Makita PTM0900 Operator's Manual

29ENHOW TO USE THE MACHINE5.7 LAWN MAINTENANCE1. To keep a lawn green, soft and attractive, it should be cut regularly without damag-ing the grass. A lawn can be composed of different types of grass. If the lawn is cutfrequently, grass and roots grow more vigorously, forming a solid grassy bed. If thelawn is cut is less frequently, higher grass and weeds start growing (plus daisies andclovers, etc.).2. It is always better to cut the grass when dry.3. The blades must be in good condition and well sharpened so that the grass is cutstraight without a ragged edge that leads to yellowing at the ends.4. The engine must run at full speed, both to ensure a sharp cut of the grass and toget the necessary thrust to push the cuttings through the collector channel.5. The frequency of mowing should be in relation to the rate of growth of the grass.The grass should not be left to grow too much between one cut and the next.6. During hot and dry periods, the grass should be cut a little higher to prevent theground from drying out.7. The best height of the grass on awell-kept lawn is approx. 4-5 cm.With one cut, you do not need toremove more than a third of the totalheight.If the grass is very tall, it should be cuttwice in a twenty-four hour period - thefirst time with the blades at maximumheight, possibly reducing the cuttingwidth, and the second cut at thedesired height.8. The appearance of the lawn will improve if you alternate cutting in both directions.9. If the collector system tends to get blocked with grass, you should reduce the for-ward speed as it may be too high for the condition of the grass. If the problem per-sists, the probable causes are either badly sharpened blades or deformed wings.10. Be very careful when mowing near bushes or kerbs as these could distort the hori-zontal position of the cutting deck and damage its edge as well as the blades.12