Nifty Little Mulcher

[cbturf]

This is supposed to be a great small machine. Lynn Hendrix said that this is the best machine direct from the factory that he has seen. That is saying something considering that he sells Prentice, Barko and Bron. This price is around $150k I think. The specs at the website show a 3.9L cummins but that was the Tier II, the new ones have the 4.5L tier III.

http://lamtrac.com/_files/media/fiche 6000_e.pdf

 

[cbturf]

The pictures did not load.

 

[tjkadar]

Cool looking beast. Any shots of the cockpit?

 

[cbturf]

Those are not my pictures they were lifted off of the Lamtrac website so I do not have any cab photos. Also I was wrong about both the price and the engine. As far as I know they are still producing the Tier II 3.9L engine and the price is upwards of $167-70kish.

 

[tjkadar]

I like the other machine you're getting better. Looks a bit more muscular.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

If we can out slop a wide skid steer I would not want to mulch in something narrower and taller. You can't mulch on your side.
We had a Prentice 2864 in our booth at the Sunbelt expo and will be doing a startup on it soon. I think that will be a great platform for mulching. The tractor has great visibilty and it's up out of the debri field. I would have prefered the 240hp unit or even the 190 but the 2864 is what I was offered. I think I can use 84 gpm @ 5000psi. That should mulch a 6"pine.

 

[cbturf]

I seriously doubt that Robbie! Just kiddin dude. Even though the little Lamtrac is small it has a place in our lineup. It is rated for a 100% slope, a 45 degree angle is more than I can even walk on. Hendrix Equipment adds a two speed motor to the head and he told me that it would out cut the 140. The Prentice will be the braun running on the flat land and the other machine whatever it turns out to be will cover the sloped and soft ground.

 

[Landwise]

It may indeed have it's place, but I ran one in South Carolina for a day. There is NO WAY that machine is worth the $185,000 that I was quoted. I told the salesman after spending 3 hours running it that it might be worth $120,000, but no way $185,000. As bad as I hate to say this, I would rather have two ASV's on the ground for that kind of money (Can't quite put to Supertrak Taks on for $185,000.....)

It did seem to be built like a tank, but the dealer had three of them brand new. Two were in his shop from a demo the day before, with blown fuses and other problems. They were also the only dealer around for a few hundred miles, so no support.

Bottom line, good idea, but needs some serious power upgrades and a little more refinement time before it would be worth the money.

 

[cbturf]

Tidewater Equipment Company: Used Equipment

That price aint no $185k. There is one thing about Hendrix Equipment that makes him the best dealer to buy a mulcher from. When he gets the machine in he goes through the entire machine and tests all of the stuff out, tunes all of the motors and pumps and addresses any issues before he delivers it. He told me today that he has five of them working in the oil patch and they run 7 days a week and they have only had one issue. The compressor that powers the reversing fan was placed in the belly pan and was having problems so they have started putting them in a special protective box. I do not know the details so that is all I can tell you. I have talked to Lynn Hendrix a lot over the past few months and he is the premier mulcher man in the US. Like I said earlier he sells Barko, Bron, Prentice and the little Lamtracs and he told me again today that this is the best little mulcher he has ever seen.

As far as dealer support I have learned a few things. If you look around you can usually find stuff a whole lot cheaper than you can get it at a dealer unless it is a special part. Most of these machines are off the shelf common industrial parts. Danfoss or Rexroth pumps and motors, Berco undercarriage yada yada yada. Fecon wanted $1100 for an idler wheel and spring assembly but I was able to find the identical part for about half. My point is that once your warranty is gone you can save tons of money by just looking a little harder for the parts.

 

[EddieWalker]

Is he related to or part of Hendrix Equipment in Livingston TX? Hendrix Machinery, LLC Index If so, I'd be very cautious of your praise. Especially if you buy from him and then find out that you have a problem sometime in the future. I'm talking about Hedrix Equipment, which just happens to have the same spelling and is in the same city.

They are just two hours away from me and I've been there a few times, but again, I don't know Lynn Hendrix or his mulching buisiness. Hopefully there is no connection.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[cbturf]

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Probably kin but they are a different business. I was talking to the Bron factory and they mentioned his name a half dozen times. He sells more mulchers than any other dealer that I have even heard rumor of.

 

[AX MAN]

Robbie, Is the Prentice new to mulching applications? I know they have been around a long time. What would you need to transport the smaller version and what is approx. cost w/mulcher?

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

The Prentice is the new name for Hydro-ax. They are really an adaptation of a feller buncher. But the one these days are being made with larger pumps for running larger attachments. Most older feller bunchers only had 40-50 gpm saw pumps.
The 2864 260h.p. was around 265-275K for just the tractor. I didn't know they were that high honestly. I don't now how much the smaller 190 h.p. runs. And most can be had to be trailer legal width of 102". The smaller on with a mulcher should be around 20K with mulcher. Again not exact.
Now I have found a tired machine that runs mulchers very well that I would put up against anything. It's a Kershaw Klearway 500. 202h.p. with 2x 55 gpm@5000 psi just for the mulcher head. It's trailer legal wide and priced lower than anything I've seen so far. We have yet to run our head on one but I feel it's just a matter of time. They sell direct to the public and are not brand specific for the head.
I drove the Prentice around at the Sunbelt expo and that the best mulching platform by far. I will be plumbing the head for it soon and mulching about 5 minutes after that. So I will have pictures and a report on that as well. 260 h.p. with 84 gpm@5000 psi.

 

[AX MAN]

Thanks Robbie, Good information. Wishful thinking but the smaller version would be perfect for what I do. The only exception being price per hour charge would be higher. I have been in business 2-1/2 years. October was the best month I have had. Prayers have been answered.
I think Mako Forestry Mowing owns a Kershaw.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Kershaw in located in Mont. Ala. Pm me and I can give you the contact guy.
And yes the price would and should be higher. But a tired machine is extremely efficient especially using our heads.
Continue to give God praise and they will continue.

Mako does have a Kershaw but I dont think he uses it much. He also runs a RC-100 and a Deere 653 feller buncher with our DAH-150E on it.

I will post when the big boy is running so maybe you can see. I will also be in Panama city a week from Tuesday with a demo high flow skid head. Pm for more info on that.

 

[cbturf]

Like Robbie said Prentice is a new name for Hydro-Ax you can even see the Hydro-Ax logo on the Prentice machines. Hydro-Ax has been running rotary cutters since the mid 60s or so, so the design is not new just a horizontal drum is used rather than the rotary cutter. Lynn Hendrix quoted me the Prentice with the FAE head with two speed motors, upgraded 65 GPM attachment pump @ 5075 PSI plus all of the other stuff he does to them for $225k.

Prentice - Built Better Than It Needs To Be

http://www.prenticeforestry.com/uploads/specs/2664-2764-2864-Site-Prep-Machines.pdf

 

[cbturf]

I was for a able to run the Lamtrac for a few minutes yesterday and it is an impressive little machine. The one that I ran had a Fecon BHT head with an upgraded motor. I first jumped in on about an 8 inch oak limb that had been on the ground since Hurricane Ike and it pullled it right in and stuck. I went to a sweet gun tree and wrestled it out and finished the end of the limb no problem. Then I went after the sweet gum tree and I swear the same old peice of oak got in there and stopped me again. I got it out and the gum tree was no problem and on the third try I was able to shred up the piece of oak. I do not blame the machine for getting stuck on the oak I blame myself, since it was a branch it was pretty crooked and the fat part was pulled in sideways, so even a big horsepower machine may not have pulled it through.

As far as the machine it was very nice, it was hot in Houston yesterday and the cab was comfortable. The cab is very quiet, I had the radio off but I am certian that you would be able to listen to it with no problem. The controls are a little quirky but the can be changed around to fix that. The two speed selector is on the console and not on the joystick for example and the hydraulic pushbar control is odd to operate.

Both the main engine cooler and the hydraulic cooler have reversing fans and the overall horspower is good. The new fecon head also had a vey fine shredded mulch. The is a very good machine if the durability proves to be there, and it seems that it is so far with five units in the field.

 

[Heavyduty]

You went to Texas for a test drive on this machine? You must be real serious about mulching.

 

[cbturf]

It was a little out of the way but I was in TN heading to NM with an appoinment in OK. I am very serious about mulching, that is all I do.

 

[Heavyduty]

Ain't nothing wrong with that. My pops had tractors in his blood and thats all he did until he passed away. Good luck!