.

Figure 1

1. Model and serial number plate

8111 Lyndale Avenue South

Bloomington, MN 55420

Printed in the USA.

W rite the product model and serial n umbers in the

space belo w:

Model No.

Serial No.

T his man ual identiﬁes potential hazards and has

safety messag es identiﬁed b y the safety aler t symbol

( Figure 2 ), whic h signals a hazard that ma y cause

serious injur y or death if y ou do not follo w the

recommended precautions .

Figure 2

1. Safety alert symbol.

T his man ual uses tw o other w ords to highlight

infor mation. Impor tant calls attention to special

mec hanical infor mation and Note emphasizes g eneral

infor mation w or th y of special attention.

Safety

Safe Operation Practices

for Ride-on (riding) Rotary

Lawnmower Machines

T his mac hine meets or ex ceeds European Standards in

effect at the time of production. Ho w ev er , improper

use or maintenance b y the operator or o wner can

result in injur y . T o reduce the potential for injur y ,

comply with these safety instr uctions and alw a ys pa y

attention to the safety aler t symbol, whic h means

CA UTION , W ARNING , or D ANGER -“personal

safety instr uction. ” F ailure to comply with the

instr uction ma y result in personal injur y or death.

Safe Operating Practices

T he follo wing instr uctions are from the CEN standard

EN 836:1997.

T his product is capable of amputating hands and

feet and thro wing objects . Alw a ys follo w all safety

instr uctions to a v oid serious injur y or death.

Training

• R ead the instr uctions carefully . Be familiar with the

controls and the proper use of the equipment.

• Nev er allo w c hildren or people unfamiliar with

these instr uctions to use the la wnmo w er . Local

regulations can restrict the ag e of the operator .

• Nev er mo w while people , especially c hildren, or

pets are nearb y .

• K ee p in mind that the operator or user is

responsible for accidents or hazards occur ring to

other people or their proper ty .

• Do not car r y passeng ers .

• All dri v ers should seek and obtain professional

and practical instr uction. Suc h instr uction should

emphasize:

– the need for care and concentration when

w orking with ride-on mac hines;

– control of a ride-on mac hine sliding on a slope

will not be reg ained b y the application of the

brak e . T he main reasons for loss of control are:

◊ insufﬁcient wheel g rip;

◊ being dri v en too fast;

◊ inadequate braking;

◊ the type of mac hine is unsuitable for its

task;

◊ lac k of a w areness of the effect of g round

conditions , especially slopes;

◊ incor rect hitc hing and load distribution.

Preparation

• W hile mo wing, alw a ys w ear substantial footw ear

and long trousers . Do not operate the equipment

when barefoot or w earing open sandals .

• T horoughly inspect the area where the equipment

is to be used and remo v e all objects whic h ma y be

thro wn b y the mac hine .

• W ar ning-Fuel is highly ﬂammable .

– Store fuel in containers speciﬁcally designed

for this pur pose .

– R efuel outdoors only and do not smok e while

refuelling .

– Add fuel before star ting the engine . Nev er

remo v e the cap of the fuel tank or add fuel

while the engine is r unning or when the engine

is hot.

– If fuel is spilled, do not attempt to star t the

engine but mo v e the mac hine a w a y from the

area of spillag e and a v oid creating any source

of ignition until fuel v apors ha v e dissipated.

– R e place all fuel tanks and container caps

securely .

• R e place faulty silencers .

• Before using, alw a ys visually inspect to see that

the blades , blade bolts and cutter assembly are

not w or n or damag ed. R e place w or n or damag ed

blades and bolts in sets to preser v e balance .

• On m ulti-bladed mac hines , tak e care as rotating

one blade can cause other blades to rotate .

Operation

• Be aler t, slo w do wn and use caution when making

tur ns . Look behind and to the side before c hanging

directions .

• Do not operate the engine in a conﬁned space

where dang erous carbon mono xide fumes can

collect.

• Mo w only in da ylight or in g ood ar tiﬁcial light.

• Before attempting to star t the engine , diseng ag e all

blade attac hment clutc hes and shift into neutral.

• Do not use on slopes of more than 12-1/2 deg rees .

• R emember there is no suc h thing as a safe slope .

T ra v el on g rass slopes requires par ticular care . T o

guard ag ainst o v er tur ning:

– do not stop or star t suddenly when g oing up

or do wnhill;

– use lo w speeds on slopes and during tight tur ns;

– sta y aler t for humps and hollo ws and other

hidden hazards;

• Use care when pulling loads .

– Use only appro v ed dra wbar hitc h points .

– Limit loads to those y ou can safely control.

– Do not tur n shar ply . Use care when rev ersing .

• W atc h out for trafﬁc when crossing or near

roadw a ys .

• Stop the blades rotating before crossing surfaces

other than g rass .

• W hen using any attac hments , nev er direct disc harg e

of material to w ard b ystanders nor allo w any one

near the mac hine while in operation.

• Nev er operate the mac hine with damag ed guards

or without safety protecti v e devices in place .

• Do not c hang e the engine g o v er nor settings or

o v erspeed the engine . Operating the engine at

ex cessi v e speed can increase the hazard of personal

injur y .

• Before lea ving the operator’ s position:

– diseng ag e the po w er tak e-off and lo w er the

attac hments;

– c hang e into neutral and set the parking brak e;

– stop the engine and remo v e the k ey .

• Diseng ag e dri v e to attac hments , stop the engine ,

and disconnect the spark plug wire(s) or remo v e

the ignition k ey

– before clearing bloc kag es or unclog ging c hute;

– before c hec king, cleaning or w orking on the

la wnmo w er;

– after striking a foreign object. Inspect the

la wnmo w er for damag e and mak e re pairs

before restar ting and operating the equipment;

– if the mac hine star ts to vibrate abnor mally

(c hec k immediately).

• Diseng ag e dri v e to attac hments when transpor ting

or not in use .

• Stop the engine and diseng ag e dri v e to attac hment

– before refuelling;

– before remo ving the g rass catc her;

– before making height adjustment unless

adjustment can be made from the operator’ s

position.

• R educe the throttle setting during engine r un-out

and, if the engine is pro vided with a shut-off v alv e ,

tur n the fuel off at the conclusion of mo wing .

Maintenance and Storage

• K ee p all n uts , bolts and screws tight to be sure the

equipment is in safe w orking condition.

• Nev er store the equipment with fuel in the tank

inside a building where fumes can reac h an open

ﬂame or spark.

• Allo w the engine to cool before storing in any

enclosure .

• T o reduce the ﬁre hazard, k ee p the engine , silencer ,

batter y compar tment and fuel storag e area free of

g rass , lea v es , or ex cessi v e g rease .

• Chec k the g rass catc her frequently for w ear or

deterioration.

• R e place w or n or damag ed par ts for safety .

• If the fuel tank has to be drained, this should be

done outdoors .

• W hen mac hine is to be park ed, stored or left

unattended, lo w er the cutting means .

Toro Riding Mower Safety

T he follo wing list contains safety infor mation speciﬁc

to T oro products or other safety infor mation that y ou

m ust kno w that is not included in the CEN standard.

• Engine exhaust contains carbon mono xide , whic h

is an odorless , deadly poison that can kill y ou. Do

not r un engine indooors or in an enclosed area.

• K ee p hands , feet, hair and looose clothing a w a y

from attac hment disc harg e area, underside of

mo w er and any mo ving par ts while engine is

r unning .

• Do not touc h equipment or attac hment par ts

whic h ma y be hot from operation. Allo w to cool

before attempting to maintain, adjust, or ser vice .

• Batter y acid is poisonous and can cause bur ns .

A v oid contact with skin, eyes and clothing . Protect

y our face , eyes , and clothing when w orking with

a batter y .

• Batter y g ases can explode . K ee p cig arettes , sparks ,

and ﬂames a w a y from batter y .

• Use only g en uine T oro re placement par ts to ensure

that original standards are maintained.

• Use only T oro-appro v ed attac hments .

Slope Operation

• Do not mo w slopes g reater than 12-1/2 deg rees .

• Do not mo w near drop-offs , ditc hes , stee p banks ,

or w ater . W heels dropping o v er edg es can cause

rollo v ers , whic h ma y result in serious injur y , death,

or dro wing .

• Do not mo w slopes when g rass is w et. Slipper y

conditions reduce traction and could cause sliding

and loss of control.

• Do not mak e sudden tur ns or rapid speed c hang es .

• Use a w alk behind mo w er and/or a hand trimmer

near drop-offs , ditc hes , stee p banks , or w ater .

• R educe speed and use extreme caution on slopes .

• R emo v e or mark obstacles suc h as roc ks , tree

limbs , etc . from mo wing area. T all g rass can hide

obstacles .

• W atc h for ditc hes , holes , roc ks dips , and rises that

c hang e the operating angle , as rough ter rain could

o v er tur n the mac hine .

• A v oid sudden star ts when mo wing uphill because

the mo w er ma y tip bac kw ards .

• Be a w are that loss of traction ma y occur g oing

do wnhill. W eight transfer to the front wheels ma y

cause dri v e wheels to slip and cause loss of braking

and steering .

• Alw a ys a v oid sudden star ting or stopping on a

slope . If tires lose traction, diseng ag e the blades

and proceed slo wly off the slope .

• F ollo w the man ufacturer’ s recommendations for

wheel w eights or counterw eights to impro v e

stability .

• Use extreme care with g rass catc hers or other

attac hments . T hese can c hang e the stability of the

mac hine and cause loss of control.

Sound Pressure for

Model 74402

T his unit has a maxim um sound pressure lev el at the

operator’ s ear of 86 dB A, based on measurements of

identical mac hines per Directi v e 98/37/EC .

Sound Power for

Model 74402

T his unit has a guaranteed sound po w er lev el of

100 dB A, based on measurements of identical mac hines

per Directi v e 2000/14/EC .

Vibration for Model 74402

T his unit does not ex ceed a hand/ar m vibration lev el

of 3.22 m/s2, based on measurements of identical

mac hines per Directi v e 98/37/EC .

T his unit does not ex ceed a whole body vibration lev el

of .195 m/s2, based on measurements of identical

mac hines per Directi v e 98/37/EC .

Sound Pressure for

Model 74403

T his unit has a maxim um sound pressure lev el at the

operator’ s ear of 87 dB A, based on measurements of

identical mac hines per Directi v e 98/37/EC .

Sound Power for

Model 74403

T his unit has a guaranteed sound po w er lev el of

100 dB A, based on measurements of identical mac hines

per Directi v e 2000/14/EC .

Vibration for Model 74403

T his unit does not ex ceed a hand/ar m vibration lev el

of 4.66 m/s2, based on measurements of identical

mac hines per Directi v e 98/37/EC .

T his unit does not ex ceed a whole body vibration

lev el of .14 m/s2, based on measurements of identical

mac hines per Directi v e 98/37/EC .

Slope Chart

Safety and Instructional Decals

Safety decals and instr uctions are easily visible to the operator and are located near any area of

potential dang er . R e place any decal that is damag ed or lost.

93-6677

1. Warning—don’t operate the mower with the deector up or

removed; keep the deector in place.

2. Cutting/dismemberment hazard of hand or foot, mower

blade—stay away from moving parts.

93-7009

1. Warning—don’t operate the mower with the deector up or

removed; keep the deector in place.

2. Cutting/dismemberment hazard of hand or foot, mower

blade—stay away from moving parts.

93-7010

1. Thrown object hazard—keep bystanders a safe distance from

the machine.

2. Thrown object hazard, mower—keep the deector in place.

3. Cutting/dismemberment of hand or foot—stay away from

moving parts.

93-7316

1. Thrown object hazard—keep bystanders a safe distance from

the machine.

2. Thrown object hazard, mower—keep the deector in place.

3. Cutting/dismemberment of hand or foot—stay away from

moving parts.

105-7015

106-2223

106-2224

1. Throttle 7. Headlights

2. Choke

8. Engine—stop

3. Fast

9. Engine—run

4. Continuous variable setting

10. Engine—start

5. Slow

11. Ignition

6. Power take-off (PTO)

108-6109

1. To push the machine, move tow levers forward and then

out to lock them into position.

106-8717

1. Read the instructions before servicing or performing

maintenance.

2. Check tire pressure every 25 operating hours.

3. Grease every 25 operating hours.

4. Engine

106-8742

1. Parking brake

106-8743

1. Height of cut

Battery Symbols

Some or all of these symbols are on your battery

1. Explosion hazard 6. Keep bystanders a safe

distance from the battery.

2. No re, open ame, or

smoking.

7. Wear eye protection;

explosive gases can cause

blindness and other injuries

3. Caustic liquid/chemical

burn hazard

8. Battery acid can cause

blindness or severe burns.

4. Wear eye protection

9. Flush eyes immediately

with water and get medical

help fast.

5. Read the Operator’s

Manual.

10. Contains lead; do not

discard.

107-2514

1. Warning—read the instructions before servicing or performing maintenance; move the levers out to set the parking brake and

remove the ignition key before leaving the machine.

2. Warning—read the Operator’s Manual.

3. Thrown object hazard, mower—keep the deector in place.

4. Tipping hazard, slopes greater than 12.5 degrees—do not drive the machine on a slope greater than 12.5 degrees.

5. Thrown object hazard—keep bystanders a safe distance from the machine and pick up debris before operating.

6. Crushing/dismemberment hazard of bystanders—do not carry passengers.

7. Cutting/dismemberment hazard of hand or foot, mower blade—stay away from moving parts.

Product Overview

Figure 3

1. Seat

4. Mower deck 7. Front caster wheel 10. Gas tank cap

2. Control levers 5. Engine hood

8. Footrest

3. Height of cut lever 6. Control panel 9. Rear drive wheel

Controls

Become familiar with all of the controls Figure 4 and

Figure 5 before y ou star t the engine and operate the

mac hine .

Figure 4

1. Ignition switch

3. Power take off (PTO)

2. Throttle/Choke

Figure 5

1. Motion control lever 2. Height-of-cut lever

Parking Brake

T he parking brak e is automatically set when the motion

control lev ers are in the brak e position .

Alw a ys position the motion control lev ers into the

brak e position when y ou stop the mac hine or lea v e it

unattended.

Operation

Note: Deter mine the left and right sides of the

mac hine from the nor mal operating position.

Think Safety First

Please carefully read all of the safety instr uctions and

decals in the safety section. Kno wing this infor mation

could help y ou, y our family , pets or b ystanders a v oid

injur y .

Mo wing on w et g rass or steep slopes can cause

sliding and loss of contr ol.

W heels dr opping o v er edges can cause r ollo v er s,

which may r esult in serious injur y , death or

dr o wning .

T o a v oid loss of contr ol and possibility of

r ollo v er :

• Do not mo w near dr op-of fs or near w ater .

• Do not mo w slopes g r eater than 12.5 deg r ees.

• R educe speed and use extr eme caution on

slopes.

• A v oid sudden tur ns or rapid speed changes.

Figure 6

1. Safe Zone-use the

TimeCutter here

3. Water

2. Use walk behind mower

and/or hand trimmer near

drop-offs and water.

Recommended Gasoline

Use UNLEADED R egular Gasoline suitable for

automoti v e use (87 pump octane minim um). Leaded

regular g asoline ma y be used if unleaded regular is not

a v ailable .

Important: Nev er use methanol, gasoline

containing methanol, or gasohol containing mor e

than 10% ethanol because the fuel system could be

dama ged. Do not mix oil with gasoline.

Gasoline is har mful or f atal if s w allo w ed.

Long-ter m exposur e to v apor s can cause serious

injur y and illness.

• A v oid pr olonged br eathing of v apor s.

• K eep f ace a w ay fr om nozzle and gas tank or

conditioner opening .

• K eep gas a w ay fr om ey es and skin.

In cer tain conditions, gasoline is extr emel y

ﬂamma ble and highl y explosi v e. A ﬁr e or

explosion fr om gasoline can bur n y ou and other s

and can dama ge pr oper ty .

• Fill the fuel tank outdoor s, in an open

ar ea, when the engine is cold. W ipe up an y

gasoline that spills.

• Nev er ﬁll the fuel tank inside an enclosed

trailer .

• Do not ﬁll the fuel tank completel y full. Add

gasoline to the fuel tank until the lev el is 1/4

to 1/2 inch (6 to 13 mm) belo w the bottom of

the ﬁller neck. T his empty space in the tank

allo ws gasoline to expand.

• Nev er smok e when handling gasoline, and

stay a w ay fr om an open ﬂame or wher e

gasoline fumes may be ignited by a spar k.

• Stor e gasoline in an appr o v ed container and

k eep it out of the r each of childr en. Nev er

buy mor e than a 30-day suppl y of gasoline.

• Al w ays place gasoline container s on the

g r ound a w ay fr om y our v ehicle bef or e ﬁlling .

• Do not ﬁll gasoline container s inside a

v ehicle or on a tr uck or trailer bed because

interior car pets or plastic tr uck bed liner s

may insulate the container and slo w the loss

of an y static charge.

• W hen practical, r emo v e gas-po w er ed

equipment fr om the tr uck or trailer and

r efuel the equipment with its wheels on the

g r ound.

• If this is not possible, then r efuel such

equipment on a tr uck or trailer fr om a

por ta ble container , rather than fr om a

gasoline dispenser nozzle.

• If a gasoline dispenser nozzle must be used,

k eep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the

fuel tank or container opening at all times

until fueling is complete.

Using Stabilizer/Conditioner

Use a fuel stabilizer/conditioner in the mac hine to

pro vide the follo wing beneﬁts:

• K ee ps g asoline fresh during storag e of 90 da ys or

less . F or long er storag e it is recommended that the

fuel tank be drained.

• Cleans the engine while it r uns

• Eliminates gum-lik e v ar nish buildup in the fuel

system, whic h causes hard star ting

Important: Do not use fuel additi v es containing

methanol or ethanol.

Add the cor rect amount of g as stabilizer/conditioner

to the g as .

Note: A fuel stabilizer/conditioner is most effecti v e

when mix ed with fresh g asoline . T o minimize the

c hance of v ar nish de posits in the fuel system, use fuel

stabilizer at all times .

Filling the Fuel Tank

1. Shut the engine off and set the parking brak e .

2. Clean around the fuel tank cap and remo v e the cap .

Add unleaded regular g asoline to the fuel tank until

the lev el is 1/4 to 1/2 inc h (6 to 13 mm) belo w the

bottom of the ﬁller nec k. T his space in the tank

allo ws g asoline to expand. Do not ﬁll the fuel tank

completely full.

3. Install the fuel tank cap securely . Wipe up any

g asoline that ma y ha v e spilled.

Checking the Engine Oil

Level

Before y ou star t the engine and use the mac hine , c hec k

the oil lev el in the engine crankcase; refer to Chec king

the Oil Lev el in Engine Maintenance , pag e 22 .

Starting and Stopping the

Engine

Starting the Engine

1. Sit do wn on the seat and mo v e the motion controls

to the brak e position.

2. Mo v e the PTO (po w er tak e-off) to Off ( Figure 7 ).

Figure 7

1. PTO-On

2. PTO-Off

3. Mo v e the throttle lev er to Chok e before star ting a

cold engine ( Figure 8 ).

Note: A w ar m or hot engine ma y not require

c hoking .

4. T ur n the ignition k ey to Star t to energize the star ter .

W hen the engine star ts , release the k ey .

Important: Do not enga ge the star ter f or

mor e than 10 seconds at a time. If the engine

f ails to star t, allo w a 60 second cool-do wn

period betw een attempts. F ailur e to f ollo w

these instr uctions can bur n out the star ter

motor .

5. After the engine star ts , mo v e the throttle lev er to

F ast ( Figure 8 ). If the engine stalls or hesitates ,

mo v e the throttle lev er bac k to Chok e for a few

seconds . T hen mo v e the throttle lev er to the

desired setting . R e peat this as required.

Figure 8

1. Engine

3. Fast

2. Choke 4. Slow

Figure 9

1. Off

3. Start

2. Run

4. Ignition

Stopping the Engine

1. Mo v e the throttle lev er to F ast ( Figure 8 ).

2. Mo v e the PTO to Off ( Figure 7 ).

3. T ur n the ignition k ey to Off ( Figure 9 ).

4. Pull the wire off of the spark plug(s) to prev ent

the possibility of someone accidentally star ting

the mac hine before transpor ting or storing the

mac hine .

5. Close the fuel shut-off v alv e under the front of

the fuel tank before transpor ting or storing the

mac hine .

Important: Mak e sur e the fuel shut-of f v alv e

is closed bef or e transpor ting or storing the

machine, as fuel leaka ge may occur .

Operating the Power Take

Off (PTO)

T he po w er tak e off (PTO) switc h eng ag es and

diseng ag es po w er to the electric clutc h.

Engaging the PTO

1. R elease pressure on the traction control lev ers and

place the mac hine in neutral.

2. Mo v e the throttle to the F ast position.

3. Pull out on the PTO switc h to eng ag e it ( Figure 10 ).

Figure 10

1. PTO-On

2. PTO-Off

Disengaging the PTO

Push the PTO switc h to Off ( Figure 10 ).

The Safety Interlock System

If safety inter lock s witches ar e disconnected

or dama ged the machine could operate

unexpectedl y causing per sonal injur y .

• Do not tamper with the inter lock s witches.

• Check the operation of the inter lock s witches

dail y and r eplace an y dama ged s witches

bef or e operating the machine.

Understanding the Safety Interloc k System

T he safety interloc k system is designed to prev ent the

engine from star ting unless:

T he PTO is diseng ag ed.

T he motion control lev ers are in the brak e position.

T he safety interloc k system also is designed to stop the

engine when the control lev ers are out of the brak e

position and y ou rise from the seat when the PTO is

eng ag ed.

Testing the Safety Interlock System

T est the safety interloc k system before y ou use the

mac hine eac h time . If the safety system does not

operate as described belo w , ha v e an A uthorized Ser vice

Dealer re pair the safety system immediately .

1. W hile sitting on the seat, with the control lev ers

in brak e position, and mo v e the PTO to On. T r y

star ting the engine; the engine should not crank.

2. W hile sitting on the seat, mo v e the PTO to Off .

Mo v e either motion control lev er to the center ,

unloc k ed position. T r y star ting the engine; the

engine should not crank. R e peat with the other

motion control lev er .

3. W hile sitting on the seat, mo v e the PTO to Off ,

and loc k the motion control lev ers in neutral. Star t

the engine . W hile the engine is r unning, mo v e

the motion control lev ers to the center , unloc k ed

position, eng ag e the PTO , and rise slightly from

the seat; the engine should stop .

Driving Forward or

Backward

T he throttle control regulates the engine speed as

measured in r pm (rev olutions per min ute). Place

the throttle control in the F ast position for best

perfor mance . Alw a ys operate in the full throttle

position.

T he machine can spin v er y rapidl y . T he operator

may lose contr ol of the machine and cause

per sonal injur y or dama ge to the machine.

• Use caution when making tur ns.

• Slo w the machine do wn bef or e making shar p

tur ns.

Forward

1. Mo v e the lev ers to the center , unloc k ed position.

2. T o g o forw ard, slo wly push the motion control

lev ers forw ard ( Figure 11 ).

Figure 11

1. Motion control lever 4. Backward

2. Center unlock position 5. Brake position

3. Forward

T o g o straight, apply equal pressure to both motion

control lev ers ( Figure 11 ).

T o tur n, release pressure on the motion control

lev er to w ard the direction y ou w ant to tur n

( Figure 11 ).

T he far ther y ou mo v e the traction control lev ers in

either direction, the faster the mac hine will mo v e in

that direction.

T o stop , pull the motion control lev ers to neutral.

Backward

1. Mo v e the lev ers to the center , unloc k ed position.

2. T o g o bac kw ard, slo wly pull the motion control

lev ers rearw ard ( Figure 11 ).

T o g o straight, apply equal pressure to both motion

control lev ers ( Figure 11 ).

T o tur n, release the pressure on the motion

control lev er to w ard the direction y ou w ant to tur n

( Figure 11 ).

T o stop , push the motion control lev ers to neutral.

Stopping the Machine

T o stop the mac hine , mo v e the traction control lev ers

to neutral and se parate to the brak e position, diseng ag e

the PTO , ensure the throttle is in the fast position, and

tur n the ignition k ey to off . R emember to remo v e the

k ey from the ignition switc h.

Childr en or bystander s may be injur ed if they

mo v e or attempt to operate the mo w er while it

is unattended.

Al w ays r emo v e the ignition k ey and mo v e the

motion contr ol lev er s to the brak e position when

lea ving the machine unattended, ev en if just f or

a few min utes.

Adjusting the Height of Cut

T he height of cut is adjusted from 1-1/2 to 4-1/2 inc h

(38 to 114 mm) in 1/2 inc h (13 mm) increments b y

mo ving the height-of-cut lev er in different locations .

1. Raise the height-of-cut lev er to the transpor t

position (also the 4-1/2 inc h (114 mm) cutting

height position ( Figure 12 ).

2. T o adjust, pull up on the height-of-cut lev er and

mo v e it to the desired position ( Figure 12 ).

Figure 12

1. Height-of-cut lever 2. Height-of-cut positions

Positioning the Seat

T he seat can mo v e forw ard and bac kw ard. P osition the

seat where y ou ha v e the best control of the mac hine

and are most comfor table .

1. Raise the seat and loosen the adjustment knobs

enough to mo v e the seat ( Figure 13 ).

Important: Mak e sur e that the spacer s stay

in place when loosening the knobs to mo v e the

seat. Loss of the spacer s can r esult in dama ge

to the seat.

2. Mo v e the seat to the desired position and tighten

the knobs .

Figure 13

1. Adjustment knobs

Adjusting the Motion

Control Levers

T he motion control lev ers can be adjusted higher or

lo w er for maxim um operator comfor t.

1. R emo v e the 2 bolts holding the control lev er to the

control ar m shaft ( Figure 14 ).

2. Mo v e the control lev er to the next set of holes .

Secure the lev er with the 2 bolts ( Figure 14 ).

Figure 14

1. Control lever 3. Control arm shaft

2. Bolt

3. R e peat the adjustment for the opposite control

lev er .

Pushing the Machine by

Hand

Important: Al w ays push the machine by hand.

Nev er to w the machine because dama ge may

occur .

To Push the Machine

1. P ark the mac hine on a lev el surface and diseng ag e

the blade control (PTO).

2. Mo v e the motion control lev ers outw ard to eng ag e

the parking brak e , stop the engine , remo v e the k ey ,

and w ait for all mo ving par ts to stop before lea ving

the operating position.

3. Raise the seat to access the b ypass lev ers

( Figure 15 ).

4. Mo v e the tw o b ypass lev ers forw ard and then

outw ard to loc k them in place as sho wn in

Figure 15 .

5. Mo v e the motion control lev ers inw ard to

diseng ag e the parking brak e .

T he mac hine is no w able to be pushed b y hand.

Figure 15

1. Bypass levers 3. Lever position for operating

the machine

2. Lever position for pushing

the machine

To Operate the Machine

Mo v e the b ypass lev ers to the inside and pull them

rearw ard, to the end the slot ( Figure 15 ).

Note: T he mac hine will not dri v e unless the b ypass

lev ers are diseng ag ed.

Adjusting the Footrest

T he footrest can be adjusted forw ard or bac kw ard for

maxim um operator comfor t.

Lift up the footrest and place the rods in the same hole

positions ( Figure 16 ).

Figure 16

1. Footrest

3. Hole positions

2. Rod

Side Discharge

T he mo w er has a hing ed g rass deﬂector that disperses

clippings to the side and do wn to w ard the turf .

W ithout the g rass deﬂector , discharge co v er ,

or complete g rass catcher assembl y mounted

in place, y ou and other s ar e exposed to blade

contact and thr o wn de bris. Contact with r otating

mo w er blade(s) and thr o wn de bris will cause

injur y or death.

• Nev er r emo v e the g rass deﬂector fr om

the mo w er because the g rass deﬂector

r outes material do wn to w ard the turf. If the

g rass deﬂector is ev er dama ged, r eplace it

immediatel y .

• Nev er put y our hands or feet under the

mo w er .

• Nev er tr y to clear discharge ar ea or mo w er

blades unless y ou mo v e the PT O to Of f and

r otate the ignition k ey to Of f. Also r emo v e

the k ey and pull the wir e of f the spar k

plug(s).

Operating Tips

Fast Throttle Setting

F or best mo wing and maxim um air circulation, operate

the engine at the F ast position. Air is required to

thoroughly cut g rass clippings , so do not set the

height-of-cut so lo w as to totally sur round the mo w er

b y uncut g rass . Alw a ys tr y to ha v e one side of the

mo w er free from uncut g rass , whic h allo ws air to be

dra wn into the mo w er .

Cutting a Lawn for the First Time

Cut g rass slightly long er than nor mal to ensure that the

cutting height of the mo w er does not scalp any unev en

g round. Ho w ev er , the cutting height used in the past

is g enerally the best one to use . W hen cutting g rass

long er than six inc hes tall, y ou ma y w ant to cut the

la wn twice to ensure an acce ptable quality of cut.

Cut 1/3 of the Grass Blade

It is best to cut only about 1/3 of the g rass blade .

Cutting more than that is not recommended unless

g rass is sparse , or it is late fall when g rass g ro ws more

slo wly .

Mowing Direction

Alter nate mo wing direction to k ee p the g rass standing

straight. T his also helps disperse clippings whic h

enhances decomposition and fer tilization.

Mow at Correct Intervals

Nor mally , mo w ev er y four da ys . But remember ,

g rass g ro ws at different rates at different times . So

to maintain the same cutting height, whic h is a g ood

practice , mo w more often in early spring . As the g rass

g ro wth rate slo ws in mid summer , mo w less frequently .

If y ou cannot mo w for an extended period, ﬁrst mo w

at a high cutting height; then mo w ag ain tw o da ys later

at a lo w er height setting .

Cutting Speed

T o impro v e cut quality , use a slo w er g round speed.

Avoid Cutting Too Low

If the cutting width of the mo w er is wider than the

mo w er y ou previously used, raise the cutting height to

ensure that unev en turf is not cut too shor t.

Long Grass

If the g rass is ev er allo w ed to g ro w slightly long er than

nor mal, or if it contains a high deg ree of moisture ,

raise the cutting height higher than usual and cut the

g rass at this setting . T hen cut the g rass ag ain using the

lo w er , nor mal setting .

When Stopping

If the mac hine’ s forw ard motion m ust be stopped while

mo wing, a clump of g rass clippings ma y drop onto

y our la wn. T o a v oid this , mo v e onto a previously cut

area with the blades eng ag ed.

Keep the Underside of the Mower

Clean

Clean clippings and dir t from the underside of the

mo w er after eac h use . If g rass and dir t build up inside

the mo w er , cutting quality will ev entually become

unsatisfactor y .

Blade Maintenance

Maintain a shar p blade throughout the cutting season

because a shar p blade cuts cleanly without tearing or

shredding the g rass blades . T earing and shredding

tur ns g rass bro wn at the edg es , whic h slo ws g ro wth and

increases the c hance of disease . Chec k the cutter blades

daily for shar pness , and for any w ear or damag e . File

do wn any nic ks and shar pen the blades as necessar y . If

a blade is damag ed or w or n, re place it immediately with

a g en uine T oro re placement blade .

Safe Towing Practices

T o w only with a mac hine that has a hitc h designed

for to wing . Do not attac h to w ed equipment ex ce pt

at the hitc h point. T his product has a limited to wing

capacity for small attac hments , suc h as leaf sw ee pers ,

rollers up to 500 lbs (227 kg) or car ts up to 5 cubic feet.

T hese types of attac hments should be limited to ﬂat

g round. Nev er allo w c hildren or others in or on to w ed

equipment. On slopes , the w eight of to w ed equipment

ma y cause a loss of traction and control. T ra v el slo wly

and allo w extra distance to stop .

Page is loading ...

Toro TimeCutter Z380 Riding Mower, TimeCutter Z420 Riding Mower User manual

Related papers

Other documents