Equalizer ECT113, ECT115, EFT116, EFT117 Users Manual & Exploded View

18-Volt Battery Powered

Equalizer

Users Guide & Exploded View

ECT113 • ECT115 • EFT116 • EFT117

READ THIS FIRST! Keep sheaths clean on the inside! To prevent extensive tool damage, do not allow sheath to hit

blade mount! Set the blade to the proper depth, and do not hit the pinchweld on the outside of the vehicle! Cut wide

urethane in 3/4” stages! Grease main drive gear every 3 months, using high heat grease!

© 2004 Equalizer Industries, Inc.
ECT113_ECT115_Fre_User_Guide Rev 5/1/04

® Freedom

Removing Auto Gass With Your Equalizer

Description

The Equalizer® Freedom is an interior auto
glass cut out knife. They are designed to
cut the urethane bonding which holds most
modern auto glass in cars. The .020” thick
blade reciprocates inside a metal sheath.
This sheath protects the dash and garnish
mouldings and regulates the depth at which
the blade cuts. The blade is exposed only
1/2 inch to 1-1/2 inches on the end, depend­ing on how you adjust the blade. The blade
length is adjustable because different cars
have different widths of urethane bonding.

Patented Worldwide

The Blade

The blade is made of mild steel so it will not
shatter. If it bends, use a pair of pliers and
straighten it. To sharpen the blade simply
grind the edge on a bench grinder, belt sander,
or use a file or honing stone. You do not have
to remove the blade to sharpen it. Be sure
to disconnect electric tools from the power
source, disconnect air tools from air pressure
and remove the battery from cordless tools.

WARNING!

Our blade material is a special made mate­rial. It has rounded edges so it will not bind
in the sheath. It has the correct Rockwell
hardness so it will not buckle inside the
sheath. The use of any material other than
our blades will cause damage to the sheath
and drive unit and will void your warranty.

Blade Replacement

A hex screw holds the
blade in place. Loosen
the screw and pull the
blade out of the sheath.
Insert a new blade and
tighten the screw tightly
against the blade. The

blade retaining screw is
accessible through the side of the base on all
Equalizer® tools.

Caution

When you are changing the blade and sheath
at the same time, be sure to put the sheath in
and tighten it first, then install the blade. If you
install and tighten the blade first, the sheath can
bind against it and damage the tool.

Urethane

Blade Appearance From Inside

Looking Out

Put The Blade In

Correctly

Look at how the
blade is installed
when you receive
your Equalizer®
Freedom and always

Side View

put it in the same
way. The flat side
rides against the

glass. This method
of installing the blade is important because
the unique way the blade is sharpened
makes it hug the glass and cut the urethane
where it is easier to cut. The only exception
to the above is when the glass is encapsu­lated or has mouldings bonded to the glass.
If you are trying to take an encapsulated
glass out without breaking it, turn the blade
around so the flat side will hug the pinch­weld. If you do not do this the blade may cut
into the plastic and damage the moulding.

Sheath Up For

Longer Blade

Sheath Down For

Shorter Blade

Adjusting Blade Length

To adjust the length the blade comes out
of the sheath, loosen the sheath retainer
screws 1/2 turn and pull the sheath down.
Pulling the sheath down in the clamp
decreases the length the blade comes out
of the sheath. Putting the sheath higher in
the sheath clamp increases the length the
blade comes out. Always use the correct
size blade for the correct sheath (example:
4-inch blade in 4-inch sheath, 8-inch blade
in 8-inch sheath). Never adjust the blade
length with the tool plugged in or running.

2

®

Freedom

Patented Worldwide

The Sheath

The sheath is a unique patented idea that
makes Equalizer® tools work. The sheath is
a protective sleeve that surrounds the blade
so the blade will not damage the dash or
garnish mouldings. The sheath is designed
to help you regulate the length of the
blade. This is important to keep the blade
from hitting the pinchweld on the outside.
Sheaths are available in 4-inch, 8-inch and
12-inch sizes. The 4 inch is most com­monly used around quarter glasses where
there is not much vertical height. The 8
inch is the most commonly used size when
removing windshields or back glasses. The
12 inch is useful when reaching far below
the dash on vehicles where the windshield
extends below the hood.

Changing The Sheath

The sheath is held in
place by four hex head
screws. To change
the sheath, loosen the
screws and pull the
sheath out of the sheath
clamp. Insert the new

sheath and tighten
the screws. Use care not to overtighten the
screws and crush the sheath. Crushing the
sheath can cause the blade to bind and dam­age the drive unit.

Sheath Maintenance

If urethane or butyl is
pulled up into the sheath it
can be cleaned by remov­ing the sheath and soaking
it in a solvent. We recom­mend using Equalizer

®

Sheath Cleaner SCS775.
Avoid the use of harsh
cleaners such as lacquer
thinner or similar “hot”
cleaners. We also recom­mend our Sheath Cleaning
Container ESC780. Its
unique design keeps you
from wasting cleaner,
stores the sheaths in a
sealed container, and holds
the sheath in an upright
position so the urethane
or butyl will drain out the
bottom of the sheath.

Caution

Keep the sheath clean inside! Failure to do
so can put excess strain on the drive unit and
damage it. We will not warranty tools dam­aged in this way!

Removing Auto Gass With Your Equalizer

®

Freedom

Plunge Cuts & Cutting

Start the Equalizer

®

Freedom with the blade
a short distance from the urethane. Then,
with the tool running at full speed, push
the blade into the urethane. This is called
a plunge cut. Grip the tool firmly and do
not allow it to kick back. Plunge cutting
works better with the tool running at full
speed. Plunge cutting is possible because
the blade is sharp around the end. After the
plunge cut you can cut in either direction
because the blade is sharp on both sides.

Glass

Right

Dash

Glass

Wrong

Dash

Proper Tool Use

The sheath is curved so the drive unit
can be held away from the glass. This
curvature keeps the blade from bend­ing as it comes out of the sheath. Not
holding the Equalizer

®

Freedom so

the blade goes straight in and out can
cause excessive friction, overheating
the blade and causing it to break. This

is extremely important on all blades,
but more important on serrated blades.
Holding the tool incorrectly can break
serrated blades.

Use Cutting Lubricant

The use of Equalizer® Cutting Lubricant
ECL784 will improve the cutting action and
reduce drag on the Equalizer® blade. It will
also keep the blade and sheath from getting
hot. Cutting lubricant will greatly reduce the
amount of urethane and butyl that is pulled up
into the sheath.

Warning

Cutting lubricant contains soap and certain
solutions that could contaminate urethane. Do
not use cutting lubricant if you do not intend to
remove the old urethane. Cured urethane can
contain air bubbles that will allow cutting lubri­cant to flow inside urethane and contaminate it.
If you intend to “short cut” then do not use cut­ting lubricant. Use clean uncontaminated water.

Remove & Replace Windshields,

Side Glasses & Back Glasses

Remove and replace windshields with­out breaking them. Because of the thin
blade (it is actually .002” thinner than
a normal piece of cut-out wire) you can
use your Equalizer® Freedom to remove
auto glass without breaking it. Keep
the blade moving and use Equalizer®
Cutting Lubricant. Use a utility knife
to cut down to the pinchweld, on the
outside, taking care not to let the knife
cut into the paint. Use your Equalizer®
Freedom to cut the glass loose from
the urethane. On bonded encapsulated
parts, turn the blade over so the flat side
is against the pinchweld. If the blade is
not turned over it can cut into the plas­tic encapsulation and damage it.

3

Right Hand

Use

Right Or Left Hand Use

All Equalizer® tools can be set up for right
or left hand use. The Equalizer® line of
tools are shipped set up for right hand use.
To convert them to left hand use, take the
blade and sheath out and turn them in the
opposite direction. Be sure they are both
reinstalled properly, so the flat side of the
blade rides up against the glass.

General Safety Information

1.

Always wear safety glasses and safety

gloves when using Equalizer

2. Do not activate Equalizer
are in the cutting position. Disengage
the tool and let it stop before taking it out

of the urethane.

3.

The blade is sharp and can cut even

when the tool is not running.

4.

Do not force the tool. Put light for­ ward pressure on the tool. Let it do
the work.

5.

Consider your work environment. Do

not use or expose power tools to rain

or damp weather.

6. Disconnect the battery from cordless
tools before servicing and when chang­ ing accessories.

7.

Stay Alert!! Watch what you are doing.

Use common sense.

Left Hand

Use

®

®

tools until they

tools.

Important information about

your Equalizer

Voltage
Battery
Strokes Per Minute

®

Freedom

DW9096XR+

18 volts

0-4,000

Important Instructions For Your Equalizer® Freedom

Battery & Charger

Tune-Up Procedure

At the end of every two weeks, completely discharge your
battery. Batteries can develop a memory which will shorten
the working time they can be used. The tune-up procedure will

Equalizer® Freedom

Battery Use and Care

Take care when loading the battery into the tool. Do NOT
slam the battery into the Equalizer® Freedom. Gently press

the battery into place. Depending on cutting conditions and

operator skill, a fully charged battery should remove about
three windshields.

The batteries are the most sensitive part of the Equalizer®
Freedom. Please, carefully read these detailed instructions
about proper battery charging and care.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

DW9116 Charger

The DW9116 battery charger is designed to use standard household
120 volt AC 60 Hz power. The use of other power sources like, but
not limited to, those that convert DC to AC is not recommended and
will destroy the internal circuitry of the DW9116 charger. If you do

not use standard household 120 volt AC, 60 Hz power then only
use a true sine wave inverter.

DW9109 Charger

The DW9109 battery charger is designed to plug into the cigarette
lighter or power point of a vehicle and use 12 volt DC power. Do not
use AC power. The use of any other power source, such as a device
to convert AC to DC power, is not recommended and may cause
serious damage to the circuitry of the DW-9109 charger.

Charging Procedure

1. Plug the charger into an appropriate power outlet.

2. Insert the battery pack into the charger, as shown in Fig. 1 and
Fig. 2, making sure the pack is fully seated in the charger. The red
(charging) light will blink continuously indicating that the charging
process has started.

3. The battery pack will be fully charged in about 1 hour. The
completion of charge will be indicated by the red light remain­ing ON continuously. The pack is fully charged and may be used at
this time or left in the charger.

eliminate the memory build-up.

1. Hold or tie down the trigger & let the tool run until it stops.

2. Wait 20 minutes then repeat (tool will only run a short time
the second time).

3. Allow the battery to cool completely, then recharge.

Important Safety Instructions About the

Battery and Chargers

Warning: When using the Equalizer® Freedom there are

basic safety precautions that should be followed to reduce
risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury, including the
following:

• Do not incinerate the battery pack even if it is severely dam-

aged or is completely worn out. The battery pack can explode
in a fire.

• A small leakage of liquid from the battery pack cells may

occur under extreme usage or temperature conditions. This
does not indicate a failure. However, if the outer seal is broken
and this leakage gets on your skin--

A. Wash quickly with soap and water.

B. Neutralize with mild acid such as lemon juice or vinegar.

C. If battery liquid gets into your eyes, flush them with

clean water for a minimum of 10 minutes and seek
immediate medical attention.

(Medical Note: The liquid is a 25%-30% solution of potassium
hydroxide.)

• Never attempt to open the battery pack for any reason. If the

plastic housing of the battery pack breaks or cracks, immedi­ately discontinue use and do not recharge.

• Do not carry extra, charged battery packs in aprons, pock-

ets, or tool boxes along with other metal objects. Battery pack
could be short circuited, causing damage to the battery pack
and possibly causing severe burn or fire.

Battery (DeWalt DW9096XR+)

Read this very carefully! There are sev-

eral off-the-shelf batteries that will fit the
Equalizer® Freedom. This toolʼs battery is
a DeWalt DW9096XR+ and it feeds elec­tricity to the motor and runs it backwards
so it will stop quickly. Other batteries

will feed too much electricity into the switch and can cause
the drive mechanism to unwind. Some do not send enough
and can cause the switch to be destroyed. The threads are

clockwise and when too much counterclockwise force is applied
the threads can unscrew, freeze the tool and cause permanent
damage. Use only DeWalt DW9096XR+ batteries.

4

Models ECT113, ECT115,

EFT116, EFT117

I-1802

3159

4151*

I-1812

*Previously 3158

I-1804

4200

4200A

**Previously 3157

3153

I-1822

3151

3156

I-1807

3154

I-3058

I-1001

(3154)

I-2109**

***Combines Previous I-1000, I-1801, I-1806, 3150

DW9096XR

Part No. Description Required

DW9096XR 18 volt battery 1
I-1001 Fixed-position trigger 1
I-1802 Cover plate 1

I-1804 Gasket 1

I-1807 Housing (includes both sides) 1

I-1812 Sheath holder 1

I-1822 Plunger holding assembly 1

3160

***

I-2109 Wiring harness 2

I-3058 Bearing 1

3151 Plunger assembly (includes screws) 1

3152

3152 Motor attaching screws 4

3153 Housing & cover plate screw 1

3154 Housing locking screws 2

3156 Plastic retaining screw 7
3159 Cover plate screws 4
3160 Drive motor assembly (includes
motor, gear drive assembly,
grommet, gear-to-motor screws)
4151 Sheath holder screws 4

I-1807

4200 Blade retaining screw 1

4200A Blade mount retaining screws 4

Detach and return

www.equalizer.com

WARRANTY

The Equalizer® Freedom is warrantied for one year. These tools are warrantied to be free of FACTORY DEFECTS.
Warranty does not apply to abuse, misuse, or normal wear and tear. Note! The Freedom battery DW9096XR can
wear out after 1200 charges. This is not a factory defect. We will repair or replace, at our option, any defective part.
Tools are repaired and sent back the same day they are received.

If you feel your tool is covered under warranty, the entire tool, including any sheaths, blades, cases, straps, batter­ies and chargers, must be returned to:

EQUALIZER INDUSTRIES, INC.

1304 WEST INDUSTRIAL BOULEVARD

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS 78681

If you want a tool repaired but are not seeking to have it repaired under warranty, it is not necessary to include
blades and sheaths.

Equalizer Industries, Inc., reserves the right to refuse to repair, at our expense, any tool which has not been prop­erly maintained as specified in the Users Guide. Particularly important are the following:

1. Keep the inside of the sheaths clean. We recommend using Equalizer® Sheath Cleaner.

2. Use only Equalizer® Blades.

3. Set the blade to the proper depth to prevent it from hitting the pinchweld.

If you have any questions about your tool, call us toll free at 1-800-334-1334 or fax us at [phone].

TOOL SERIAL #

Detach and return

WARRANTY REGISTRATION

Please PRINT clearly and fill in all of the blanks.

TOOL SERIAL #_____________________________________________________________
TOOL TYPE________________________________________________________________
DATE YOU PURCHASED THIS TOOL______________________________
YOUR COMPANY___________________________________________________________
ADDRESS________________________________________________________________
CITY________________________________STATE______________ZIP CODE________
TELEPHONE NUMBER ( )____________________________________________
YOUR NAME_________________________
YOUR POSITION______________________
PURCHASED FROM_________________________________________________________
THEIR ADDRESS______________________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP___________________________________________________