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?

 

[tlbuser]

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

Then just drive over them repeatedly to turn into mulch?

 

[tlbuser]

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 .

Replacing the rubber right away? It does seem like mulching would be a high stress environment for the rubber. Have you started fabbing yet? Powerplant choice?

 

[Eagleview]

Rubber track pads are bolted to the steel track plates so the machine can be driver over paved roads without the risk of damage to the surface . As the machine will be working on roadsides , having to screw around the guide posts to miss them and back onto the verge to continue mulching etc .

I am also toying with the idea of fitting a 3.5 ton/tonne excavator arm to the right side with a hydraulic flail mower so I can mow the embankments at the same time .

AKfish , as the cabin I bought is very similar to the one on the PT400 pictured , and the engine covers and cab frame will be the same , it will end up looking pretty much the same .

The tree crusher you posted would have it's place as just a quick knock down and a match a few weeks later would clear big areas of forest to prevent wild fires reaching the canopy .

Recieved emails from 3 machine wreckers this morning , "sorry no track bases available" .

 

[MarkV]

Iron Horse I can't help but wonder what you do with all your spare time? Sure hope you will keep us posted with weekly updates as you begin your build. Way, way above my level so I enjoy watching.

AKfish, I've never seen a machine like that before. It had to be a trip to drive. Does it have a name?

MarkV

 

[AKfish]

Iron Horse I can't help but wonder what you do with all your spare time? Sure hope you will keep us posted with weekly updates as you begin your build. Way, way above my level so I enjoy watching.

AKfish, I've never seen a machine like that before. It had to be a trip to drive. Does it have a name?

MarkV

Way beyond something I'd tackle as well!

(Maybe he'll be able to patent his creation and SAVE all those poor souls that are suffering with their ASV's!!!!)

It's a Le Tourneau tree crusher. DC electric motors in each wheel (100hp front and 125hp rear wheel). DC electric motor for steering. 8-71 GMC diesel powering a very large DC generator! The company was (still is, I think) pretty well known for large mining equipment.

It would clear (and crush) that 2 acre parcel before lunch time. But, it wouldn't be very pretty... As Iron Horse mentioned; the downed trees, etc. would be burned over sometime later after crushing.

It was a kick to run - nothing would even begin to stop it. But, as you might imagine from looking at those wheels; rocky hillsides and large (frozen) stumps and steep hills were a challange. Slip, slip; slide away and pound, pound jar your teeth out!!

One guy rolled his machine the year after I left the project; he wasn't seriously hurt and replacing the cab was about all that was needed to get the thing back in action. Everything on those things was herky, heavy, and hard wearing..

AKfish

 

[Eagleview]

Yes I can imagine those wheels slipping off greasy logs and hitting the ground . You wouldn't try having a cup of coffee whilst driving it .

I'm going to Brisbane in two weeks to try and buy this truck , it is a late model with very low mileage . Was a garbage truck so has had an easy life . It has everything I need for the project . I will swap everything into the mulcher . It even has cruise control which will monitor the PTO shaft to keep the ISC Cummins engine humming . If I can get it at the right price , the only other thing I will need is the track base which is proving difficult to find . The air seat , air con , dash , computer , Allison auto , exhaust and air cleaner etc will all be used . The same as I did with my F truck conversion . I am waiting on a quote for a track base with oscillating tracks from a company in India who supply CAT with their undercarriages .

I'm going to keep the size of the machine down to about a PT200 now as the excavator can handle the bigger trees so the 280hp of the Cummins will be fine .

 

[McCaskey]

To get temporally off track again (while you're looking for parts), here's the big brother to the tricycle version of the tree crusher, 175 ton machine: Tree Crusher

 

[Eagleview]

I was thinking today , what am I going to do for an engine hood ? Just checked my emails a minute ago and the company I bought the cabins off had sent some photos of a Loader hood I may be interested in......Just now finished doing a bank transfer so I did not miss out . It's even painted the same colours as my excavator , how goods that . All I need now is a bit of luck at the truck auction and a reply about the track base .

 

[AKfish]

You're on a roll!! Very good turn of events! (They might just GIVE you that garbage truck, now. )

AKfish

 

[tlbuser]

What a huge undertaking for your self. How much do you think being the component assembler will save? Here's to hoping the rest of your adventure will go as well