TIPS ON BOLT MAINTENANCE

Everyone knows that blade maintenance on a wood chipper is crucial. Most chipper operators ensure that the blades are always as sharp as possible and they clean the knife bed before they put the blades back on the drum. However, they seem to forget and neglect the MOST important thing…..the bolts! When the bolts come loose or break off of the drum it can have horrific consequences. Sometimes the machine can even be written off depending on the size of the machine and so forth.

Here are some tips to ensure this never happens to your wood chipper:

•  ENSURE the thread of the bolt is clean before you put it back into the knife bed.
•  ALL the bolts should be the same length.
•  BOLTS should never be more than 10mm out at the bottom of the knife bed, but it must be visible at the bottom.
•  ALWAYS torque the bolt according to the manufacturer’s instructions – 130Nm or 245Nm.
•  NEVER torque the bolt more than 8 times. The head of the bolt stretches and this can cause it to break off. Rather throw it away.
• NEVER use 8.8 bolts when the specification is 10.9. The bolt cannot handle the strain and tension and will break at some stage.

-          PLEASE phone us today with your TOMCAT Serial Number if you have lost your torque setting or if you have forgotten the correct setting and we will gladly assist you.

We hope these tips will keep you chipping!

Incorrect Blade Bolts

Correct 10.9 HT Bolt

New HT Bolt