Balancing Mulch Heads

DirtyWorks · Jul 22, 2007

Anyone else have experience with having head balanced? I highly recommend having it done if you have any vibration at all. Smooths out the machine for less bearing wear and prolongs head and carrier life. I had mine done after installing knives and it did not need much weight added but did make a dif in seat feel. All types can be balanced FAE, Fecon, Mag, or Loftness. Don't wait till catastrophic failure

reminds you that there are simple steps of maint to save you money.This is not ment to be a solicitation only to advise that the service is available!

Mowermoney · Jul 22, 2007

Dirtyworks, How was your rotor balanced? Did yoy have to remove it from the machine, or was it balanced while still on the machine?

I have balanced mine several times by trial and error. It's a pain, and hard to hit the exact weight and location. I can get pretty close.

I have one machine, however, that I can't balance no mater what I do. I finally gave up.

DirtyWorks · Jul 22, 2007

What machine is giving you problems? My head was balanced on the machine just as it operates.Hooked up some probes that read rpm and harmonic balance, then the readouts were computed against a complex algarythem chart plot to tell how much weight and where it is needed. Think of it as a big tire balancer. One that tells how much weight to add and where along the shaft. Kinda deep mathmatical equations and stuff. I guess thats why he gets paid to do what he does. I don't know exactly where you are in GA but if you have a few that need balancing or get a few guys in around the same location, he ( Mr Carrol) will come to you. Saves transport costs and down time. He is in North Mississippi, but travels a route around the southeast balancing mulcher heads. Well worth the $$$ IMHO

cbturf · Jul 24, 2007

dirty bird I plan to have my head balanced by the fellas in MS maybe as soon as Friday if they can get up here then. I need it bad, broke a tooth holder in the "Rock Garden" that I have been mulching in the past three weeks and since the repair the head has tried to rattle the fillings out of my teeth. Will be DONE sometime tomorrow and then I am installing my knives geting the head balanced and heading for the dirt hills west of town. WOOO HOOO I have 6 more broken carbides right now.

DirtyWorks · Jul 24, 2007

A 140 with Knives..Now thats SERIOUS! Let us know if you get more than 20 hrs out of a set. Just kiddin. That thing will be a BEAST! Are the Fecons carbide knives? or just steel?

DirtyWorks · Jul 24, 2007

Oh BTW I managed to break a knife off at the tool today. Musta hit somethin extra hard. I now know how lucky I have been with a balanced head. You are right about it shakin the machine! I don't know how some guys live with that and not notice. It was the last 45 min of the day and dark was comin so I will put another on at first light. Have fun in the dirt hills!

cbturf · Jul 26, 2007

I am getting my head balanced on Friday. I saw the craziest stuff today it was brown and the trees were growing out of it. I thought trees only grew out of that grey stuff that makes a white cloud when you hit it. I am hoping that the knives will hold up under the power of the 140. Dirty how long are your knives lasting? I think that the Fecon knives are just hardened steel and not carbide. I am trying to get the boys that are balancing my head to produce a set of replacement knives out of carbide but no answer yet. They are taking a couple of my old fecon teeth to see if they can produce a knife for the fecon heads.

Gamma · Jul 27, 2007

I was talking to someone at Fecon today and they told me that if you contact their service department, that they can send you a list of businesses that do Bull Hog mulching head balancing.

Also, in order to maintain rotor balance when replacing a carbide tool, you should also replace the tool at the opposite end of the rotor and on the opposite side (180 degrees opposite).

He confirmed that Fecon is now offering steel blades for mounting on their Bull Hog heads. They are steel, not carbide. They tested some carbide edged blades and the carbide kept coming off so they decided to stick with just steel blades.

llusk · Jun 22, 2021

DirtyWorks said:
Anyone else have experience with having head balanced? I highly recommend having it done if you have any vibration at all. Smooths out the machine for less bearing wear and prolongs head and carrier life. I had mine done after installing knives and it did not need much weight added but did make a dif in seat feel. All types can be balanced FAE, Fecon, Mag, or Loftness. Don't wait till catastrophic failure reminds you that there are simple steps of maint to save you money.This is not ment to be a solicitation only to advise that the service is available!

Can you give me the contact number? I'm needing my FAE head balanced.

865-567-0797