New mulcher head

[Texas jerry]

I am new to this site and thought I could use some opinions on new mulcher heads. I had been running an older cat 248 with a 4800 tush Hogg head. I have recently gotten into a new cat 272 c. I have kept my tush Hogg head for a back up. It does well in rocky conditions, but the mulch is left fairly rough. I am looking at a bradco magnum mulcher, fecon bh 74, and a fecon 7460( which was OEM made for terex). Does a mulching door make that mulch difference? I see that as one more function get broken. Any input would be helpful.

 

[cat 297c]

I am new to this site and thought I could use some opinions on new mulcher heads. I had been running an older cat 248 with a 4800 tush Hogg head. I have recently gotten into a new cat 272 c. I have kept my tush Hogg head for a back up. It does well in rocky conditions, but the mulch is left fairly rough. I am looking at a bradco magnum mulcher, fecon bh 74, and a fecon 7460( which was OEM made for terex). Does a mulching door make that mulch difference? I see that as one more function get broken. Any input would be helpful.

Between the mulchers u have listed I would go with the fecon 7460. It has a spiral drum, much more productive vs the bradco an the older fecon with the paddle rotor.
An yes the door/hood makes a huge difference a must if u want to produce finer mulch with less passes. My second opinion would be the bradco, an last the older paddle rotor fecon.

 

[Texas jerry]

Thanks for the reply. The 7460 I have found is @ $5500 cheaper then the other brands. I am leaning towards the 7460. The only draw back is that it doesn't have a mulching door. The other down side is it has only one style cutter tooth that is comparable to run on the head. The problem is the fecon 7460 was made oem for terex. Terex only has one style tooth (carbide) which is fine for the majority of mulching I do but wouldn't mind having other options.

 

[cat 297c]

Thanks for the reply. The 7460 I have found is @ $5500 cheaper then the other brands. I am leaning towards the 7460. The only draw back is that it doesn't have a mulching door. The other down side is it has only one style cutter tooth that is comparable to run on the head. The problem is the fecon 7460 was made oem for terex. Terex only has one style tooth (carbide) which is fine for the majority of mulching I do but wouldn't mind having other options.

well if u want a head with more tooth options go with the bradco. U can get different tool options at eagle claw tools.

 

[fishfactor]

Be sure to check on replacement teeth in your area before making the decision. Our Bobcat head is made by fecon, but the teeth are different and you can only get them from Bobcat. Fecon will not sell them direct. It's the same with the Terex head. The Bobcat and Terex teeth look the same but the bolt pattern is 1/4" different. Teeth from Bobcat cost about double what a standard fecon tooth costs.

The spiral pattern on the terex head will be more productive on a CTL, and it may even have the 2 speed motor (the one I demoed did) which helps a lot. But, the fecon head will have the option of using hammers or knives.

 

[Texas jerry]

Yeah I was concerned. When I first asked the terex dealer how much the replacement teeth where for the 7460 he replied he did not know. After @ 30 min on the phone he stated the replacment through terex was $ 180/ tooth. I stated that was way out of price range. He stated he contacted fecon and insured he could get teeth/ hammer replacement $76/ tooth. I see the benefit of the mulching door but in this business equipment takes abuse. I know it has a lot to do with the operator. Those of you who run a mulcher with the door/ hood does it get damaged often. Is that the only type of head you would run?

 

[fishfactor]

Yeah I was concerned. When I first asked the terex dealer how much the replacement teeth where for the 7460 he replied he did not know. After @ 30 min on the phone he stated the replacment through terex was $ 180/ tooth. I stated that was way out of price range. He stated he contacted fecon and insured he could get teeth/ hammer replacement $76/ tooth. I see the benefit of the mulching door but in this business equipment takes abuse. I know it has a lot to do with the operator. Those of you who run a mulcher with the door/ hood does it get damaged often. Is that the only type of head you would run?

I would make sure. That sounds like the standard fecon tooth price to me.

We have a door and use it mostly when we need to reduce the debris field. Such as near a house or road. I know a lot of users say that it improves the look by reducing the mulch, but it also slows you down because it takes HP. Another problem is if you get a jam in the head, the door won't open which makes it harder to clear the jamb (this may not be the same for all heads).

In short, we have it, but right now it's sitting beside the shop. We put it on when we are going to need it. We don't leave it on all the time because it impairs your view if you leave it on and open.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

have you tried the CAT mulcher? It's an FAE. Works great. Trap door is a must if you want to set your work apart from others. The trap door is a safety feature, too, when you are working near roads or the occasional person who wanders into your work zone.

Their are a few threads on here where we just discussed some of the pros and cons.
Can't speak on the fecon other than from what I have seen/heard. All good reports.

 

[Texas jerry]

Thanks for the info Colby. That has put a new insight on it.

 

[Johnnybee]

I have the Terex style head and it has performed well for me so far but like everyone else, I am looking for ways to increase production. I just talked to a Fecon salesman today regarding different teeth options for my head; particularly chipper style teeth. He did say Fecon is developing or currently making chipper/ planer teeth for the Terex head. :thumbsup: He's going to call me next week with more details.

Also, I pay around $90 for one carbide hammer and 2 allen bolts shipped directly to me.