Echo 74500 Owners Manual v.1 - Manual (Page 20)

Page 14 Skid Steer Chipper Operator’s Manual
SHARPENING CHIPPER BLADES
The chipper blades will eventually become dull, making chip-
ping difficult and adding extra strain on the machine. It is
recommended that the chipper blades be sharpened
every 5-15 hours of chipper operation. To remove the
chipping blades for sharpening, follow the procedure below
WARNING
To prevent personal injury or property damage: Shut off
skid steer, disconnect hydraulics, remove ignition key,
and make sure that all moving parts have come to a com-
plete stop, before servicing, adjusting or repairing.
The chipping blades are sharp! Use care when working
on machine to avoid injury.
Service & Maintenance
Never sharpen or grind on the back side of the chipper
blade. This will cause the edge to roll and the chipping
blade will be damaged, causing poor chipping and feed-
ing of material. Small imperfections, nicks, burrs, etc. on
the flat side of the blade will not affect performance of the
machine.
NOTE
Fig. #14, Blade Sharpening diagram
45°
MOUNTING
SURFACE
DO NOT GRIND
SHARPENED
SURFACE
SHARPENED
SURFACE
MOUNTING
SURFACE
DO NOT GRIND
CHIPPER
BLADE
Do not exceed the recommended torque values of 20
ft. lbs. (74500) or 75 ft. lbs. (74800) when tightening
the bolts for the chipper blades.
IMPORTANT
Removing the chipper blades:
1. Disconnect the hydraulic hoses from the skid steer.
2. Position the chipper chute to the side of the chipper.
3. Remove the two bolts on the chipper housing.
4. Tip the chute and housing away from the chipper to ex-
pose the rotor and the blades.
5. Use a pry bar between two of the fan blades to prevent
the chipper from rotating during chipper blade removal
and installation.
6. Remove the blades (Qty. 4) making sure not to slip the
wrench, the chipper blades are sharp.
7. The chipper blades are reversible. If the blades have not
been reversed flip the blades 180 degrees and reinsert.
8. If the chipper blades need to be sharpened refer to the
sharpening blades section of the manual.
9. Inspect all components of the chipper for damage and
replace if necessary.
Installing the blades:
1. Remove any accumulated material in the bottom of the
chipper drum.
2. Reinstall the chipper blades (Qty. 4) and tighten the bolts
to a torque of 20 ft. lbs. (74500) or 75 ft. lbs. (74800).
3. Check anvil clearance and adjust if necessary.
4. Close the chipper housing and reattach with removed
bolts to a torque of 25-28 ft.-lbs.
5. Reconnect machine hydraulics.
Tips:
Poor chipping performance is usually a result of dull chip-
ping blades. If your chipper's performance has decreased,
check for the following symptoms. If the machine shows
these symptoms, sharpen the blades.
1. Severe vibration when feeding material into the chipper.
2. Chips discharge unevenly or have stringy tails–especially
when chipping green branches.
Before you sharpen the chipping blades, check for perma-
nent damage. Replace the blade if:
1. The blade is cracked (especially around the bolt holes)
or the edges are too deeply chipped to be ground smooth.
2. The base of the cutting edge is worn or has been re-
sharpened so that it is too close to the rotor chipping
slot.
Sharpening the Blades:
1. When sharpening the blades grind the angled edge of the
chipping blade to 45 degrees. This is best accomplished
on a slow-speed wet grinder. If a bench grinder is used
be careful when grinding so that the blade material does
not get too hot and change color–this will remove the
blade's special heat treated properties.
2. Be sure to use short grinding times and cool with water
between grinding.
3. Try to remove an equal amount off each blade to maintain
balance.