K-1000 Rodder
Service
• Tool service must be performed only by quali-
fied repair personnel. Service or maintenance
performed by unqualified repair personnel could
result in injury.
• When servicing a tool, use only identical re-
placement parts. Follow instructions in the
Maintenance Section of this manual. Use of
unauthorized parts or failure to follow mainte-
nance instructions may create a risk of injury.
Specific Safety Information
WARNING
Read this operator's manual carefully before using
the RIDGID K-1000 Rodder. Failure to understand
and follow the contents of this manual may result
in fire and/or serious personal injury.
Call the Ridge Tool Company, Technical Service Depart-
ment at (800) 519-3456 if you have any questions.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
Keep this manual with the K-1000 Rodder for use by the
operator.
Machine Safety
• Wear leather gloves provided with the ma-
chine. Never grasp a rotating rod with a rag or
loose fitting cloth glove. Could become wrapped
around the rod and cause serious injury.
• Wear safety glasses and rubber soled, non-slip
shoes. Use of this safety equipment may prevent
serious injury.
• Never operate machine with guards removed.
Fingers can be caught between the chain sprocket.
• Do not operate machine in (REV) reverse.
Operating machine in reverse can result in rod
damage and is used only to back tool out of an
obstruction.
• Start engine with shift lever in NEUTRAL position.
Shift lever must also be in NEUTRAL (straight up)
position when adding or removing tools and rod
or any other time when machine is not in use. Pre-
vents unexpected rotation of rods.
• Disconnect spark plug when performing
maintenance on Rodder or engine. This action
will prevent accidental starting and serious injury.
• Operate rodder properly. Do not operate with
more than 20 feet (6 m) of rod between ma-
chine and manhole. The arcing of rod at man-
hole should not exceed 3 feet (90 cm). This will
minimize the possibility of kinking rods and seri-
ous injury.
4
• When striking an obstacle that causes the
tool to hang-up, do not attempt to force the
machine by manually pushing on the ex-
posed rods. Do not uncouple rods that are in
a stressed condition. This will cause kinking and
whipping of the rods which could cause serious
injury.
• Do not overstress rods. Do not use badly worn
or bent rods. Be sure torque limiter is adjust-
ed properly to 50 ft.-lbs. (68 Nm) maximum.
Overstressing rods because of obstruction can
be dangerous to operators as rods may twist or
kink.
• Use caution when handling gasoline. Refuel
in well-ventilated area. Do not overfill fuel
tank and do not spill fuel. Make sure tank cap
is closed properly. Gasoline is extremely flam-
mable and is explosive under certain conditions.
• Never run the engine in an enclosed or con-
fined area. Exhaust contains poisonous carbon
monoxide gas; exposure may cause loss of con-
sciousness and may lead to death. Exhaust also
contains chemicals that the State of California be-
lieves may cause cancer or reproductive harm.
• Be careful not to touch the muffler while it is
hot. To avoid severe burns or fire hazards, let
the engine cool before transporting or storing
it indoors. The muffler becomes very hot during
operation and remains hot for a while after stop-
ping the engine.
• Only use the K-1000 to clean straight drain
lines 8" to 24" (200 mm - 600 mm) in diameter.
Follow instructions on the use of the machine.
Other uses or modifying the rodder for other ap-
plications may increase the risk of injury.
• Do not use tool if releasing the throttle does
not stop the rod rotation. Any tool that cannot
be controlled is dangerous and must be repaired.
The EC Declaration of conformity (890-011-320.10)
will accompany this manual as a separatebooklet
when required.
If you have any question concerning thisRIDGID®
product:
– Contact your local RIDGID distributor.
– Visit www.RIDGID.com orwww.RIDGID.eu to find
your localRIDGID contact point.
– Contact RIDGID Technical Services Departmentat
rtctechservices@emerson.com,or in the U.S. and
Canada call (800) 519-3456.