DR Power 18 HP (June 2004 - Present) - Manual (Page 20)

SECTION V – MAINTENANCE & STORAGE
IMPORTANT: The knife should be checked for sharpness and the bolts attaching them to the flywheel for
tightness every 8-10 hours of operation.
IMPORTANT: Every time you perform maintenance or any kind of service or check on the knife, be sure to
check the gap between the knife and wear plate for proper setting.
NOTE: A knife gauge has been provided with your machine. It is 1/16
th ” thick and should be used to set
the correct gap between the knife and wear plate.
If the cutting mechanism strikes any foreign object or if your machine should start making an unusual noise or is
vibrating, stop the engine, disconnect the spark plug wire(s) from the spark plug(s). Allow the engine to cool
before you:
a. Inspect and examine for damage.
b. Check for loose nuts, bolts or parts.
c. Repair or replace any damaged parts before restarting and operating the machine.
1. When not in use, your shredder/chipper should be stored out of the reach of children. Be sure that there are no
gasoline fumes in the storage area. For long periods of storage (over the winter), refer to the engine owner’s
manual.
2. After every 8 hours of operation, lubricate the chipper side and drive side bearings. To do this, wipe all dirt,
etc., from the grease fittings with a clean cloth, then apply no more than 3 shots of quality general-purpose
grease with a hand-pumped grease gun. Over lubrication can also damage bearings. Also, check the bearing
collar set screws regularly to be sure they are tight. If they are loose, reset them with Loctite 243, obtainable at
any hardware store.
3. You will find information included referring to operation and maintenance of the engine. Look it over carefully.
BE CERTAIN TO ADD OIL BEFORE STARTING IT.
4. When the steel chipping knife needs replacing or sharpening, refer to the section on removal, sharpening and
re-installation.
5. Care must be exercised when sharpening the knife to maintain the correct bevel and a straight edge. Refer to
sharpening directions. When you install a knife, the clearance between the knife and wear plate must be
checked and set. This clearance or gap should be set to 1/16” (see figure 1).
6. To adjust this clearance, loosen the three ¼” nuts and bolts holding
the wear plate in place. The wear plate can be slid up or down (in or
out) to achieve the correct gap setting.
7. Take the knife gauge and slide between the knife and wear plate. If
the gap is set correctly, the knife gauge will lightly touch both the
knife and wear plate. If the gap is too small, you will not be able to
get the gauge between the knife and wear plate. If the gap is too
large, there will be excess room between the knife gauge, knife and
wear plate. Tighten the nuts and bolts when the wear plate is in the
correct position. Be certain the flywheel rotates without hitting
anything before starting the chipper.
8. If the gap between the wear plate and the knife is not set correctly,
you will have excessive vibration when chipping and the blade will
seem to be dull. This should be checked every 8-10 hours of
operation.
9. If at any time it becomes necessary to disassemble the chipper for
repairs, the chipper disk must be re-installed in exactly the same
position on the rotor shaft.
NOTE: Proper gap setting is critical to the proper operation of your machine.
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