What kinds of jobs can I do with a scarifier and how do I use one?

EDCO scarifiers come in manual push and self-propelled models. The working widths of these scarifiers range from 4″ on the CPM-4 to 12″ on the CPU-12.

Scarifiers can do a variety of surface preparation jobs including cleaning warehouse floors, texturing surfaces for adhesion of coatings, leveling sidewalks and uneven joints, grooving parking decks and removing traffic lines, paint and coatings.

Every EDCO scarifier is made with five basic components:

1. Four or six shaft drum loaded with steel or carbide cutters rotating either up-cut or down-cut at a high speed to remove surface materials
2. Power source (gasoline, electric, air, propane) to move the drum
3. ble depth control for adjusting the depth of the cut
4. Heavy-duty 7 gauge steel frame
5. EDCO’s unique engage/disengage that raises or lowers the cutting drum without losing the depth setting

Cutting

1. Open throttle, let the engine reach full speed
2. Lower “disengage lever” slowly. With “disengage lever” in full down position, cutter wheels should not be in contact with slab. Turn “depth adjustment crank” down until cutter wheels contact and begin to penetrate the slab. Continue turning slowly until desired depth of cut is reached. Depth of cut is predetermined by the job specifications.

Production rates are determined by material to be removed, hardness of slab and type of cutter being used.

To achieve a greater depth, it may be necessary to make several passes over the same area. Cutter wheels will jam if you try to remove too much material in one pass. Wheels will raise from the surface and the front will ride on the drum flanges. This will cause severe damage to equipment and cause cutters to flatten or break. Remove less material with more passes will save you time and money in the long run.

To keep your scarifier running at maximum efficiency, make sure to keep the drum balanced so the opposite shafts are set up identically. An unbalanced drum will cause excessive wear on bearings, frame and shaft. If there is excessive vibration or if you have doubts about how hard you are pushing the scarifier, stop working and inspect the shaft and cutters for undue wear.

Here are four ways to modify scarifying results:

1. Control the forward speed of the scarifier
2. Vary the speed the drum is turning
3. Vary the spacing and the type of the cutters
4. Adjust the depth you are cutting at

To Stop Cutting:

1. Raise the disengage lever
2. Reset the throttle to idle
3. Turn the ignition switch off