bradco vs Fae mulcher

yellowdogsvc · May 19, 2012

Been looking to upgrade my Cat mulcher. I think I've narrowed it down to Bradco vs FAE or CAT HM 315 mulcher. Would still like to try a fecon but don't have a dealer in the area and that's important to me.

Anyone have experience with Bradco? I demo'd one a few years back but my machine was having issues with the hydraulics and it didn't show well.

I have run a Cat HM 312 for 7 years. It doesn' have the variable displacement motor. I'm trying to decide if a 26k purchase will get me enough of a production increase to justify the cost. I run a Bobcat s750 and can mulch beyond the machine's normal limits by using my experience and years of practice but I've only used single speed mulchers.

I like the idea of the low profile design. That's my biggest complaint with the FAE/Cat body style.. it's bulky.

Can anyone tell me about the cut with the Bradco/Magnum MM60? I know my Fae style leaves a fine mulch and the teeth last double and triple what I was told they would last.

Looking for someone who operates a bradco/magnum to offer insight. Does the bradco have a shear bar or wall of teeth for finer mulching or do the teeth do all the work? The Fae/Cat has a row of hardox teeth combs on the back and the door for reshredding.

Thanks for any input.

PAfarmer · May 20, 2012

Yellowdog,
How are you my friend ? I am running the new FECON on my 299D and its and awesome mulcher. The New CAT 299D really can spin the crap out of it with super quick recovery. I like the mulcher and the new CAT really make a huge difference in my opinion....The bradco is big and bulky, but a solid performer...

yellowdogsvc · May 20, 2012

I am well.. I've been interested in feedback on the new D series. I still miss aspects of my 272c and I see that Cat has made some big changes in the power plant and A/C design. Did you get the 40 gpm version? Glad you got into the new model. Always nice to have that new machine smell.

Looking at the specs, the fecon and bradco looked similar in size and profile. I thought my Cat mulcher was bulky which is one of two drawbacks I see with the FAE design. After almost 7 years with the Cat mulcher, I like to see it mulch closer to the ground and I wish the visibility/rollback/roll-forward was a little better.

My Bobcat dealer can't get me a demo on a Bobcat mulcher so I can't spend that kind of money without seeing first-hand how the mulcher does. Also, at $180 replacement cost per tooth, the principle of paying that much per tooth when Fecon's standard teeth are much less but won't fit Bobcat's drum, is hard to justify.

WestshoreConstruction · May 20, 2012

yellowdogsvc said:
Been looking to upgrade my Cat mulcher. I think I've narrowed it down to Bradco vs FAE or CAT HM 315 mulcher. Would still like to try a fecon but don't have a dealer in the area and that's important to me.

Anyone have experience with Bradco? I demo'd one a few years back but my machine was having issues with the hydraulics and it didn't show well.

I have run a Cat HM 312 for 7 years. It doesn' have the variable displacement motor. I'm trying to decide if a 26k purchase will get me enough of a production increase to justify the cost. I run a Bobcat s750 and can mulch beyond the machine's normal limits by using my experience and years of practice but I've only used single speed mulchers.

I like the idea of the low profile design. That's my biggest complaint with the FAE/Cat body style.. it's bulky.

Can anyone tell me about the cut with the Bradco/Magnum MM60? I know my Fae style leaves a fine mulch and the teeth last double and triple what I was told they would last.

Looking for someone who operates a bradco/magnum to offer insight. Does the bradco have a shear bar or wall of teeth for finer mulching or do the teeth do all the work? The Fae/Cat has a row of hardox teeth combs on the back and the door for reshredding.

Thanks for any input.

Replace the fixed displacement motor with a variable one. Stick with the FAE, it doesn't get any better.

cat 297c · May 20, 2012

My buddy bought a 297 with a bradco the same time I bought mine the only difference was I got the hm315 with my 297. We landed a job together one day he wanted to run my machine to see how the cat/fae compared to his bradco, so we switched for the day after the first ten minutes I was ready to switch back. The bradco doesn't hold a candle to the fae, the bradco just lost momentum so fast had to pretty much bounce the head in an out of the 6 inch pine so many times to keep from stalling the drum. With the fae just cut the top out and ease the head down an it would go to town. I noticed when I was running my machine my buddy seemed slow but after running his I quickly realized it wasn't his operating skills it was the bradco he was running my advice would be to stick with the fae!

yellowdogsvc · May 20, 2012

WestshoreConstruction said:
Replace the fixed displacement motor with a variable one. Stick with the FAE, it doesn't get any better.

That would be my choice but I was told the VT heads have better bearings and belts?

PAfarmer · May 20, 2012

I am running the BH85 SD on my New 299D............Sorry I left that little detail. out of my orginal post.....

WestshoreConstruction · May 23, 2012

yellowdogsvc said:
That would be my choice but I was told the VT heads have better bearings and belts?

For the difference in price tho you can buy alot of bearings and belts

yellowdogsvc · May 23, 2012

WestshoreConstruction said:
For the difference in price tho you can buy alot of bearings and belts

good point.. BUT... a shiny new mulcher to play with..

cat 297c · May 23, 2012

Yellowdog if u like the bobcat head you can get teeth from quadco, they just came out with teeth for the bobcat/fecon head and asv/fecon head. Have chippers and carbides I bet the quadco carbides are alot cheaper an the best part is there double sided so you'll get twice the time out of them.