Chipper Mulcher….. and we’re jammed!

The chipper mulcher is one of those hire items that we often find ourselves asking of each other, “do we even bother making this unit available any more?”  The short answer is, “yes”.The slightly longer answer is below but the image should give you a clue as to where this conversation is headed.

The Red Roo CMS100 is a powerhouse of a machine … if used properly. Like everything however it has its limits and, when operated outside those limits, things start to go wrong.

Here are two of the most common problems that we have identified with the chipper and mulcher.

BELTS – The chipper and mulcher function is driven by 2 v-belts.

• During use of the chipper mulcher, if too much material is loaded into either feeding hopper, there is a high likelihood that  one or both belts will break.
• During shut down of the chipper mulcher, if the belts are not disengaged BEFORE the engine is  slowed down or turned off, there is a high likelihood that one or both belts will break or become significantly damaged.

MATERIAL – The chipper mulcher can process many different types of organic material.

• Stringy and fibrous plants, trees or other material are not suitable to be fed into the chipper mulcher. They become entangled and/or lodged in clumps inside the machine and can cause the function to cease, much like putting the breaks on.  Sometimes the problem presents itself after the chipper mulcher has been turned off and is attempted to be used again.  The resistance caused by the jam is too great to engage the function without stalling the engine.
• Dried out material can also be problematic.