Service Bulletin

Ref: 14-26 Copyright, 2003. The Toro Company
Customer Service Bulletin
Commercial Business Group
Groundsmaster
®
Mulching Kit Date: May 16, 2003
Model/Serial Range: Model Numbers:
Serial Numbers:
30828 220000101 - 230000815
30824 210000101 – 230000135
Note: Used on Groundsmaster 3500-D, 4500-D and 4700-D
Subject: Do not use the High Lift blade (105-4089) with mulching baffles.
Mulching Baffle Kit (30828 or 30824) works by limiting the discharge of the deck. When
discharge is limited, the quantity of grass held within the path of the blade is significantly
increased. This may cause the High Lift Parallel Sail Blade to bend excessively. In this
condition, the High Lift Parallel Sail Blade can become damaged and in rare instances
may allow the blade to break.
Warning: Failure to comply with this bulletin may result in personal injury.
Do not use the High Lift Parallel Sail Blade with Mulching baffles. If you are aware of a
situation where High Lift Parallel Sail Blades are being, or have been, used in
conjunction with Mulching Baffles, instruct the operator, owner, and/or technician to
discontinue use until the baffles have been removed or the standard Blades (105-9810-
03) have been installed. Refer to the matrix below for further “application-to-blade”
recommendations.
Important Note: Any High Lift Parallel Sail Blades (105-4089) that were ever run on decks
with mulching baffles should be removed and destroyed, even if the baffles are no
longer installed.
Standard Angle Sail Blade
High Lift Parallel Sail Blade
(DO NOT USE WITH MULCHING
BAFFLE)
Mulching Baffle Roller Scraper
Grass Cutting: .75 to
1.75 Inch Height of Cut
Recommended in most
applications
May work well in light or sparse turf
Grass Cutting: 2.00 to
2.50 Inch Height of Cut
Recommended for thick or lush
turf
Recommended for light or sparse turf
Grass Cutting: 2.75 to
4.00 Inch Height of Cut
May work well in lush turf Recommended in most applications
DO NOT USE WITH THE HIGH
LIFT PARALLEL SAIL BLADE
Leaf Mulching
Recommended for use with the
mulching baffle.
NOT ALLOWED
Use with standard angle sail blade
only.
Even discharge at lower HOC More lift and higher discharge velocity
Cleaner look around bunkers and
fairways
Sparse or limp turf is picked up at high
HOC
Lower power requirements
Wet or sticky clippings are discharged
efficiently
Very good for leaf mulching
Does not lift the grass well in high
HOC applications
Requires more power to run in some
applications
Can cause clumping in some applications.
Tends to windrow at lower HOC in lush
grass
DO NOT USE WITH MULCHING
BAFFLE
Application
Optional Equipment Configuration
Pros
Reduces roller buildup in certain applications
Can be used any time that rollers build up with
grass or large flat clumps of grass are seen.
The scrapers may actually increase clumping in
certain applications.
Has been shown to improve
dispersion and after-cut appearance
on northern grasses that are cut at
least three times per week and less
than 1/3 of the grass blade is
removed.
May improve dispersion and
appearance in certain grass cutting
applications
Cons
Grass will build up in the chamber if
attempting to remove too much
grass with the baffle in place
Wet or sticky grass has a
tendency to build up in the
chamber, leading to poor quality o
f
cut and higher power requirement
Even if improvement is shown, clumping will not
be completely eliminated.