Rover Petrol Chip N Shred Questions & Answers

It depends on the engine but a lot of them don't have one. Just take the filler plug out and tip it out of there.

Tried but photos won't upload. Upper slider "RUN" far left, "CHOKE" far right. Lower slider "STOP" far left, (white turtle image) SLOW centre, (white rabbit image) FAST far right. Model number impressed between engine & in chute.

I might add that I bought mine in Australia some years ago which may play a part in the configuration of the two levers as in this youtube video the same 2 levers are reversed, same images just that the CHOKE is on the bottom whereas mine in on the top. I'm guessing he's in USA external link 

external link 

Yes, I've had one for about the same time. I extensively modified it some years ago, new bigger main shaft and double belt drive pulleys as well as 7 hp Chinese engine. It's days will probably end when the bearings fail, they are self aligning bearings that I suspect would have been made specially for Rover. I bought new chipper blades on ebay, as for the main blades, I have been simply sharpening them.

The whole drum need to come out Make sure you put the spacers in order as they need to go back in exactly the same place. The is a sheep in in the dum tha will have to come out. The pulley off then there is a lock nut. Have fun

It’s exactly as patchy says. You have to take the whole drum out. I doubt weather you ever be able to buy new blades, but you can turn them around or sharpen them with a grinder.

Hello John, This machine has one chipping blade and three sets of flails mounted on the rotating drum assembly. If you just wish to sharpen the chipping blade then you DON'T need to remove the whole drum.

Before commencing any work on the drum assembly be sure to remove the spark plug lead to prevent any unintended 'kick' from the engine and ensure the drum drive belt is also not engaged!

Next, remove the chipping feeder tub (the small tube with the spring loaded cover). Then remove any screen below the drum. There are two long location pins that pass from one side of the machine body to the other that retains the screen, so remove these.

Slowly rotate the drum by hand until you see the chipping blade in the chipping tube aperture. You will see that you need a hex key on the aperture side and a spanner or socket on the other side to remove the two mounting bolts. Be sure to clean out all of the debris in the hex head bolt hole before trying to insert the hex key or it will slip and damage the hole.

When you have removed the blade you can then carefully resharpen it and simply put it back in. You will probably want to put a little blue Loctite on the bolt threads as the Nylock nuts probably won't be as effective when you re-install them. If you are not confident about sharpening the blade yourself, take it to a tool sharpening service and they will make it look like new!

You DON'T need to replace this blade unless it has some obvious damage.

Now to the flails! These don't need sharpening, but do need a regular inspection to ensure they are not overly worn or damaged.

The easiest way to do this is to remove the top black plastic hopper, but once again, please ensure the spark plug lead is disconnected and the drive belt is disengaged first!

Are the flails showing any of the following?: - Large chips or bent - Very sloppy on the mounting shaft - Any other obvious damage

As you can no longer obtain new 'original quality' hardened flails it is probably not worth going any further with repairs if you find they need replacement. As mentioned above you do need to remove the main drum to replace the flails which is a fairly large job which involves removing the main drive shaft which you may find is rusted in place and difficult to remove.

There are many new chipper / mulchers around now and the best ones still use a very similar design to the Rover! Fortunately, they also seem to have resolved many of the weaknesses found in this machine.

I hope this information is helpful.

I just googled rover chip and shred there it is. The more extensive parts list can be viewed at most helpful repair places

Hi Diane, This link should cover the owners manual of most models: external link  There is a small ID plate on the bottom, right, toward the back of each machine (near the engine) that will have the exact model number, if it hasn't been ripped off. This is important to know when ordering parts.

If you also need a parts list you can find that here: external link 

Unfortunately, many parts for these machines are no longer available. However, some original parts like the drive pulley on the flail shaft were very poor quality and an after market solution like a 'taper-lock' pulley is a far better option.

I found the best supplier for available parts was: external link  You can simply type in your part number on this site to find if it is still available, or not.

If you do need an aftermarket drive pulley you can find the two parts you need for that here: external link 

external link 

Shout out if you need any more help:)

I would put it on footpath and hope its not there in morning

Thanks for the response but I would like to repair it somehow rather than buying a new one

At a guess ROVER

I suspect it may be very hard, as I tried to obtain a blade for the chipper at the side and was told by a dealer, after he looked it up and said no parts were available. Mine is still going because I re-engineered the whole thing with 7 HP motor, new longer shaft and dual drive belts. I have a lathe and milling machine, I suspect no-one else has done this, although a friend who also has one is going to do this as well. He, like me is also retired and has a machine shop as well. Doing this sort of thing is regarded as a bit of a joke these days and only for people with the time, inclination and equipment to do it. Considering their age, I think these machines are well past it.

I got parts from Jackson’s in Mackay QLD. They were very helpfull

I just bought a drive belt for my Drill Press went on Ebay Easy and quick. .It came from WA. Any mower shop should be able!!!

I know you can no longer obtain the chipper blade except there are some available on ebay. The main blades, probably the same, but you can take them out and sharpen them. I have always been aware that the instructions say "if you frequently feed in roots covered with dirt, you will wear out the blades quickly". I suspect if the blades are beyond sharpening, the rest of the machine would be unserviceable as well.

i have replaced two sets of 12 flails without taking the whole thing out a bit tight but can be done take old flails to your metal place and get them to make new ones works out cheaper as well

No idea Sorry.

You could use any engine. First it must be horizontal shaft, then the considerations are shaft size, the pulley must fit, or you could use another the same size, the actual engine mounting lining up with the belt tension correct when the lever is engaged. Also the belt guides, mounted on the engine near the pulley have to be present and in the right place, and not rubbing on the belt when it is running. If you don't have this the belt will keep coming off when you disengage it.

U R Kidding.

The pulley coming loose and keyway damage in the pulley itself are an extremely common problem with this machine. I've heard it from other people. Adding another setscrew and putting it back with high strength loktite usually solves this problem.

Sorry don't really know. Try Rover and they will give you a local dealer.

Belt is best bought from a reputable belt stockiest. Guide is expensive non genuine is half the price The pull start from a dealer

Best bought from an industrial hardware or the like. You could buy a pulley the same size with the same size hole, but it will not have the key slot in it. I (and a friend with the same machine) have had great trouble with this pulley coming loose. The hub eventually cracked but having a lathe myself I reinforced it with a steel band on the outside of the hub and cut a new slot on the opposite side, put it on with Loctite and tightened it up with two set screws. In the absence of all this, I would suggest buying a new pulley, drill a "pip" in the shaft where the set screw goes and put it on with high strength Loctite. If you want to get it off, you will have to heat it up with a torch but nothing else will keep it tight in my opinion, the more powerful the engine you have the more risk of it coming loose!