Thoughts on these mulchers?

[QwikDraw]

Franklin has a few options.

or this one by Geo-boy, it comes in both 200 and 260 horse power.

Anyone have any experience with these type of rubber tired machines in the field?

 

[jmfox]

The Jarraff Geo Boy has the cool factor, but weighing in at 12 ton, with a 200hp Cummings, Fecon Bull Hog, 10 ton winch and 16 ply forestry tires, only medium sized countries need apply.

jmf

 

[DirtyWorks]

Outta my budget oh well let us normal mulchers know what its like

 

[QwikDraw]

I'm just doing some research for a long shot, BIG amout of acreage I could get. The price range of those puppies are from 200K to 250K...a big nut to say the least. I've never seen something like that work and was hoping someone has...I was told close to an acre an hour in average growth....

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Hey Ted, Your most "normal" and readily available options are the Rayco or Fecon 140. At 155-160k there your best bet.

Now I have demoed a New Holland TV-145 bidirectional tractor with a carbide cutter extreme. The cutter head weighted 5500 lbs. and with forestry tires and a super forestry cage it is a viable option. You could drive that thing for days and not get uncomfortable. It was a little higher at 180k but with no track wear and over 2' of ground clearance I see little wear on the tractor. It did weight a tad over 18k pounds so hauling would be an issue. But with it being for larger jobs and being on them for long periods just have someone haul it for you when the time comes. They also have a timberax extreme that was equally impressive.

The only drawbacks I see to the New Holland and the Geoboy are the tires sliding on sloped terrian and getting hung on a tree (sliding down onto the tree). But for larger tracks of land a tired tractor has a definite advantage. You also have to consider who will run it. What would you want someone running, that's my delimia(spell). My tractor is just to unstable and damage could be inflicted quickly. If another tractor is in the future I will but with that in mind.

 

[QwikDraw]

Robbie, since you demo'd a bigger machine what is the production of the bigger rigs?

I have been looking at the Rayco 140 as the next step but really want something in the 200 HP range. I'm still dreaming because I still don't have the work load for something like those monsters...

So...how's the full time going? I bet your doing good...

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

A rough estimate would be close to 2-1 with a 140 or the new holland. Even though the new holland was only 105 pto hp it being pto driven it had more torque. I would consider them even. My theory is you can cover more ground quicker and honestly our 100's are running close to there limits continiously. With a larger machine you would get that cushion back and therefore increasing machine life.

I wouldn't consider much bigger than the 130's for there overhead and price really start to climb as hp goes up. Now fecon has a 250hp swamp tracked tractor that looks impressive but am unsure of the price. I think it would be hard to keep it busy enough to pay for itself without a big inside edge. Even a 130 would challenge to keep profitable.

I also think its important to know whats out there for you can buy tractors all day long. When you cross a customer with something big you know what you need to do and say.

I honestly like the planier teeth on the magnum. I have always seen the advanyage of them from demoing the gyro's. That's one reason I like the new loftness carbide so much, it is available with planiers. That's what i would get on it. Plus there planiers are carbide.

Works been steady with a little of everything.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

You can get more power out of a smaller unit if you look hard enough. The franklins are big, heavy and practically take a fuel truck to follow it around.
I would look at a bi directional tractor or a ptgator or gyro track before I looked at a big tractor like a franklin.

 

[DirtyWorks]

PT GATOR

I could LIVE in this thing. For the price it better come with a mailbox and a front lawn

 

[Gamma]

That PT Gator looks really nice on their website. Prime Movement

I wonder how much one of them costs?