Mulching with Kubota 080

[Landwise]

As I write this post, I am still recovering from the day-

I have been running a Kubota 080 for about 8 months now with a Rockhound 30 Extreme with missgivings if I had made the right decision. It is productive in 2.5" to maybe 3" material at best. Great for cleaning out ditch banks and LIGHT brush. Love the Kubota, not the rockhound so much. for $8000, it is not bad......

But today, I had the oportunity to run a prototype Loftness Timber Axe made for the Excavator. WOW.......

This thing is easily productive in 5" and smaller material and can cut anything you put it in. We cut 9" pine and a 12" oak today. Also, we cut several huricane blowover trees in the 10"-14" range that were in the way.

It is a prototype, and weighs too much to use everyday on the Kubota (1600 lbs) but it was intended for a JD160. Another is being developed now for the mini's, but I will keep running this one until I destroy it or have to send it back.

Anyone that wants to see it, come on down anytime.

PS Has anyone found a Mulching Forum, or thought about starting one?

Scott

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Now it sounds like your 080 is earning her keep. Does the timberax look like a smaller skid steer version? I always did like running my excavator better than my skid, just easier and much better visibility. I even think with practice you could come close to matching productivity of a 100. The weight does sound a little high. Does it effect the excavator much?

 

[TMTS]

I have also thought about a mulching forum..but since I'm pretty new to this forum, I didn't quite think I had logged enough time to give some constructive feedback to the site administrators...

but it would give this forum back to the rest of the folks who are on here for non- mulching chat...

 

[Terra Firma Scott]

YES YES somebody do it!!! Robbie? hint hint I nominate you..

 

[QwikDraw]

Scott, what are you getting for production with the Brush Hound in a day?

I just landed a fairly big job with 40 acres of it being 4-5 year regrowth of mostly hardwood in the 2-4 inch size. I was thinking of a 30HD on a 65 horse power excavator....do you think I could get 2 acres a day? just laid down and not fully mulched...

I have one other head in mind but it is 3 times the cost.

Thanks....

 

[coopers]

A Deere 160 attachment is on that mini! Holy cow...that says a lot IMHO for Kubota.

Blake
WA

P.S. Any pics?

 

[DirtyWorks]

Pics would be nice..... video would be even better

10" oak..that is extreme! how are the knives holding up?

 

[DirtyWorks]

YES YES somebody do it!!! Robbie? hint hint I nominate you..

second that nomination

 

[Landwise]

Keep in mind....

This thing is new, I mean really new. It kicks my Rockhound 30's #$*, but they are not in the same class either. I would not even try to be productive in anything over 5", but it will cut anything you put it in.

As far as two acres per day, not on an 080. The 080 does not have the swing power and drawbar force to move this head like it needs to be moved. Remember, it is designed for a 12-16 ton class execv, not a 9 ton. I think if you ran this thing too long on the 080, it would wear out every moving part of the boom.

I don't know how they can market the 40extreme to work on an 080. Too heavy. I'll say this- the 30extreme, for $8000, is hard to beat in 3" and smaller material. It's cheap, and it's a throw away head IMO. Make your money and throw it away.

I will post some pic's and maybe some video after a little more time playing on the machine.

 

[Landwise]

OK, Here is a picture of the AXE and the bracket we made to mount it. This is the first night that we had it at the shop.

 

[Landwise]

Also, I just put the new Planar carbide teeth on my G1 head yesterday and WOW!!! If you run a Loftness, and don't have any rock in your area- They seem to be worth the money.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Thanks for the pics! Any regrets on the rubber tracks over the steel?

 

[DirtyWorks]

How does the finished product compare on the rockhound 30 vs the axe? does the 30 look like a bushhog did it or a mulcher? does it make a mess?

 

[Landwise]

No regrets yet. I have had it burried up to the cab once, but I don't think metal tracks would have helped me there..... I'll post a pic of that too.

The Rockhound does a fine job of mulching smaller material. Once again, I can't knock the RH for an $8000 head...... It does not do what they claim it will do, but that's what I expected. There is a time and place for that head, and I will still use it. It is made so that you can put it in the water, in the dirt etc., where the Axe is not made for that.

Once you get in tune with the Axe, it looks like a chain saw cut it, if you want it to. It can do fast rough cuts, or you can make it fine. The Axe will cut in both directions, but it cuts differently depending on the purpose of the cut. It is open on the right side, to allow for larger material that is standing. It has two rows of knives. They spin to the right. The downward direction of cut when swinging to the right allows for quick cuts.

Where it shines is when you cut the material to the right, and then swing left. The knives pick up the material and hold it against the shear bar. Smaller material gets sucked through, and it looks like you out it through a chipper. Larger material gets picked up and chewed on, processing it down until it goes through. Big trees, you are milling, taking 3-4" per pass. Looks like you ran it through a planer. Then just move back and do it again. There is no limit to what size material you can cut except for time.

 

[DirtyWorks]

if you were to build a head what changes would you make? weight? width of cut ? is 30" enough? how fast does the head spool back up? any hydraulic heat problems?

if you will keep answering, i will keep quizzing

think i may make my own. i want high production, light weight, durable and inexpensive knives. too much to ask? kinda like a mini on steroids with the production of a supertrak takeuche 15 ton machine in a kubota 9 ton body

 

[DirtyWorks]

another thought how handy is the rockhound design in regards of being able to use thumb. like to move a log or reposition material without having to change over to a rake? what weight are you able to lift fully extended, without getting too tippy...on the front and side

 

[Landwise]

Bill @ Loftness is taking my input and rebuilding a lighter version for the small Excv. Estimates are around 1000lbs instead of 1600. It is so heavy now to allow it to be used as a foot for a much heavier machine. Aslo, there is a bolt on section in the back that is to be used by the customer to put on a thumb saddle (so that it can match your machine).

The thumb is actually more useful for grabbing vines and broken off limbs, and pulling them down to the ground for mulching. You can use it for shoveling pretty big material close to the ground, but lifting large material high is a little too much. We braced our rockhound thumb saddle with 3/4" through bolts to give it side to side strength.

As far as recovery time and width of cut- The protype is 36" and the smaller version will more than likely be 30" wide. That is plenty for this size machine. Recovery is usually within 2-3 seconds from a full stall. I will say this also. You can not hear the head inside of the machine, so you don't know that is has stalled. When the chips stop flying, move. They are working on a remote mounted LED gauge with green, yellow and red indicators that will either mount inside of the cab or on the boom, so you can tell the RPMs of the head.

I think I answered all of those.... Keep firing.

Scott

PS new website Home

still under developement and you have to shift to the right beacuse of that stupid Godaddy ad at the top. Didn't plan on that.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

hey Dirt. If your interested my brushhound is for sale. I had good luck with mine on a 161. Blew through pines in retention ponds and imbankments like a snapper mows grass. It also had the reinforced motor cover to use with a thumb. Sent you a PM

 

[Landwise]

also- Super traks is making a Tak 1140 with a 140hp motor now........

Thinking about adding a 75 hp JD engine on my kubota to use as a counter weight and power the big head....

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Hey Landwise. That head looks good, but it also looks like it weights a ton. Have they given any indication as to pricing? I also saw the new supertrac taki but it is heavy. I think the 080 is the ticket if we can get a good head combo going.