Mulching equipment

[Raul5452]

Hello Gentlemen, I'm brand new on tractor by net. I have been anxious to participate in the land clearing business.
I've been mowing lots,pastures brush and spreading dirt for 17 years with a John Deere 970 , rhino tw60, and now a 260. Great shredders . Mowing brush 1"/3" in diameter. I have a loader on tractor which I use to push the brush down and the shredder does the rest. I'm hoping to upgrade to a JD 5075 with 60 HP at pro and right now the seppi 175 or 200 are my main interest. I hope to get a 12 forward 12 power reverse transmission. Any advice. This will be a big investment for me. I hope to run the tractor forward allowing the mulcher to cut the brush. Any brush thicker than 4" I will back up on the trees as I've seen on many videos.Will this work ? Thank you all for any help.

 

[tonyoz]

A hydrostatic trany on your tractor is a real good option and well worth the extra dollars IMHO.Without it you could be paying for it in clutch repairs and a sore knee. I use an old Ford Versatile bidirectional tractor and push the mower. I don't get punctures that way. ;-)

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Welcome to Tractorbynet. Is that JD5075 a bi directional? If not, I think you will be frustrated going backwards with a mulcher. I'd get out of the tractor unless you want to spend really big bucks setting it up for mulching.

Look into a CTL which would work perfect in Corpus and will run and lift circles around the tractor. You won't go back, I promise, to a tractor for mowing or mulching. I just finished a 40 acre tract with plenty of brush like you describe, rocks, rough terrain and 6' tall johnson grass and I did it with my Bobcat and a Virnig mower (I can't say enough good things about Virnig after mowing 70 acres since i got it last fall).

If you want to go into dedicated mulching and keep your other tractor for dirt work or mowing, look at what Tony has. I started off 20 years ago doing things with a tractor and switched to skid steers. I would never go back and if I had a tractor I would use it for support work or mowing where it's okay to mow a little higher and I want to save on fuel.

 

[AKfish]

Hello Gentlemen, I'm brand new on tractor by net. I have been anxious to participate in the land clearing business.
I've been mowing lots,pastures brush and spreading dirt for 17 years with a John Deere 970 , rhino tw60, and now a 260. Great shredders . Mowing brush 1"/3" in diameter. I have a loader on tractor which I use to push the brush down and the shredder does the rest. I'm hoping to upgrade to a JD 5075 with 60 HP at pro and right now the seppi 175 or 200 are my main interest. I hope to get a 12 forward 12 power reverse transmission. Any advice. This will be a big investment for me. I hope to run the tractor forward allowing the mulcher to cut the brush. Any brush thicker than 4" I will back up on the trees as I've seen on many videos.Will this work ? Thank you all for any help.

I read your earlier post on the JD forum regarding the M versus E model question @75hp.

I have been clearing timber and brush in Alaska for the past 12 years. I have used everything from a bulldozer - excavator to a brush hog type mower.

A very similar implement to the Seppi that I have used extensively is a Hak-Met implement called a Meri-Crusher. Made in Finland, if I recall.

PTO rear or front mount. Very heavy; the 59" model weighs ~2,000lbs. Rotary drum with carbide mulching/cutting teeth. Similar to a Fecon type implement. Very expensive as well. The model I rented cost just over $25,000 approx.

For what it's worth; the real decision that you should consider is - are you planning to work as a land clearing/brush removal business or something less than that; i.e. pasture remediation, etc.

If you're really gonna go all out for land clearing - follow the lead here from these guys that are doing that for a living. Big skidsteer and HD hydraulic Fecon header, etc.

The JD5075E will not be an adequate platform - in my honest opinion. Running the HakMet Meri-Crusher with my JD5075M (16x16) transmission was at the tractor's maximum. I would not recommend working the tractor full-time using an implement of that type.

Best of luck.

 

[tonyoz]

You can see the old Ford on Facebook ( CTC Mulching) to give you an idea. The reason it got it is, doing areas of small scrub becomes more cost effective (for me and client) using it compaired to a forestry mulcher. Another thing to consider is that this game is all about horsepower and how its used. More is better. ;-)

 

[Raul5452]

AKFISH, YEIIOWDOG AND TONY thanks again for your input. If you don't mind I'd like to pick your brains a bit more. Something I left out..... I've been wheelchair bound for 26 years now due to an on the job accident. Use to be a welder. I've been able to stand a bit and take a couple of steps if I can hold on to something sturdy. Which is how I get on my tractor. Step up on a wooden box and lift my self up onto tractor with upper body. Not looking for sympathy but understanding of how to upgrade to equipment. Therefore skidsteer is out .... Can't get in the darn things.bigger tractors .... To darn high. Maybe 5085. I've seen some for sale that are low profile by changing rims and using industrial tires (shorter lugs). All this to allow me to get up in the tractor. And I am now 63. I hope to do this another 10 years. Mowing lots / pastures , spreading dirt is probably 60 % of my work. Brush clearing 40% but hope to pick it up. So please reconsider your experience is invaluable. AKFISH your 5075 using the mulcher what gear could you run in mulching 1"to 3" brush? Could you run it in forward gears ? Anyone else please give me your input. Thanks again

 

[aczlan]

Perhaps something like a JCB 330? It is a single arm skidsteer with a side entry door: Skid Steer Loaders | Skid Steers | JCB 33


Aaron Z

 

[tonyoz]

Well Raul, have a look at Antonio Carraro tractors, also bidirectional, low profile so you could just about chuck your box away. Without the use of your legs IMO makes hydrostatic drive a much better option as it would give you far better control of your tractor, just one lever for speed and direction control.I have often thought of how good my ole tractor would be with no steering wheel, just 2 levers setup the same as a skid steer, steering and direction on left, 3 point linkage on the right.
Wishing you the very best of luck in your choices. I love to see a battler have a go.

PS, I don't know how to post links so if someone can send a link for Antonio Carraro tractors would be appricated. Cheers

 

[yellowdogsvc]

The antonio carraro is good advice because they are low to the ground. The problem with mulching equipment is getting out to clean stuff off the machine and grease. I grease every 4-5 hours on the rotor.

The JCB might be one option. Have you looked at the Rayco 100 size machine?

 

[AKfish]

AKFISH, YEIIOWDOG AND TONY thanks again for your input. If you don't mind I'd like to pick your brains a bit more. Something I left out..... I've been wheelchair bound for 26 years now due to an on the job accident. Use to be a welder. I've been able to stand a bit and take a couple of steps if I can hold on to something sturdy. Which is how I get on my tractor. Step up on a wooden box and lift my self up onto tractor with upper body. Not looking for sympathy but understanding of how to upgrade to equipment. Therefore skidsteer is out .... Can't get in the darn things.bigger tractors .... To darn high. Maybe 5085. I've seen some for sale that are low profile by changing rims and using industrial tires (shorter lugs). All this to allow me to get up in the tractor. And I am now 63. I hope to do this another 10 years. Mowing lots / pastures , spreading dirt is probably 60 % of my work. Brush clearing 40% but hope to pick it up. So please reconsider your experience is invaluable. AKFISH your 5075 using the mulcher what gear could you run in mulching 1"to 3" brush? Could you run it in forward gears ? Anyone else please give me your input. Thanks again

I applaud yur grit, sir. You sic 'em - for as long as you can!

Yes, I ran the mulcher in forward and reverse gears. Usually in the first (2) lowest gears - A1 and A2.

My experience in really thick brush was... I wished I'd bought the creeper transmission option! You really want those teeth to grind and grind. Even at 1.1-1.2mph the tractor would bog down and not do a good job mulching. Required 4-5 passes to really grind things up and bury the woody material into the soil.

Couple of observations - JD makes a low profile cab tractor for tree farms, nut farms and vineyards. You can get them with lower profile R4 tires that are heavier duty (puncture resistant) with higher ply rating than the R1 tires. Getting in and out of the cab on those machines would be easier than my 5075M with 30 inch tires. (It's a step up to just reach the 2-step rail - I'm 65...)

However, the powReverser transmission requires using the clutch to start the tractor and place/remove the machine from park. And, to change ranges and forward gears, you need the clutch.

I also own a cab model, JD 4720 (66hp) that is eHydro. It will run my MX-8 brush hog mower that will tackle 1"-3" brush. I leave the loader and bucket on with that mower....LOL! Smaller cab, don't like the AC nearly as good as my 75M, though. The 400CX loader will pick 2,000lb bags of fertilizer but you better watch the rear-end... And go slow. That said, just mowing the brush doesn't really "clear" the ground. There's the left-over stumps and woody slash. That's where the Meri-Crusher would really shine cause it would incorporate the leftover slash, etc. down into the soil leaving a mostly smooth seed bed.

It might be worth investigating a "hand clutch" option with your dealer. Lot's of folk's that have been in the "wrong place at the right time" and had their life forever changed!

So, the manufacturer's have made adjustments based on that reality.

Best of luck.

 

[Raul5452]

Gentlemen thank you so much for taking the time to reply. All your thoughts and input is so helpful and want to respond to each of you. Yellowdogscv no the jd5075 is not bidirectional. I wish it were. I will look up the rayco 100. The Antonio cararro and farrari tractors I found online and thought I found the answer to my problem but did not find a dealer in the USA. I think farrari has dealers in upper West coast. My fear is what if I have breakdowns. Who will fix it ? How long will I have to wait on parts. Downtime is not good for business. I make my own repairs. Even with my jd970 at times there is a 30 day wait period just to get the tractor in the shop. No thanks give me the parts and this ol man can get it going in less time than it takes for the parts to get here. You say stop to clean and grease every 4to5 hours wow ! I grease my equipment every other day. Do all drums get greased that often ? What stuff do you have to clean off ? I've seen mulchers run all day out here. Their biggest problem is blowing out filters due to all the dust .

Tonyoz thanks .. Antonio cararro or Ferrari tractors would be great answer to my problem but there are no dealers in Texas.

Aczlan thank you I checked out JCB 330 very possible alternative. I m going to look for a dealer close by and check it out in person so I can see how easy it might be for me to get in. Really appreciate your advice.

Mr.AKFISH your info was great. 5075M pto HP is rated at 57 HP. Other tests rated the 75m at 65 to68 pto HP. So I'm very surprised to hear that your 16f 16 r had to run in a1 or a2 gears . Not doubting your word sir but I'm thinking.. my jd970 28 pto HP with a 60" rhino 260 rotary shredder cuts brush oak 1/2" to 1" in 4 th gear (3.1 mph) heavy brush 1"to 2" in 2/3 gear (1.6/1.3 mph) and 1" to 3" in 1st gear (.9mph) using only half the width of the shredder. I had real high hopes that a tractor with 60 to 68 pto HP with a good mulcher could handle 1"to 3" heavy brush in a higher gear 3.1 mph and maybe even 4 mph. Any thicker brush I realize I'd have to take in much slower gears. But I guess I'm just showing my inexperience "rookie!" Lol.
As for low profile tractors, I took a trip with my brother a few weeks back. In Brownfield TX I found a GN 5090 JD. Specialty tractor for grapevine farming. Ideal for me !, very low profile, 90 pto HP ! Price tag $70k. Ouch.

Thank you Gentlemen again . Very grateful for your time and help. Still hunting

 

[AKfish]

Mr.AKFISH your info was great. 5075M pto HP is rated at 57 HP. Other tests rated the 75m at 65 to68 pto HP. So I'm very surprised to hear that your 16f 16 r had to run in a1 or a2 gears . Not doubting your word sir but I'm thinking.. my jd970 28 pto HP with a 60" rhino 260 rotary shredder cuts brush oak 1/2" to 1" in 4 th gear (3.1 mph) heavy brush 1"to 2" in 2/3 gear (1.6/1.3 mph) and 1" to 3" in 1st gear (.9mph) using only half the width of the shredder. I had real high hopes that a tractor with 60 to 68 pto HP with a good mulcher could handle 1"to 3" heavy brush in a higher gear 3.1 mph and maybe even 4 mph. Any thicker brush I realize I'd have to take in much slower gears. But I guess I'm just showing my inexperience "rookie!" Lol.
As for low profile tractors, I took a trip with my brother a few weeks back. In Brownfield TX I found a GN 5090 JD. Specialty tractor for grapevine farming. Ideal for me !, very low profile, 90 pto HP ! Price tag $70k. Ouch.

Thank you Gentlemen again . Very grateful for your time and help. Still hunting

I also owned a JD970. Great little tractor! Mine had a 8A backhoe as well.

The newer model 5075E and 75M use the 3-cylinder, 2.9liter engine and JD lists them @ 57hp pto. Nebraska Test has that engine @ just over 63hp.

My 75M has the 5-cylinder, 3.0liter engine @ 60hp pto. Nebraska Test has that engine @ just over 65hp. Very similar. The 5-cyl has a little better torque rise and higher power bulge, though.

I think the difference in our discussion is how you're looking at using the mulcher versus how I used the MeriCrusher. When I turned that mulcher loose on a thick stand of small trees and brush, the ground was black and smooth and you could plant grass when I was finished.

It looked like it had been roto-tilled. The chips and leftover slash, etc. were ground up and well mixed into the dirt.

My neighbor has a Bobcat T320 or T330 (forget exactly) but it was the biggest rubber tracked Bobcat made at the time, and he mounted a Fecon mulcher head on it. He uses it to both clear brush and trees (big trees - 24" dia.) but also to deep mulch the brush and leave a plantable, dirt surface with most of the chips, etc. incorporated into the dirt. If you do that... you're gonna have to go slow.

So, the distinction is... Are you just gonna mow and clear or are you planning to leave a mulched seedbed?

If your objective is just to clear the brush and leave the roots and rootwads in place, then you could use a brush-hog mower and knock that stuff down. And yes, I can work my 8' brush-hog, MX-8 in 4th and 5th gear if that is the job.

Mulching with the MeriCrusher is a different exercise. The objective is to make the land ready to re-seed with either a hay crop or pasture. So, that carbide tooth drum is grinding through the stumps and roots as well as the tops and churning through the dirt up to 10" deep. Takes alot of horsepower and it's a sloooow grind!

I paid around $62K ($3K shipping) for my 75M in 2011. $70K for that 5090 doesn't sound all that bad... Really depends on hours, condition, earlier use, etc.

I really recommend a creeper transmission if you are considering the option of seedbed prep work. It will save you money, in the end.

Best of luck.

 

[tonyoz]

No Antonio Carraro tractor dealers in Texas! Well there's an opening right there if you want to regig your thoughts. I fully understand were your'e comming from in regards to no dealer back up so if you buy and they can't supply is a good reason to lower the purchase price. Like most things it may be worth taking punt.Check out Hillside Tractors Australia website. They have a 4 n 1 bucket that fits onto 3pt linkage.

 

[tonyoz]

Here's another idea, maybe outside the box and it will work. Ditchwitch RT110, JD 4045 engine, Danfoss pumps,low profile, hydrostatic drive nearly bidirectional, 4wd 4 wheel steer, front blade, quad track available. Just remove the trencher gear and fit a 3pt linkage and then you will have a tractor that's as good as any dedicated mulching machine. Parts and service in your area as well.:thumbsup:

 

[AKfish]

Here's another idea, maybe outside the box and it will work. Ditchwitch RT110, JD 4045 engine, Danfoss pumps,low profile, hydrostatic drive nearly bidirectional, 4wd 4 wheel steer, front blade, quad track available. Just remove the trencher gear and fit a 3pt linkage and then you will have a tractor that's as good as any dedicated mulching machine. Parts and service in your area as well.:thumbsup:

Hmmm.. That is an interesting angle! There's been a Case trencher for sale up here with really low hours @ $9,000. Low profile, 74Hp. Front spool hydraulics and quasi-blade setup.

With some creative fabrication and welding. No cab, though. Don't know the transmission type.

 

[tonyoz]

Hmmm.. That is an interesting angle! There's been a Case trencher for sale up here with really low hours @ $9,000. Low profile, 74Hp. Front spool hydraulics and quasi-blade setup.

With some creative fabrication and welding. No cab, though. Don't know the transmission type.

Yep AKFISH. I have seen a Case converted to a road profiler over here in Oz but didn't think they had 4ws. I thought about the Ditchwitch years ago as they have more HP and less electronics than most of the others and the beauty is that it will work and as Raul is a welder it should not be to much of a problem to convert.

 

[tonyoz]

Hmmm.. That is an interesting angle! There's been a Case trencher for sale up here with really low hours @ $9,000. Low profile, 74Hp. Front spool hydraulics and quasi-blade setup.

With some creative fabrication and welding. No cab, though. Don't know the transmission type.

Yep AKFISH. I have seen a Case converted to a road profiler over here in Oz but didn't think they had 4ws. I thought about the Ditchwitch years ago as they have more HP and less electronics than most of the others and the beauty is that it will work and as Raul is a welder it should not be to much of a problem to convert.

 

[Raul5452]

AK and Tony you guys are great on these ideas. I'm trying to go with a more versatile machine. Spread dirt , mow pastures, vacant lots , disc arenas and clear brush. I drive my tractor from my shop to the job sites. All my work is about a 5 mile radius. If mulching work pays good enough I may venture further out. I'll have to figure a way to load and unload tractor on my trailer.

AKFISH, I see now why you were running in lower gears, very useful info because on some jobs I remove all the roots where the new house foundation will be laid. But does that mean that when you were clearing brush ... Let's say running the mulcher about an inch above the ground were you able to run your tractor in higher gears ? If so which gears, about what speed ? I'm sure you had to go over a second time to mulch debris finer. How much time do you think it would take to clear an acre with brush no thicker than an occasional 4" tree ?

 

[AKfish]

AKFISH, I see now why you were running in lower gears, very useful info because on soyme jobs I remove all the roots where the new house foundation will be laid. But does that mean that when you were clearing brush ... Let's say running the mulcher about an inch above the ground were you able to run your tractor in higher gears ? If so which gears, about what speed ? I'm sure you had to go over a second time to mulch debris finer. How much time do you think it would take to clear an acre with brush no thicker than an occasional 4" tree ?

If I was gonna just grind everything up and leave the small stumps and roots in the ground, I wouldn't use the mulcher at all. I'd just hit it with the brush hog mower.

It's 8' wide versus only 55" for the mulcher. I'd guess (if the brush wasn't too thick) probably 4mph or so. Likely 6-7th gear. I like the JD MX-8 mower; semi-mount I think. It works with my JD Category II quick hitch. 2 levers, the pto shaft and you're ready to go!

 

[KW Land Works]

AKFish - The MeriCrusher you ran, does it have the screen to size the chips? I've only recently heard of the brand but I understand the screen makes a big difference wrt getting the chips small enough to plant into without making several passes. Thanks for the info.

Jim
KW Land Works
Forestry Mulching - KW Land Works, LLC.