Whether you own a CSV 050 or a CSV 070, a Cub Cadet chipper shredder can take a lot of the work out of fall lawn cleanup. These tips will help you get maximum performance and simplify disposal.
Safety
Wear closed toe shoes and close-fitting clothing. Loose clothing can get caught in the nozzles.
Hearing and eye protection is a must, and it’s also a good idea to wear a dust mask, especially if you have trouble with fall allergens.
Always wear thick gloves when using the chipper chute. Branches can kick back as they’re being fed into the blades.
Before you start cleaning up leave and debris, go through your lawn and remove anything that could damage the vacuum. Small branches can be chopped up in your vacuum’s chipper chute when you come to them, but metal, glass, and plastic can do some major damage to the internal components of your equipment, or worse, be ejected from the outlet at high speed. Never operate your vacuum over gravel. Instead, use a rake to move leaves onto the turf for your vacuum to pick up.
Nozzle Height
The nozzle height is set by moving a pair of levers between the nozzle and front wheels. Both levers need to be in the same position. For the best performance, the end of the nozzle should be just above debris, not in them. This allows air to be drawn in with leaves, maintaining vacuum. If the nozzle is completely covered, the leaves can jam, reducing vacuum pressure while straining the engine.
Bag Care
The bag material has small pores that let air through, leaving leaves and debris behind. Over time, dust can clog these pores, reducing vacuum performance. If this happens, wash the bag and let it dry completely before using it.
Using the Hose
The vacuum hose lets you reach into areas that you can’t drive over with the vacuum, which is handy for picking up leaves next to fences and around bushes. It also concentrates the air being moved by the impeller, increasing suction. This makes it perfect for picking up pine cones.
Pick up the end of the hose and aim it toward the ground before switching the nozzle/hose lever on top of the vacuum nozzle. Like the nozzle, the end of the hose should be kept just above the debris you’re picking up.
If there’s a clog, straighten out the hose so it’s stretched out in front of the vacuum inlet. In most cases, this will be enough to pull the leaves into the impeller housing. For more difficult clogs, shut off the engine and wait until the impeller stops moving. Disconnect the hose and pull the clog out by hand.
Dealing with Collected Leaves
As leaves pass through the impeller, they’re chopped up, making them more compact. This reduces the cost of disposal, but this material can also be used as mulch or compost, letting you skip disposal fees entirely.
Compacted leaves will be much heavier than leaves raked by hand. If you’re collecting leaves for disposal, dump them into heavy-duty lawn bags. Standard trash bags will tear if they’re anywhere close to full.
Using the Chipper Chute
Branches fed into the chute should be straight. Trim off any small branches and feed them in separately.
Hold the branch when feeding it into the chute, but don’t push it in. The chipping blades will cut away the branch and pull it in automatically. If the blades aren’t cutting well, they should be sharpened or replaced.
Get the Parts You Need for Your Chipper/Shredder Vacuum
As a Cub Cadet dealer, www.cubparts.com is able to offer quality OEM parts for anything Cub Cadet from vacuums to professional mowers. Finding parts is simple, too: just select your model and serial number, and our site will show you parts information for your exact equipment. We ship across the USA and Canada.