FP150

Overview

The Hobart FP150 is a continuous-feed food processor for commercial food preparation. It can process up to 14 lb of product per minute, with a plate speed of 420 RPM. The full-size feed hopper supports a variety of products and continuous cutting of long items, while its compact design occupies minimal counter space. Hobart specifies an all-aluminum hopper and housing and a front angled at 50° to make loading easier.

The FP150 uses a 1/2 HP planetary gear drive with overload protection. Hobart identifies it as an NSF-rated continuous-feed food processor. The standard unit includes a deflector plate and cleaning brush; cutting plates and other accessories are available separately.

Key Features

• Continuous-feed operation: The large, removable, full-size hopper accepts a range of products and supports processing long vegetables without pre-cutting.
• Productivity: Rated capacity is up to 14 lb per minute, with a plate speed of 420 RPM.
• Planetary drive: The 1/2 HP motor is planetary gear driven and has overload protection.
• Angled front: The 50° front angle helps make product loading easier and helps reduce operator fatigue.
• Compact construction: Hobart notes that the compact unit occupies minimal counter space and that plates can be removed in seconds.
• Aluminum hopper and housing: The anodized finish resists harsh cleaners and is described as easy to clean.
• Operator safeguards: A double interlock prevents operation when the pusher plate swings away or is open. No Volt Release prevents the unit from automatically restarting if power is lost.
• Controls: Red OFF and green ON buttons.

Specifications

• Product type: Continuous-feed food processor
• Motor: 1/2 HP with overload protection
• Motor current: 4.8 amps
• Drive: Planetary gear driven
• Plate speed: 420 RPM
• Production capacity: Up to 14 lb per minute
• Electrical: 120/60/1
• Power cord: 3-conductor, 18 AWG, 6 ft long
• Controls and interlocks: Red OFF and green ON switches; pusher plate and feed hopper interlocks; No Volt Release
• Hopper and housing: Aluminum, with an anodized finish
• Front angle: 50°
• Shipping weight: 46 lb
• Net weight: 39 lb
• Standard equipment: Basic unit with deflector plate and cleaning brush
• Hopper maximum width: 6 3/8 in
• Maximum slice size: 2 1/2 in
• Usable depth: 6 in
• Feed tube diameter: 2 1/8 in
• Warranty: One year on parts, labour and mileage against manufacturer’s defects; service contracts are available.
• Cutting-tool construction: Slicer, julienne and shredder plates have stainless steel plates with cutlery-grade stainless steel knives. Grater plates have stainless steel cutting plates with thermoplastic support hubs. Dicing grids have molded ring construction supporting stainless steel knives.

Available cutting tools and accessories

Cutting tools and accessories are available at extra cost. Options listed by Hobart include the following:

• 3-pack plate set: 1/16 in and 5/32 in slicer plates, a 3/16 in shredder plate and one wall rack.
• 6-pack plate set: 1/16 in, 5/32 in, 7/32 in and 3/8 in slicer plates, a 3/16 in shredder plate, a 3/8 in dicer plate and two wall racks.
• Slicer plates: 1/32 in, 1/16 in, 1/8 in, 5/32 in, 7/32 in, 5/16 in and 3/8 in.
• Crimping plate: 5/32 in.
• Soft slicing plates: 5/16 in, 3/8 in, 1/2 in and 5/8 in.
• Julienne plates: 5/64 in, 5/32 in and 5/16 in.
• Dicer grids: 7/32 in, 5/16 in, 3/8 in, 1/2 in, 5/8 in and 3/4 in.
• Shredder plates: 1/16 in, 5/64 in, 1/8 in, 3/16 in, 7/32 in, 5/16 in and 3/8 in.
• Grater plate: Fine plate for hard cheese.
• Other accessories: Three-peg wall rack, adjustable-height machine table, adjustable-height stainless steel lug cart, stainless steel receiving pan and plastic receiving pan.

Operation

Fitting and removing cutting tools

The supplied operator instructions describe fitting and removing tools for the FP100/FP150. Before fitting tools, lift the pusher plate and swing it out to the left. Turn the locking knob counter-clockwise and raise the feed cylinder. Place the ejector plate on the shaft, then turn and press it down until it engages with its coupling. Put the chosen cutting tool on the shaft and rotate it until it drops into its coupling.

For dicing, place the dicing grid with the sharp edge of its knives facing upward. Fit the recess on the side of the grid into the guide groove on the machine base. Then place the slicer so it drops into its coupling. Lower the feed cylinder and turn the locking knob clockwise to the locked position. To remove the cutting tools, raise and swing out the pusher plate, turn the locking knob and raise the feed cylinder, then remove the tool or tools and ejector plate.

Loading product

Load the hopper without overfilling it. For small, round items such as tomatoes, potatoes, beets and onions, place each item against an inner support wall in the hopper. For long vegetables such as cucumbers and zucchini, use the feed tube. The manual says product quality is best when only light pressure is used to keep the food in contact with the cutting plate. It advises against processing meats or frozen items.

Cleaning & Maintenance

The FP100/FP150 instructions give the following cleaning and disassembly procedure. Remove the feed tube pusher and wash it in warm water and detergent, then rinse in warm water. Raise the pusher plate and turn it to the left, then remove the feed hopper and wash and rinse it. Lift out the cutting plate. If a dicing grid was used, push remaining food through the grid with the nylon brush before removing it.

Remove the dicing plate and flinger plate and wash them in warm water and detergent, then rinse. Turn the pusher plate back clockwise over the feed hopper and lower it. Place a pan under the exit chute. Pour warm water from the top through the knife chamber, run a wet cloth through the feed tube, and wipe with a clean, dry cloth. Return cutting tools to the wall rack. Lower the flinger plate onto the knife shaft until it seats on the shaft pin. Refit the feed hopper on its hinge pins, lower it to its normal position, turn and lower the pusher plate, and replace the feed tube pusher.

The manual also describes removing the pusher plate by lifting it and moving it to the left, then lifting it off; unlocking the hopper by turning its locking knob counter-clockwise; and raising the hopper off its hinge pins. Use the wrench to unthread the decoring screw clockwise and remove it. Remove the cutting plate and, if fitted, the dicing grid. Use the brush to clear food through the grid, then remove the ejector plate. Clear food waste from the discharge chute and cutting plate chamber. Wipe the cutting plate chamber, discharge chute and motor housing with a clean cloth and warm soapy water.

Applications

The FP150’s available slicing, julienne, shredding, grating and dicing tools support varied commercial prep work. Example tasks include preparing vegetables for salads and service, cutting long vegetables continuously, shredding ingredients and grating hard cheese. The available plate and grid sizes let operators choose different cuts for their menu and workflow.