Articulated Arm Cutters on Front End Loaders

[JWR]

In recent years skid-steer adapters have shown up on front end loaders of most brands of farm tractors. Some have even become "standard." Great variety of attachments besides just buckets. Also potentially wild problems.

Multiple manufacturers now offer swing-boom or articulated arm cutters (flail, rotary or sickle bar) that mount on skid-steer standard attachment plates. There seem to be NO SOURCES of information about what the loaders will stand in terms of off-center loads (e.g. torque on the loader frames.) Tractor manufacturers only know how to say "not approved and voids the warrantee." Attachment manufacturers are waffling and covering butts too but trying to sell stuff. Meanwhile the world is full of nut cases who will try anything.

For example an 1100 lb swing-boom cutter that goes off to the side 8' probably has the center of gravity off to the side at least 4'. That means on the order of 4400 ft-lbs of twist on that loader frame (assuming the tractor is big enough and not going to be tipped over.) Swivel backhoe attachments also exist so imagine digging out there several feet to the side of the attachment point on the loader with even a rather small backhoe attachment. Intuition tells me many loaders are going to get sprung, bent, torn off the tractor, dislodged from their mount on one side, etc. ...or worse. This line of thought leads to several disaster minimizing questions:

1) Anyone out there using these implements on a front end loader that would comment ? (size, model tractor and loader, etc. of course important...)
2) Any testing been done by labs like the Univ of Nebraska tractor test lab ?
3) Any leads on manufacturers who offer "good options" ?

Obviously actual experience totally outweighs all the free opinions.

 

[CarlR2010]

JWR, What a Great Question! Carl

 

[Dozernut]

This does not answer your question but MK Martin has a 3pt articulating arm that looks pretty sweet. I don't know how high it would reach but it beats torquing your loader arms.

MK Martin | Rotary Tool Arm

 

[JWR]

This does not answer your question but MK Martin has a 3pt articulating arm that looks pretty sweet. I don't know how high it would reach but it beats torquing your loader arms.

MK Martin | Rotary Tool Arm

Yes, I have been looking at those too. Another brand that seems equivalent to the MK Martin is the Wikco. Both look to be made the same way and may even be made by the same people. A problem is they won't reach up and over fences and things like that. The best feature is they are purely mechanical and do not involve hydraulic pumps and motors with their limited cutting capacity and tendency to clog. Another factor is that I am wanting to retain my bush hog on the back while trimming fence rows, reaching out over sink holes, etc. Having to switch between hog and side arm cutter is a sizable job and inhibits regular use. You're right -- at least with the rear side cutter concern about the torque on the front end loader goes away.

 

[Sysop]

Orsi River Compact 355/420. Goes on the three point, is powered by hydraulics and ran from it's own pump on the PTO. It's like a backhoe arm that goes off the right side of the tractor and has a good bit of counterweight built in. I have been shopping around and spoken with most of the manufacturers of these types of boom mowers, all tell me the horsepower requirements specified are spec'd high to ensure the buyers have a heavy enough tractor to stabilize any additional forces beyond typical operation.

Matt at ORSI told me they don't sell as many 355s (12' reach) and at the time he had one ready to go for $9500 and several 420s (14' reach) ready to go for $10,400



I've been told the Bush Hog branded boom mower was the best in the business, but it's quite a bit more expensive and has higher requirements. Their comparable model would be RMB1445-1 if you're interested in it.

Downside, unless your rotary cutter runs off the drawbar and tractor hydraulics, you will lose the ability to trail your rotary with you. If that truly is a requirement, you may also look into "Tiger" branded mowers. They have many unique setups they can provide with side, rear, and front mounts, but their tractor requirements and prices are generally quite high.

 

[Bob77064]

This does not answer your question but MK Martin has a 3pt articulating arm that looks pretty sweet. I don't know how high it would reach but it beats torquing your loader arms.

MK Martin | Rotary Tool Arm

That would work to cut under the trees.

 

[JWR]

Sysop: Yes, those are good options (ORSI arm mowers). The only severe drawback for me on the 3pt mounted arm cutters (besides price...) is that having to switch between bushhog and side arm cutter is a sizable job and does detract a lot from regular use. Still, that is probably the best option or lesser of evils. I saw one of the ORSI River 2049 mowers at the Ohio ag show in Sept. (and met Matt there too.)

Note also that the compact 355 and 420 you mention are smaller versions that only come with flail heads and not rotary cutter heads. See vmc orsi The ones with a rotary mower head are about $14000 which to me is a load of cash for a mower attachment. CID brand front-mount arm mowers are, granted, much less full functioned and depend on hydraulic flow but they are also half the price. Like a little over $7000. The reason I haven't bought one is concern about front end loader torque and potential damage.

Forgot to mention: both the Bush Hog brand (several models) and the ORSI River 1649 or 2049 use two pumps -- one to drive the cutter and one to move the arm around. This can be a critical issue because the mower I have now on my front end loader (5' CID brand hyd motor driven) shuts down every time you raise or tilt the front end loader (!) That is a serious drawback.

 

[JWR]

That would work to cut under the trees.

Bob 77064 -- yes, the MK Martin or similar Wikco 3pt mounted machines are very intriguing. They certainly would work to cut under the trees and to some extent (since they WILL tip up 90 degrees) would clear fence rows. However, they won't reach up in the air enough. Most of my fence row encroachment problems are overhanging branches up in the air several feet. The really attractive aspect of these (MK Martin and Wikco) mowers is they are PTO driven and all mechanical (no hydraulic motors and pumps) so they will handle serious brush like any bush hog.

 

[Dr Dave]

You could add a counter weight to the opposite side.

Dave

 

[Piston]

JWR,
Can you comment on your own original question, regarding your FEL mounted rotary cutter? How is it powered? Do you notice much stress on the FEL? How well does it work compared to a PTO version? How heavy is it, and how big of brush do you mow with it?

I'd love to see some pics of that setup.