Forst ST8 belt/tensioner question

[Mick Dempsey]

13 minutes ago, Butchers Block said:

Have you stepped the revs up on the auto intelligence panel.  

Not as yet, I had an issue with the computer vibrating too much when large pieces were put in, confusing it and not restarting the rollers.

Then a common problem whereby the ignition barrel needed replacing because of a faulty batch.

Then the throttle spring wearing and unbeknownst to me not setting the right revs.

There been other things too boring to recount, and Redwood have been excellent (especially as I bought it through their French agents and could easily have washed their hands of me)

It’s a great chipper, but it’s been a little too high maintenance for my liking.

 

Others have had much better experiences, I’d not advise against them by any means.

Edited July 25, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[WeFixIt]

On 24/07/2018 at 15:03, Mick Dempsey said:

The belt tensioner on my ST8 is inside the three belts, I’m 100% sure it’s been like that since I bought it new.

 

 I found it odd that the tensioner had no grooves like the pulleys that it services but it’s done 700 odd hours like that without issue (at least in that part of the machine) so I thought nothing of it.

 

Then I saw in the manual that the drawing shows the tensioner outside, which, in a way makes more sense, can another owner have a look at theirs to check please?

 

I checked with Redwood who said that it should be inside (like the photo of my machine) but I’d like some verification.

 

TIA.

Mick

 

 

 

 

The tensioner pulley does go on the inside, if you fit the belts on the outside you wont be able to apply any tension to the belts as the adjustment will only pull the idler roller outwards via the lock nut as can be seen in the above picture.

 

Just a little extra to add regarding belts - Don't over tighten your hydraulic pump drive belt! as this could cause premature wear and failure of the pump!!

 

[GA Groundcare]

Always wonder why manufactures tension the belts outwards, pulling the belts out of the pulleys allowing less grip. Strange.

 

 

[PeteB]

There is a sum or guide which gives surface area of the groove and how much is needed to give grip. Hence two, three or four belts. Some belts don't appreciate being stretch in the back by an outside pulley too. The actual amount lost isn't much realistically though. I found it interesting that the manual shows one thing but the office says another!

[WeFixIt]

Isn’t that the same as the engineer says one thing and the management sill have no idea!

[PeteB]

5 hours ago, WeFixIt said:

Isn’t that the same as the engineer says one thing and the management sill have no idea!

Not always, managers manage a different set of scenarios, some of which will make no sense to an engineer while an engineer is black or white stuff and nothing in between. Having said that, an engineer and a business manager will always clash as they want different things out of the project.

[WeFixIt]

13 hours ago, PeteB said:

Not always, managers manage a different set of scenarios, some of which will make no sense to an engineer while an engineer is black or white stuff and nothing in between. Having said that, an engineer and a business manager will always clash as they want different things out of the project.

So in your scenario what if the Manager is also the Engineer! or the Engineer is also the Director!?

[PeteB]

I'm a Manager with engineering skills and there are times when I have to put aside the nuts and bolts thing and recognise the need to Manage letting the engineering wait and other times being strong enough to embrace the engineering in the management decision!