Assembly & Tool Care
Preparing to Assemble
- Tools required for assembly:
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Assemble indoors to avoid misplacing cotter pins.
Hardware included (Figure A). Remove from attached bag:
- 1 large greased clevis pin
- 1 small greased clevis pin
- 2 cotter pins
- Set base of the tool on a flat surface, open jaws, and flip the connecting bar back.
- Place lever arm over the back end of the base, aligning the holes.
- Place small clevis pin through bottom aligned holes. Slide cotter pin through hole in clevis pin (Figure B).
- Place large clevis pin through connecting bar and top aligned holes. Slide cotter pin through hole in clevis pin (Figure C).
- Use needle-nose pliers to bend tails of cotter pins outward (Figure D).
Set Screw Adjustment or Removal
The Uprooter features a mechanism that locks the jaws open to ease the process of placing them around a stem. This mechanism can be adjusted using the set screw. It should be set to a tension that allows the user to lift the tool up with the jaws remaining open, but easily be able to close the jaws when needed. If for any reason it is preferred to operate the Uprooter without this feature, simply use a hex head screwdriver or hex key to remove the set screw as well as the ball and spring behind the set screw. Store these parts for future use (See Figures E & F).
- Bend cotter pin tails inward.
- Remove cotter pins from clevis pins.
- Remove clevis pins from holes connecting the lever arm and base.
- Lift lever arm from base.
To improve the functioning and life of the Uprooter:
- Clean After Each Use – Use a pointed object (stick, screwdriver, etc.) to loosen clumped dirt. Rinse off remaining soil and it’s ready to be stored.
- Lubricate – Lightly oil moving parts, especially during initial use and in wet climates.