New Gear Harvesting New Gear
Mulcher guide 2014

Oct. 15, 2014 - Canadian Forest Industries has rounded up a powerful crew of mulchers, carriers and attachments to fit different needs and conditions.

Please note that the following information has been provided by the equipment manufacturer and is not endorsed by the editorial staff of Canadian Forest Industries magazine.

Tigercat
Tigercat’s new 470 mulcher is equipped with the Tigercat FPT C87 Tier 4i 245 kW (328 hp) engine. It is narrow and agile with extremely low ground pressure, rated at 20,9 kPa (3 psi). The 470 is best suited to tough terrain and sensitive site right-of-way jobs.

The 470 is equipped with an efficient, high-capacity cooling system with a variable speed fan and automatic reversing cycle, a dedicated attachment pump and an efficient closed loop track drive system. Inside the cab, the operator has ergonomic electronic joystick steering with CRF (counter-rotate function) for “turning on a dime” at the touch of a button. The heavy-duty steel engine enclosure and precleaner guard eliminates the requirement for a rear canopy. All structural components are designed for full-time forest duty.

Prinoth
Prinoth offers a full line of mulching equipment including the RT 200 (173 hp), Raptor 500 (440 hp) and the Raptor 800 (630 hp). Its mulching equipment is developed for harsh conditions and difficult tasks: land clearing, right-of-way clearing, vegetation management and site preparation where sub-soiling is necessary.

Seppi
Starforest is a powerful yet easily manoeuvrable forestry mulcher. It is so agile thanks to the articulated and self-aligning three-point linkage to reach large inclinations.

The improved roller now has a larger diameter and a higher number of toothed rings and is thus able to penetrate the soil more easily, ensuring a smooth movement of the roller.  The bearing was reinforced and built into the roller to prevent wear.  

Rayco
The C260 is a compact, mid-sized mulcher that delivers 260 hp with low ground pressure. This mulcher is suited for clearing small trees, underbrush, and a variety of unwanted vegetation across a wide range of environments. The heavy-duty steel undercarriage and powerful final drives allow operators to tackle difficult terrain with confidence.

Rayco’s elevated cooling design keeps engine and hydraulic temperatures within their limits in the harshest of environments. To minimize maintenance, a reversing fan can be activated from the cab to clear the limbriser debris screens. When manual cleaning of the debris screens is necessary, they are easily removable and the rear door opens to allow unrestricted access to the debris screen and engine radiator.

Baumalight
Power and control come together when excavator meets Baumalight BrushFire Mulchers. The bent axis piston motors are carrier matched to make the most efficient use of a machine’s hydraulic flow and pressure (25-70 GPM up to 4000 PSI).  A 48” rotor and 62 teeth mean the job will soon be done.

Fecon
Fecon’s new FTX128L, built in their Lebanon, OH facility is strong on cutting power with 60 GPM to the BullHog Forestry Mulcher and features 20” tracks that work effortlessly while cutting up hill. Low ground pressure at 3.8 psi is ideal for soft conditions resulting in minimal ground disturbance. Serviceability is easy with full access side doors and engine compartment roof. The Cummins QSB4.5 diesel engine running at 128 hp and Fecon’s hydraulic technology allows the FTX128L to outperform machines with higher horsepower. Fuel consumption remains under 4.5 gallon per hour.  

Pro Mac
Pro Mac rotary brushcutters are available in rotary and horizontal shaft models for mount to excavators and backhoes in three sizes 36, 52 and 66 inches. They’re available with either two blades or three blades or standard mulching disc units.

The rotary cutters can be set up to specific operator requirements such as ground level clearing and cutting and set up with heavy duty mulching disc to cut and mulch standing trees.

Risley
Risley Equipment E-Clips EX300 Multi-Purpose BrushCutter, Mulcher and Stump Grinder is a High Drive Flex-Trac multipurpose workhorse. Powering the EX300 is a 325hp Cummins QSL tier III engine.

The combination of “High and Live” allows for the high drive system to manage only the forces required to manoeuvre the machine and the lower track undercarriage manages the static and running live weight of the machine.

The High and Live Flex-Trac system offers greater stability and mobility with the D.T.S (Dynamic Transfer Suspension), which dynamically transfers machine weight to each track frame as uneven terrain is encountered. This in combination with the Flex-Trac system allows minimal moving effort and maximum tractive effort as obstacles and terrain are encountered.

Bradco
The Bradco Series II Mulchers by Paladin Attachments attach to excavators, skid steers and forestry tractors to shred hardwood trees, brush and ground vegetation up to eight inches in diameter. Available in cutting widths of 36, 60 and 72 inches—depending on the machine and application—they feature a heavy-duty bent-axis variable displacement piston motor that offers better performance on demand, prevents stalling under heavy loads and provides a quicker recovery time.

A patented interchangeable tooth design keeps each tooth seated in its holder with a cross bar that runs the full width of each tooth. Standard reversible carbide teeth double operation life and can be easily interchanged without needing to rebalance the rotor. The spiral cut pattern reduces the amount of cut per tooth for less drag, finer chip size and increased performance.

Bron
With models from 275 HP to 700 HP, Bron has a range of efficient and powerful forestry mulchers.

The Berco D3/D4 undercarriage features an oscillating front axle for improved stability. The BRON 275 maintains constant ground pressure for a better ride with less wear and tear. The newest BRON 275 Mulchers come equipped with a Seppi MIDIFORST mulching head as well as ergonomic tilting cab and removable multi-section belly pans for ease of use and service.

Caterpillar
The Cat 586C Site Prep Tractor has the muscle to run power-hungry attachments, like the Cat HM825 Mulcher and BR624 Brushcutter. The 350 hp engine and oversized hydraulic system push more flow to the attachment for faster recovery without slowing other functions. The high-capacity cooling system keeps the machine running cool. The on-demand reversing fan spins only as fast as needed to maintain proper hydraulic and engine temperatures. The machine is segmented into pressurized compartments to prevent debris from entering. Robust box section frames and a field-proven center hitch provide a solid foundation. Weight is distributed evenly over the axles for rock-solid stability and a smooth ride.

Denis Cimaf
DAH Forestry Mulchers use DENIS CIMAF’s patented horizontal-shaft rotor technology with fixed knives and bolt-on cutting blades, a design with numerous advantages. They offer variable displacement, axial-piston motors that minimize overheating problems and improve re-acceleration, and timing-belt drive to eliminate slippage.

The DAH Forestry Mulcher is designed for intensive work, allowing for greater productivity, and it is supported by unparalleled technical support. DENIS CIMAF currently offers DAH Forestry Mulchers models adaptable on excavators between 7 to 35 metric tonnes.

GB Equipment
New multi-task machines “MTM’’ and ‘’MTH’’ are designed to be capable of grinding frozen ground in winter and grinding asphalt or reclaiming gravel roads during summertime. The latest FAE Variable Geometry System crushing chamber is an innovative design that guarantees the outstanding crushing and shredding results. The rotor is hydraulically adjusted up or down to set the volume of the grinding/mixing chamber in relation to the working depth. The forestry companies can highly benefit from what the ‘’MTM’’ and ‘’MTH’’ can achieve by making smoother and harder road surfaces.

Gyro-Trac GT-25XP brushcutter
The GT-25XP Brushcutter has a 270 horsepower Tier III Turbo Diesel driving four powerful hydraulic pumps, two drive motors, and two rotor motors in the 700HF cutter-head. Gyro-Trac’s brushcutters efficiently mulch trees and stumps to the ground, creating park-like effects, leaving fine, highly desirable, nutrient-rich mulch on the ground.

KMC Kootrac
The versatile KMC High Speed Steel Track (HSST) Vehicle, which was originally designed to be a log skidder, has now been adapted to become a carrier for front- or rear-mounted mulcher attachment. The vehicle, when rigged with a rear mounted mulcher attachment, can be utilized for fuel reduction, fire reclamation, vegetation clearing and fireguard construction.

The KMC Tracked Vehicle is capable of working on steep slopes as well as in sensitive soil conditions.  One of the major benefits of the KMC Tracked Vehicles, because of its torsion bar suspension system, is that it has always and continues to have minimal environmental impact.

Nokamic
Nokamic has designed a unique mulcher head with a rotor made up of rocker arms and ultra-resistant blades that revolve 1800 rpms at high speed. This combination is able to shred stems, stumps and trees without interfering with the work and has rock protection that limits breakage on rockier terrain.

When shredding wood residues, the NP-8030 leaves a carpet of shavings behind, which makes it easier for the workers to move about and contributes to the fast decomposition of the residual matter.

Vermeer
The FT100 is a 111-horsepower (82 kW) Tier 4 Interim (Stage IIIB) skid steer loader with a forestry mulcher attachment designed for tree care and land-clearing contractors who work mostly in residential and municipal clearing applications. The hydraulic system on the FT100 optimizes the horsepower delivered to the mulching head and provides improved hydraulic component life by utilizing a higher flow with less pressure.

The mulcher attachment features a ringed rotor design featuring 18 disks with 17 interchangeable tips to help achieve smaller, consistent-sized chips compared to non-ringed rotors. Four different tip options allow the ringed rotor configuration to be adjusted to match several different applications and environmental conditions.

The fully enclosed cab protects the operator from outside dust and wood particles while the FT100 is in operation. The cab is pressurized and circulates filtered air for operator comfort. A rearview camera with in-cab monitor comes standard, providing added visibility to enhance manoeuvrability.

October 15, 2014  By Canadian Forest Industries