Self built mulcher .

[Eagleview]

I was going to build my own mulcher a couple of years back but got side tracked . I was looking for an excavator track frame for the base , I ended up buying a new 23 tonne excavator that I was going to dismantle as the donor but couldn't bring myself to do it and have been using as is . The search is on again now , today after much searching I bought a major component for the project . A fully glazed and trimmed cabin . I now need a 500 odd horse power donor truck I can pinch the engine and transmission out of . I am still wanting to have the cruise control working so that as the head loads up , the ECU will pour on some more power . I just won this 2 acre job for $6,600 but will have to do it with the excavator and tractor . I am hoping this new beast will be able to do this type of job in a day and create a good income . This will take a while as waiting for the right parts to come along takes time .

 

[tlbuser]

With mulcher math applied, will your 2 acre job require 2 hours or 65?

How large of a head are planning for your new machine? Won't using an ex bottom end give you an undesireable travel speed?

 

[Eagleview]

With the machinery I have , it will take 2-3 days as there is a lot of matter in those shrubs to contend with . I expect in the real world that it will take 1 day in the track mulcher to do the same task . I plan to build the head to be within the 2500mm/8' 2 1/2" overall width limit so it can be carried on my truck without flags and flashing lights . It will end up being about 2300mm cut . The excavator track base has infinite travel speed up to 4.5 kilometres per hour so will be fine . The only thing i'm not happy with is that an excavator does not have walking track frames . I have now decided on a forward/reverse Twin Disc marine gearbox bolted straight to the engine , it is rated at 600hp and will allow the rotor to spin both ways . I just bought a crate of 200 , 3.5 kilogram double edge hammers for the project , there will be 31 on the rotor . I can spin the rotor top forward to fall a tree and then bottom forward to mulch it . I have just found a near new Cummins Red Head motor rated @ 525hp , I need to find out how heavy it is before I buy it . I don't need that much hp , but it will allow me to mulch economically at 1300 revs as it makes 1550ftlb of torque at those revs .

The 2 acres starts at the edge of the grass line and goes down to the power lines and is a fairly narrow strip .

 

[Eagleview]

A photo of the cabin I picked up from Brisbane today for anyone who might be interested in the project .

I ended up buying two , one as spare .

Ive settled on a new track base from a 14 tonne/ton class excavator with rubber track pads and a blade . The blade will be cut off and the mulcher will adapt to the arms . As it is a PTO drive system , the lift height the arms will give will be adequate .

 

[AKfish]

Quite an undertaking... very interested to see how your project goes along. How about a look at the base?

Would help me to visualize how this thing is gonna come together!

AKfish

 

[AKfish]

Just after the invention of the internal combustion engine... this is the "Iron Horse" I used to ride --

These pics were taken 25-26 years ago. We cleared about 2,700 acres over a 2-winter period.

AKfish

 

[AKfish]

Here's a few more -- if you squint and look hard -- you can see the white caps breaking on the Great Barrier Reef!!!

AKfish

 

[Big Bri]

Just after the invention of the internal combustion engine... this is the "Iron Horse" I used to ride --

These pics were taken 25-26 years ago. We cleared about 2,700 acres over a 2-winter period.

AKfish

so how does the thing work? do you just push over the tree or what?

 

[AKfish]

so how does the thing work? do you just push over the tree or what?

Don't want to get off track here ---

Just thought that Iron Horse might appreciate a look a some "prehistoric land clearing".

But, yes, that's what the heavy bar up near the cab is for - the machine is very heavy +40 tons and very long - ~45ft and would push over every tree and many times 7-8 at once.

AKfish

 

[mikefromnh]

Just after the invention of the internal combustion engine... this is the "Iron Horse" I used to ride --

These pics were taken 25-26 years ago. We cleared about 2,700 acres over a 2-winter period.

AKfish

What were you clearing it for? Oil exploration? Pipe line?