RIDGID 238-P User manual

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238-P Soil Pipe Cutter
operate the tool. Tools can be danger-
ous in the hands of untrained users.
•Maintain tools. Check for misalignment
or binding of moving parts, breakage
of parts and any other condition that
may affect the tool’s operation. If dam-
aged, have the tool repaired before
use. Many accidents are caused by poorly
maintained tools.
•Keep handles dry and clean; free from
oil and grease. Allows for better control of
the tool.
Service
•Have your tool serviced by a quali-
fied repair person using only identical
replacement parts. This will ensure that
the safety of the tool is maintained.
Specific Safety
Information
WARNING
This section contains important safety
information that is specific to this tool.
Read these precautions carefully be-
fore using the 238-P Powered Soil Pipe
Cutter to reduce the risk of serious per-
sonal injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
•Keep others out of work area while
cutting. Stand clear of the pipe. Cutting
can cause pieces of pipe to be thrown
with considerable force. This can cause
striking injuries, eye injuries, or other seri-
ous personal injury.
•Always wear Safety Glasses. Reduces
the risk of eye injury.
•Do not exceed the recommended cut-
ting capacity of the tool. Cutting pipe
that is too large or the wrong type could
overload the soil pipe cutter and cause
tool failure and or serious personal injury.
Do not extend the chain to cut soil pipe
greater than 8" (200 mm) nominal size.
•Do not use handle extensions to acti-
vate the soil pipe cutter. Handle exten-
sions (cheaters) can slip and cause seri-
ous injury. Extended handles can over-
load the soil pipe cutter and cause tool fail-
ure and or serious personal injury.
•Keep your fingers and hands away
General Safety Rules
WARNING
Read and understand all warnings and
instructions. Failure to follow all warn-
ings and instructions may result in elec-
tric shock, fire, and/or serious personal
injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
Work Area Safety
•Keep your work area clean and well
lit. Cluttered or dark areas invite acci-
dents.
•Do not operate tools in explosive at-
mospheres, such as in the presence of
flammable liquids, gases, or dust. Tools
can create sparks which may ignite the
dust or fumes.
•Keep children and by-standers away
while operating tools. Distractions can
cause you to lose control.
•Keep floors dry and free of slippery
materials such as oil. Slippery floors in-
vite accidents.
Personal Safety
•Stay alert, watch what you are doing
and use common sense when operat-
ing tools. Do not use tools while you
are tired or under the influence of
drugs, alcohol, or medication. A mo-
ment of inattention while operating tools
may result in serious personal injury.
•Use personal protective equipment.
Always wear eye protection. Protective
equipment such as dust mask, non-skid
safety shoes, hard hat, or hearing pro-
tection used for appropriate conditions
will reduce personal injuries.
•Do not overreach. Keep proper foot-
ing and balance at all times. Proper
footing and balance enables better control
of the tool in unexpected situations.
Tool Use and Care
•Do not force tool. Use the correct tool
for your application. The correct tool will
do the job better and safer at the rate for
which it is designed.
•Store idle tools out of the reach of chil-
dren and do not allow persons unfamil-
iar with the tool or these instructions to

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238-P Soil Pipe Cutter
No-Hub Cast Iron
Soil Pipe ......................up to 8" (200 mm)
nominal
Clay Pipe......................up to 8" (200 mm)
nominal
Concrete Pipe...............4" to 6" (100 mm to
150 mm) nominal
Weight..........................13.5 lbs (6.1 kg)
(without handle or
ratchet)
Size..............................11.5" (292 mm)
long (fully open, not
including handle,
ratchet or chain)
Cutter Wheel
Diameter ......................1.25" (32 mm)
Chain Pin Length..........2" (51 mm)
An impact tool must have a torque rating of
at least 200 Foot-pounds (271 N-m) for
proper operation. Impacts with lower ratings
may not cut all sizes and types of pipe. Do
not use with impacts rated at over 400 Foot-
pounds (542 N-m) of torque – this can dam-
age the cutter.
Figure 1 – 238-P Soil Pipe Cutter
Pre-Operation
Inspection/Maintenance
WARNING
Before each use, inspect and maintain
your soil pipe cutter and correct any
problems to reduce the risk of serious in-
jury from striking or impact injuries and
other causes and to prevent soil pipe
cutter damage.
1. Clean the soil pipe cutter and remove all
dirt, oil, grease and debris. If needed,
from the cutting chain during the cut-
ting cycle. They can be crushed, frac-
tured or amputated if they become caught
between the pipe and cutter or other ob-
jects.
•Read and understand this operator’s
manual, the impact tool operator’s
manual and the warnings and instruc-
tions for all equipment being used with
this tool before operating. Failure to fol-
low all warnings and instructions may re-
sult in serious personal injury.
The EC Declaration of conformity (890-011-
320.10) will accompany this manual as a sep-
arate booklet when required.
If you have any question concerning this
RIDGID®product:
– Contact your local RIDGID distributor.
– Visit www.RIDGID.com to find your local
RIDGID contact point.
– Contact RIDGID Technical Services De-
partment at rtctechservices@emer-
son.com, or in the U.S. and Canada call
[phone].
Description and
Specifications
Description
The RIDGID®238-P Soil Pipe Cutter is used to
cut a variety of cast iron soil pipe, concrete and
clay pipe. It is a compact unit for use in close
quarters. The 238-P Soil Pipe Cutter is de-
signed to be actuated by a battery powered,
corded or pneumatic 1/2" drive impact tool. It can
also be used manually with the included 1/2"
drive ratchet or a 11/8" wrench for up to 4" (100
mm) nominal pipe. The 238-P uses a chain
equipped with cutter wheels that is tightened
around the pipe until the pipe breaks. The
238-P will cut service weight and no-hub cast
iron soil pipe up to 8" (200 mm) nominal diam-
eter. The feedscrew is equipped with a hand
knob for fast manual adjustment. A unique
hooking mechanism makes connecting the
chain easier.
Specifications
Capacity
Service Weight Cast
Iron Soil Pipe...............up to 8" (200 mm)
nominal
Hooks
Feedscrew/Knob
Handle
Chain
Ratchet
Warning Label

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238-P Soil Pipe Cutter
Tool Set-Up and
Operation
WARNING
Follow set up and operating instructions
to reduce the risk of serious injury from
striking or impact injuries and other
causes and prevent machine damage.
Keep others out of work area while cut-
ting. Stand clear of the pipe. Cutting can
cause pieces of pipe to be thrown with
considerable force. This can cause strik-
ing injuries, eye injuries, or other seri-
ous personal injury.
Always wear eye protection to protect
your eyes against dirt and other foreign
objects.
Keep your fingers and hands away from
the cutting chain during the cutting cycle.
They can be crushed, fractured or ampu-
tated if they become caught between
the pipe and cutter or other objects.
1. Check work area for:
• Adequate lighting
• Clear, level, stable place to work.
2. Inspect the pipe to be cut. Determine the
size and type of material. If cutting pipe
that is already in service, determine the
pipe contents.
3. Determine the correct soil pipe cutter for
the application.
See the information in
the Specification section.
Other pipe cut-
ters can be found in the RIDGID Catalog
at www.RIDGID.com
4. Make sure that the soil pipe cutter has
been properly inspected.
5. Prepare the pipe to be cut.
• Take any appropriate steps required
to drain the pipe and/or deal with any
potential spillage.
• Clean mud or corrosion off of the pipe.
Excessive corrosion or mud can cause
poor quality cuts and damage cutter
wheels.
• Make sure there is enough room to get
the chain around the pipe. Approximate-
ly 11/2" (38 mm) of clearance is needed
the chain can be cleaned with a wire
brush. This aids in inspection and helps
prevent the tool from slipping from your
grip during use.
2. Inspect the soil pipe cutter for the follow-
ing items:
• Proper assembly and completeness
• Broken, cracked, missing, bent or bind-
ing parts
• Excessive corrosion and wear
• Smooth, free movement of screws,
chain and linkages
• Presence and readability of the warn-
ing label
(See Figure 1.)
3. Inspect the chain for signs of overload or
other damage.There should be no signif-
icant gaps between the plates of the
chain. If there are large gaps between
the links of the chain or other damage,
the chain should be replaced. Check the
cutter wheels for wear and damage.
Worn and damaged cutter wheels in-
crease cut force and can cause poor
quality cuts.
4. Inspect the impact tool and any other
equipment being used as directed in their
instructions.
5. If any problems are found, do not use
the soil pipe cutter until corrected.
6. If needed, lubricate pivot points and the
chain with a light lubricating oil. Wipe any
excess oil off.
7. Yearly (or more often under heavy use),
disassemble the cutter by turning the
hand flange clockwise (left hand thread).
Remove the C-washer and unscrew the
feedscrew from the cutter. Clean the feed-
screw and washers and apply a good
quality extreme pressure (EP designa-
tion) grease to points of relative motion
when reassembling.
See Figure 2.
Figure 2 – Unit Assembly: Orient C-Washer
and Steel Washer With Chamfer
Towards Thrust Surface
Hand
Flange
C-Washer
Steel Washer
Thrust
Surface
Thrust Washer

around the pipe. If cutting loose pipe,
to protect the cutter wheels from dam-
age against concrete or other hard
surfaces, place the pipe on short
stands or wood block to get the pipe
off the floor or work on a softer surface
like a piece of plywood.
• When cutting short sections of pipe, if
possible, restrain the pipe to prevent it
from being thrown when cut. This can
be done by placing a smaller piece of
pipe or lumber through the center of
the pipe, or by other methods.
6. For convenience, the side handle can be
installed on either side of the cutter or re-
moved from the cutter as needed.
7. Grip the adjusting knob of the soil pipe
cutter and turn counter clockwise to fully
open
(Figure 3) .
Figure 3 – Cutter Fully Open, Hooking the Chain
8. Place the soil pipe cutter on the pipe so
the cutter wheels line up with the de-
sired cut point. Make sure both hooks
are lying on the pipe with the open side
up.
9. Wrap the chain snugly around the pipe
and place the nearest chain pin into the
hooks. The tool must be fully opened
and the chain snugly wrapped around
the pipe before hooking the chain. If not,
the wrong pin may be hooked and the cut
may not be able to be completed. This
can also cause the cutter to jam. If that
happens, fully open the tool and move the
chain to the next tighter chain pin and
continue operation as described.
10. Make sure that the cutter wheels are
square to the pipe and at the desired lo-
cation. Turn the adjusting knob clockwise
to firmly tighten the chain around the
pipe.
11. Choose a spot to operate the cutter from.
Keep in mind that when the pipe is cut,
parts of it may be thrown. Make sure that
the area is clear of others or objects that
could be struck by pipe. Be aware that
when the pipe is cut the soil pipe cutter
and pipe could drop or fall.
Figure 4 – Operating the Powered Soil Pipe Cut-
ter – Manual Operation
12. If operating manually, (for up to 4" (100
mm) pipe) the ratchet used should lock
firmly into place in the square drive. If
using a different wrench, it may not lock in
place and may come loose during opera-
tion. If needed, an adjustable wrench
can be used to hold the body of the cut-
ter. Do not use a pipe wrench to hold
the cutter, this can damage the wrench
teeth or cutter. Do not use the handle to
hold the cutter while manually ratchet-
ing, this can damage the handle.
Figure 5 – Operating the Powered Soil Pipe
Cutter – Using Impact Tool
13. If using an impact tool , either insert the
square drive into the end of the feed-
screw, or using a 11/8" impact socket,
place the socket over the head of the
feedscrew.
14. Assume a stable stance, and with a firm
grip on the equipment, tighten the feed-
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238-P Soil Pipe Cutter
Fully Open
Knob
Hooks

screw. Continue tightening until the pipe is
cut.
Cutting Tips
Once the appropriate pin for a given size
pipe has been determined; marking the pin
can save time setting up subsequent cuts of
the same size.
For cleaner cuts, instead of tightening the
chain until the pipe is cut, tighten the chain
enough to mark the pipe. Then loosen the
chain and slightly rotate the pipe or the tool
and make another set of marks. Do this sev-
eral times to create marks all the way around
the pipe, then tighten the chain and break
the pipe.
When carrying your soil pipe cutter, do not
drag the chain. This can wear and damage
the cutter wheels, increasing cut force and
cause poor cut quality.
Corroded pipe can crush during cutting. Try
not to cut pipe where corroded.
Cutting off short sections of pipe (less than
one pipe diameter) can cause the pipe to
cut unevenly, crack or break.
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238-P Soil Pipe Cutter