Loader Mounted Swing Arm rotary Boom Mower

[Smokeydog]

My 3 point boom mower has a 3- 1/2 foot flail head.
It has dual dedicated pumps on it one just to power the cutter head, and another for all the controls.
My tractor tips the scale at just over 11,000 pounds there is no way I would want that weight on the front of the tractor.
Even at the rear it will bounce the tractor all around especually when the mower gets boomed out on the down hill side.
View attachment 762422

View attachment 762423

These are the 5 control levers to run the mower
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That’s a nice mower!

 

[LouNY]

I like it. it's very handy. It is heavy and a bit of a bear hooking up. It mounts so close to the tractor that it is hard to get in and connect the pto shaft. I actually stop backing just before I get to it and slid the pto shaft on then back up a bit more and try and reach in and latch it, then back into the mounts. When I disconnect I unhook the lift arms and top link then drive away and let the shaft pull apart then disconnect and reassemble it. I need to put it on this month and do some trimming in the hard to reach places and prune the lilacs down a bit(3 feet).

 

[RGQ]

Front loader mowers are considerably lower duty compared to what the county uses. 5” limb is tough.
Might consider buying a surplus road mower. See them come up often on govdeals.
Or contract someone to cut back with heavier equipment and maintain with FEL cutter.
Seriously considered a FEL mower and got a sweetheart deal offer from local Kubota dealer. Design was deal stopper. Might work well for weeds and twigs but not trees I thought. Also where I needed trimming is rough and slopped holding a mower up.
Our trees are considerable and maintaining a constant chore. Haven’t found one tool. FEL basket with polesaw, FEL polesaw , Danuser Intimdator and grapple help.
Haven’t found a cheap or easy solution.

Less capacity/less durable loader mounted mowers is what I have been finding also. One of the main reasons for my post was to get feedback regarding these mowers. I am leaning toward a 3 pt mount so I don't have to have another tractor that's basically dedicated. Thanks for your input

 

[RGQ]

Renting a FECON articulated forestry mulcher would be more cost effective for you as it is a rent it once
and get all your clearing done ONCE and you would be able to get the trail edges cleared wide enough that no
tree will be able fall down and block it.

If you have this much work you have to treat it like maintaining a powerline right of way by removing everything
that could damage a powerline or block access to the right of way.
It is an either-or work decision as any potential limb growth will cause the limbs to become heavier and eventually
weaker and will break.

Boom mounted brush clearers like this are pedestal mounted and used on railroads employing specially
designed flat cars with a power unit on it and pushed by the locomotive with a buffer flat car in front of
it to protect the locomotive and take a great deal of hydraulic flow to power them.

You will be better off renting a large enough FECON forestry mulcher "once" to do the work as the loader
mounted rotary brush cutters are not built heavy enough for massive amounts of brush breaking as a
large enough heavy enough limb trunk will break the tractor loaders boom arms as they are not ment for
what you want to do with it.

Any good arborist worth his or her salt will also tell you that the more you open up this area the faster it
will grow back unless you widen it to eliminate the overhanging limbs that will break.
.
Every tree's limb will continue to grow over the path reaching for the sunlight as long as they have not been
cut off or if the tree is not knocked down.


It's not simple, but being proactive with a self-propelled forestry mulcher will solve a great deal of problems for you
by shredding and knocking down all these trash trees.

Thanks for your thoughts. It all helps in the decision process.

 

[RGQ]

Really? A cutter built to cut 3"+ is going to need some serious hydraulic flow dedicated to the hydro motor. Also, your tractor hydraulic system does not have a cooler to handle that amount of heat generated by constant use.

I will investigate hydraulic priority, flow and cooling before making a decision. Good points. Thanks

 

[RGQ]

Hadn’t seen a mid mount mower that could be taken on off easily. Most are permanent mount without a loader.
Have yet to meet someone who has bought a county mower and used it as a mower. They take off the mower and try to use it as an ag tractor with mixed success.
Different parts of the country have different tree, shrub growth and clearing needs. It’s a jungle here.

Newly made hydraulic polesaw with grapple and rotary cutter has opened roads and cleared around fields this year.
View attachment 762391
View attachment 762392

Thanks for your t houghts an Pictures.

 

[leonz]

More on the smallest tracked mulcher FECON offers.

 

[RGQ]

Front loader mowers are considerably lower duty compared to what the county uses. 5” limb is tough.
Might consider buying a surplus road mower. Seem them come up often on govdeals.
Or contract someone to cut back with heavier equipment and maintain with FEL cutter.
Seriously considered a FEL mower and got a sweetheart deal offer from local Kubota dealer. Design was deal stopper. Might work well for weeds and twigs but not trees I thought. Also where I needed trimming is rough and slopped holding a mower up.
Our trees are considerable and maintaining a constant chore. Haven’t found one tool. FEL basket with polesaw, FEL polesaw , Danuser Intimdator and grapple help.
Haven’t found a cheap or easy solution.

Sorry for the delayed feedback. Appreciate the reply. Since writing this text did pick up a Diamond 3 pt boom mower. Works great and doesn't dedicate the tractor.

 

[RGQ]

Renting a FECON articulated forestry mulcher would be more cost effective for you as it is a rent it once
and get all your clearing done ONCE and you would be able to get the trail edges cleared wide enough that no
tree will be able fall down and block it.

If you have this much work you have to treat it like maintaining a powerline right of way by removing everything
that could damage a powerline or block access to the right of way.
It is an either-or work decision as any potential limb growth will cause the limbs to become heavier and eventually
weaker and will break.

Boom mounted brush clearers like this are pedestal mounted and used on railroads employing specially
designed flat cars with a power unit on it and pushed by the locomotive with a buffer flat car in front of
it to protect the locomotive and take a great deal of hydraulic flow to power them.

You will be better off renting a large enough FECON forestry mulcher "once" to do the work as the loader
mounted rotary brush cutters are not built heavy enough for massive amounts of brush breaking as a
large enough heavy enough limb trunk will break the tractor loaders boom arms as they are not ment for
what you want to do with it.

Any good arborist worth his or her salt will also tell you that the more you open up this area the faster it
will grow back unless you widen it to eliminate the overhanging limbs that will break.

Every tree's limb will continue to grow over the path reaching for the sunlight as long as they have not been
cut off or if the tree is not knocked down.


It's not simple, but being proactive with a self-propelled forestry mulcher will solve a great deal of problems for you
by shredding and knocking down all these trash trees.

Thanks for the comments. Since writing this thread I have picked up a Diamond 3 point boom mower that is doing what I need it for and although it takes a while to install/take off it doesn't dedicate the tractor.

 

[RGQ]

My 3 point boom mower has a 3- 1/2 foot flail head.
It has dual dedicated pumps on it one just to power the cutter head, and another for all the controls.
My tractor tips the scale at just over 11,000 pounds there is no way I would want that weight on the front of the tractor.
Even at the rear it will bounce the tractor all around especually when the mower gets boomed out on the down hill side.
View attachment 762422

View attachment 762423

These are the 5 control levers to run the mower
View attachment 762424

Thanks for your thoughts. Since posting this thread i have picked up a Diamond 3 point boom mower with a rotary head and it is doing an excellent job for us.