Echo Bear Cat 73554 - Manual (Page 25)

Page 22 Bearcat Chipper Shredder Operator’s Manual
The Bear Cat chipper is designed to chip a variety of materials into a more readily decomposing
or handled condition. The following guidelines can be used to help you get started.
• Run unit at full operating speed before starting to chip material.
• Select limbs that are up to 5 inches in diameter. Trim side branches that cannot be bent
enough to feed into the chipper chute. Hold small diameter branches together in a bundle and
feed in simultaneously.
• Feed brush from the side of the chipper chute, rather than from the front. Then, step aside to
avoid being hit by the brush moving into the chipper.
• Do not lean over the chipper chute to push objects into the cutting device. Use a push stick or
brush paddle.
• Never use shovels or forks to push brush. They can be chipped, are expensive to replace,
and cause extensive damage. In addition, metal pieces can come back to injure or kill.
• Never push brush into the chipper chute with your feet.
• Place limb, butt end first, into the chipper chute until it contacts the chipper blades. The actual
feed rate of the limb into the chipper will depend on the type of material fed and sharpness of
the cutting blades.
• Stop the material feeding and allow the engine to recover if the engine slows to where it may
stall.
• Remove the branch and rotate it before reinserting it into the chute if the chipper jams.
• Alternately insert and retract the limb or insert continuously at a rate that will not kill the en-
gine.
• Chipping dead, dry material will create heat and dull the chipping blades quickly.
• Alternate greener material with dry material to lubricate the chipping blades for longer life and
better performance.
• When the chipping blades become dull, they will require periodic sharpening. Refer to Service
and Maintenance, "Sharpening Chipper Blades."
NOTE
Please read and fol-
low all safety in-
structions in this
manual. Failure to
operate the chipper
in accordance with
the safety instruc-
tions MAY RESULT
IN PERSONAL IN-
JURY!
CHIPPING GUIDE
Operation
WARNING
Do not leave machine unattended, or attempt any inspection or service un-
less the engine is stopped and the key removed from key switch.
1. Place materials to be shredded (grass, leaves, garden refuse, sticks and branches less then
3/4 inch diameter and 24 inches long, etc.) into the hopper. Feed material evenly into the
shredder so that the engine does not lug down or the shredder becomes plugged. Attempting to
use the clutch to clear a plugged rotor will cause belt damage. Refer to Section 5, Clearing
Plugged Rotor, for instructions. Branches or items that plug or cause the machine to stall
should be fed in more evenly or put through the chipper chute.
SHREDDING GUIDE
IMPORTANT
Exclude pieces of
metal, rocks, bottles,
cans, and other for-
eign objects when
feeding chipable ma-
terial into the ma-
chine.