Should I switch from FAE to Fecon/Bobcat?

yellowdogsvc · Feb 26, 2014

I've been running an FAE head for about 9 years on my high flow Bobcats. Before that I ran a Tushhogg. Most of my work is mulching brush piles and while I really like the finished product that the FAE leaves when it comes to making trails, covering roads, and working on upper-scale properties, I'm wondering if the extra resistance I encounter with the extra counter-combs is making it harder? It's been so long since I operated a different head (Tushhogg/Magnum) that I just don't have a good feel for what I may be giving up for pretty. I think my FAE head has a very slight advantage in pump displacement over the 2 speed fecon but it seems I'm fighting my very fine shreds that tend to ball up and stall my rotor more. I don't stall too much when cutting but when the shreds get thick, it's like trying to mulch hay.

Has anyone gone from FAE to Fecon or have enough hours on both to answer the question of whether Fecon will handle thick piles of brush/shreds better than FAE. Does anyone have any good pics of softwood shreds from their Fecon head?

t320pilot · Feb 26, 2014

I really like my Bobcat / Fecon head. Bought everything new. It came with carbide teeth and I wore them out then switched to the knives you have to sharpen. The knives are like having a new mulcher head! They cut better and faster no matter what, soft and hardwood. I can re-sharpen the 30 teeth in about 15 -20 mins easily. I would only go back to carbide if I was gonna be in a rocky or metal / trashy debris area.

Never ran FAE.

groundcover · Feb 26, 2014

Came across this the other day : Bandit Industries, Inc. - Bandit Product Line

Like to give one of them a try !

yellowdogsvc · Mar 2, 2014

Some of the work with my Bobcat s750 and FAE VT head running carbides with a few cobra teeth.

I get a really good particle size but I've been wondering if it's too fine.. that is, does FAE do too good a job making the shreds smaller which, I would think, takes up more of my hp as the head encounters more resistance or fights through balls of shreds and brush.

redprospector · Mar 2, 2014

I'm really no help at all since I've never ran a FAE, and my experience is limited. I've only used an OLD Gyro-trac, a Tushogg, and an older Fecon. I still have all 3 of them. I will say that they all have their place where they excel (unfortunately, that place isn't in my part of the country for the Gyro-trac).
Keep in mind that the "finished product" is what you are selling in the end. It is what set's you apart. Any head that I've used starts bogging some as the mulch gets finer. May be just the nature of the beast.

yellowdogsvc · Mar 4, 2014

I'm trying to figure out how much of a difference there is in finished product between the Fecon HDT rotor and my FAE smooth drum with all it's counter cutting teeth.
I imagine performance will be similar based on the VT motor specs BUT Fecon offers a slightly narrower head than FAE has. When I got my FAE 150 VT, I upgraded from the CAT HM 312 single speed with 50 inch cut. My head now has 62 working width and is 74 inches overall and heavy. Can really feel it out front.
My head is powerful but my thoughts were if I went with the Fecon, which I think I can get a 50 in working width, I'd save weight and get more power to less surface area.

Now I have a new question. Every head I've ever had has had a smooth drum. Fecon offers the HDT rotor which looks cool but what does it do exactly that's different than a smooth drum head?

I get incredible tool life out of the FAE head.. Way over 500 hours life in tough conditions and often more with double carbides. I also like the hidden bolt pockets on the FAE.
Do the Fecon tooth bolts take a beating or get broken off being they have exposed nuts?

nwterex · Mar 25, 2014

Hey Yellow Dog I run Fecon BH74SS-2 Heads with HDT rotors in our rental fleet we run double carbides and rutinley get 600+ hours out of tools. Typically we change nuts and looked for stretched threads on bolts durning a tool change. It's very seldom that you cant get a socket on a nut and the new tools have a holder for the bolt head. Head weight is 2425 lbs. My thoughts are the wider the cut the easier it is on Tracks or tires. if that's not a problem for you then if it was me the 62 weighs in at 2050 lbs. I have a Basically Brand new BH62 with a single speed motor that I would sell for 10K if your interested in it give me a call and ill tell you the story.

nwterex · Mar 25, 2014

Whoops for got to do spell check LOL

yellowdogsvc · Mar 25, 2014

I've got a 2 speed FAE. The FAE has a slightly bigger displacement pump than the Fecon but the narrower cut FAE that just came out (TX version 125), is 2450 lbs. I'll only save 100 lbs which isn't enough to justify upgrading.
The Fecon bh62 2 speed with a door should be at 2200 lbs but I can't get that confirmed. I have to run a door. Too many guys around here don't and their work doesn't look very good on the smaller tracts where they want pretty..