Mulcher Setup Question

   / Mulcher Setup Question #1  

grabroot&growl

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
2
Location
central texas
Seems to be alot of well-informed (users) people on this site. I see that alot of you are using the ASV 100. From other sites, I have heard horror stories about the undercarriage in rock. Around my area, there is a large amount of flint rock and then just west, where the majority of work is - there is a lot of ledge rock.

Question 1 - If using a wheeled loader instead of a tracked machine has anyone used the CASE 90xt, or 450/465. They say it runs up to 5000 psi on the hi-flow.

Question 2 - What has been your experience in tearing up undercarriage on the ASV? Is it durable in the rocks and rough conditions?

Question 3 - Are these things capable of mulching large (14-30") trees once they are laid over assuming one takes the time and goes slow? Can they do it without coming apart?

Question 4 - Does anyone run the TL-150 from Supertrak, and how do you like it?
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #2  
I have heard some bad stories about the undercarriage and track life BUT a good friend has a Cat and has 1200 hours on it and it is still in very good shape. Are they less durable then the others, I don't know for sure.

A tired machine with steel tracks seems to be a good set up if you don't need the float for wet or soft areas. Tracks will be more stable.

14"-30" trees - NO. I am still fairly new to this but I took a 15" pine down pretty quick but any harwood over 8" takes too long to be efficient, quicker to take the chainsaw out and cut the "log" off and mulch the top.

I looked in to the Takeuchi Supertrak, a solid machine but it specs out slightly less hydraulic HP (40GPM @ 3000psi)then a stock ASV(38GPM @ 3300psi) although the undrcarraige and tracks seem bullet proof. The price of $100,000 seems a little steep.

Ted
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I am renting a S300, but getting the hang of it I keep bogging it down.

I am asking about the tracked machines because I really want that, but don't want the repairs if rocks are hard on them. If I'm right, Quickdraw, you are running an ASV? How do you like it? Do you run in many rocks?

You are right, if I take out a large tree, it will be hardwood? Oak (Live Oak, Red Oak, White Oak, Post Oak) Then the others will be dirty hackberry or water elm.

But I may have an outlet I just found out about today for the log/Trunk and mulch the top. Thanks for the reply.

Any experience with the CASE machines?
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #4  
This is my lot last year when we were building my house, yeah we have some rocks. And yes the more rock the harder on the tracks, I still purchased a track machine for the float, stability and traction.
2006_0508_111739AA.jpg


Don't know much about the Case machines BUT very few manufacturers have the ability to run wide open with a mulch head and keep everything cool enough with out damaging your machine. Researching all of them I have only found the ASV to be sufficient unless you go with a custom unit like the Supertrak, Fecon or Rayco.

Keep looking through the old post you should find plenty of good info from people with more knowledge then me.

Ted
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #5  
Ted, you are right. The ASV seems to be the least likely to overheat when mulching.
The Bradco/Magnum head has an oil cooler added to it, but that still won't help to keep your engine from running hot.
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #6  
I see no mention of the Bobcat units. The new S330 was introduced recently and targets the mulching market. It is a rubber tired machine that runs 85hp, 37GPM at 3300 psi and has modifications made to specifically improve attachment performance on High-Flow applications. Equip it with the forestry cutter kit and you'll address all the issues that people bring up here on this site. Coupler guards, hose guards, radiator covers, cooling issues, level 2 ROPS/FOPS, shatterproof front window, etc. Pair it with a matched Forestry cutter and you have a combo that was designed for each other instead of a mix-and-match pair. These mulchers work best when set-up for the machine you are running it on and the Bobcat units will be just that way. That package, with steel tracks will run thousands of dollars less than some of these other machines cost all by themselves.

As for the pressure issue, you'll see faster hose failures, coupler failures, seal blow-outs and other issues with the high pressure systems. Pressure spikes cause damage, no question. Plus, in a high-flow application, it is normally the higher flow rate you are hunting for, not higher pressure, thus the name. I know of one person who opted for a Case 450 and runs a Fecon head and cannot keep hoses on the unit. I suspect it is the pressure spike issue with that machine but I cannot verify that as I have no access to the machine.
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #7  
You see no mention because no one on here runs them. Do you? or do you sell them?
I like the Bobcat brand and the support here in Connecticut is good but I am not sure they have a machine that is proven in the forestry industry.

Maybe they are making the right changes and will be competitive in the near future.
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #8  
Is hydraulic horsepower the best factor to determine how a head will run?
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #9  
Hydraulic HP is a good place to start, however, be aware that there is a BIG, BIG difference between theoretical (flow x psi/1714) and actual hydraulic HP at the attachment. Look at it this way, a 4.4L engine will be much better at driving a hydraulic pump and motor on a mulching head than a 3.3L would, especially if the 4.4L engine puts out more HP and torque. I know for a fact that even though the T300's theorectical hydraulic hp of 71 hp (37gpm x 3300psi/1714) is very near to the RC100's theorectical 73hp (38gpm x 3300psi/1714), however the difference between the two in acutal mulching applications is NIGHT AND DAY in favor of the RC100. There a few primary reasons- 92 net hp out of a 4.4L engine vs. 81 net hp out of a 3.3L engine, a directly driven variable displacement load sensing pump vs. a belt driven (transverse engine) gear pump, and heaps more torque out of the engine to drive the mulcher under load. Basic physics. I would advise using spec sheets only as a good starting point because they don't reflect reality many times. This forum is also a good starting point, but a demo is the best way to tell if a machine will provide the performance you are looking for. Good luck.
 
   / Mulcher Setup Question #10  
Every sales man will tell you the same thing, that his machine is best. I have a good friend that just got back from Takeuchi school, he called and left a message “call me back and I’ll tell you what’s wrong with your ASV”….I still haven’t called him…

DD, I believe you are missing something in your formula. Isn’t it (GPMxPSIx.9/1714). You don’t have the x.9 in there.

Ted
 
 
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