Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment

   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #1  

bubenberg

Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2002
Messages
945
Location
Bucks County, PA
Tractor
PT425, Kubota L2050, 3 hydrostatic Exmark mowers. Z21D Kubota ZTR, 2 Kunz acrease wing mowers, 1 rough cut kunz mower, one vintage grasshopper ztr, one vintage gravely ztr, various large garden tracto
Some of us Power Trac owners are looking to make our life a little bit easier by creating a mulch attachment. But we thought that many of you have wished you would have such an ability too..

What are your thoughts on such an attachment?

Here are some of a Power Trac, a John Deer front mower owner and my own requirements:
Your ideal attachment would be a scoop?
Your ideal attachment would be a trailer?
What kind of obstacles do you encounter on your property which will dictate the dimensions of this attachment?
How long would it be?
How tall would it be?
How wide would it be?
How much mulch would you like to carry?
How would you like to power this attachment?
How would pull, push, carry this attachment?
What type of tractor would you use?
How would you load the material?
Does the attachment have to be self-loading?
How would you want to control the amount of mulch dropped on the bed?
What other uses could this attachment be used for?
What would you be willing to pay for such an attachment?

In my case I have a 425 Power Trac which gives me a great advantage as far as loading, moving and powering of the attachment go. I am not so sure yet of how to get the mulch to a very specific location in a bed.

Many of you will point out that there are blowers out there (costing $35k and better). In my case that is not a solution and the two other users mentioned before just have large properties were such an expense is frivolous.

What are your thoughts? Negative answers are very welcome!
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #2  
I envision a leaf blower type device which can suck up the mulch to load, then blow out the mulch to distribute. Would need about a 10' distribution hose (4" Big O) assuming you can get close enough to the pile and planting bed and a 4' suction hose. Sits on the ground next to the pile or some kind of bracket on the tractor or a trailer, depending on use.
Could use it to load a trailer, or your loader bucket to transport, then reverse the unit to unload into your beds.

Doesn't sound too expensive or complicated - the leaf blowers / vacuums already exist. Just need a lower speed fan capable of passing the mulch through.

Operator would drive to the big pile, stick the suction end into the middle of the pile and point the outlet into the trailer, then fire it up and walk away. Then tow the trailer to the flower beds, reverse the flow, and distribute to the beds.

Biggest challenge would be designing a hopper that would keep the suction end full or you'd always be going back to move it around. A grain cart design with a 4" sleeve at the bottom would be fine.
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #3  
Go to www.cyclonerake.com

Go to the 'Accessories' page. You'll see the "Power Vacuum" and "Power Unloader."

Are you thinking of something like this?

Don
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks for the comeback!
But how will that distribute 1000 - 2000 lbs of mulch between flowers and bushes? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks, some very good ideas in your post, i see you like the big guys stuff of blowing the mulch into it's final destination.

We will keep you updated of our progress. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #6  
<font color="blue"> But how will that distribute 1000 - 2000 lbs of mulch between flowers and bushes? </font>

That all depends on how many times you want to refill the trailer. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I would build a larger 'box' with an open top for the trailer. Then you could load the 'box' with a FEL. It would take two people to operate. One to 'man' the vacuum hose, sucking up the mulch in the box. The other person on the distribution/exhaust end of the hose, blowing it into and throughout the flower beds.

I am making an assumption here. This unit will move leaves. I'm thinking it will also move DRY mulch.

Don
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #7  
Have you looked at the straw bale gizmos that shred them up and blow the stray over a lawn area? Not sure what they use to bust up the bales, etc. Might work.

Ralph
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #8  
I have used the big guys, [mulch trucks]. It is not as easy as it looks. They can spray just about anything, if it is dry, sand, rocks.pine bark, etc. They had a large truck with sloped sides, a very large fan motor to blow the stuff out. I believe an auger was used to keep the material moving. Even with all that, they had to stop the motor and unclog the system. I am talking about a truck that would hold about 30 to 40 yards of mulch. They were also expensive. I finally did the other properties with the PT-1445 with a large fiberglass container and pitch fork. There is a picture of the unit with container in one of my post. I have used a Bearcat Shreddder with blower on the back of a Kubota tractor to throw out pine straw, but it still has to be separated into the hopper.

I envision a gas powered blower/vac with one operator keeping the intake in the mulch, and the other operator guiding the hose to deliver the mulch to the plants and beds. The inside of the hose would have to be smooth, and the operator would have to use a deflector nozzle . You would also have to make sure you are grounded as a strong wind velocity would build up a good charge passing through the plastic.

This hopper unit could be towed around on a trailer, or use the trailer, 4x8 with two ft sides, pulled with a golf cart or a PT. and trailer loaded up by the PT. from a large mulch pile.

Two PT's, trailer, blower/vac unit, and hose with two people could get the job done, and get into places the big trucks could not go.
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thank You for your input. We are looking more for new ideas here and to keep the cost down. These bail mulchers are to spread hay etc to protect the seed bed and for erosion control on newly created soil surfaces. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Help us design on our Mulcher Attachment #10  
The straw blower that I used had several rows of teeth that chewed the bales as they rotated in the feed housing. The teeth really chewed up the bales well. There was a shutter that you could move to increase or decrease the amount of air moving through the machine. More air threw the straw further at the exhaust tube.

TC-40D SS web pictures click here
 
 
 
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