The Fecon Bull Hog vs. Gyrotrac HD500 debate continued.

[Gamma]

Ok, I went to a demonstration day put on by the local Vermeer dealer several weeks ago and amongst all the equipment, they had a RC100 with a Gyrotrac HD500 mulching head and a Gyrotrac GT13 also with the HD500 cutter head on display.

They stressed over and over that the HD500 head will cut 2 to 3 times faster than the Fecon Bull Hog and that therefore I could get jobs done so much faster.

Well, several points that I made to them were:

1. That the HD500 head has a cost of about $35,000 compared to the Bull Hog cost of about $20,000 or less.

2. That as a new, one man start-up I don't think I'd benefit enough from the two to three times faster cutting speed of the HD500 head to justify it's much higher cost. If I knew for a fact that I'd be mulching brush at least five days a week or more, then I might consider purchasing the HD500 head over the Bull Hog head.

3. That the HD500 with steel cutting blades would have to be sharpened everyday, therefore taking away some of the time I saved due to it's faster cutting speed.

So what do you all think about the points I made? I just don't think that the higher cutting speed of the HD500 justifies it's $35,000 price tag for a one man start-up.

BTW: What's the big deal about the hydraulic motor that Gyrotrac uses in the HD500? How's it compare to the motor that Fecon puts in it's skidsteer sized Bull Hogs?

 

[cbturf]

I got the same sales itch from Vermeer. I rented an RC 100 for two months and then bought a Fecon FTX 140. It is more than twice as productive as an RC 100 with any head. I have broken 8 fecon teeth in 6 weeks...imagine how many of those dainty litter Gyrotrac teeth I would have destroyed. Gyrotac is good for demos but put one in the woods and they are too soft for the constant pounding that 9-10 hours a day will put on your head. By the way after running both for several weeks I sugest you go for a steel track machine and dont mess with the skid steer machines. I was fired by a developer when I was running the ASV because it was way to slow. Same developer has paid me over $10,000 in the past two weeks and I have twenty more acres to clear. By the way those 20 will only take me about 6 days.

 

[jmfox]

It seems that the larger Fecon's have rubber tracks; at least the 250 does. I guess if the ground is at all wet rubber tracks are a better option.

jmf

 

[mulchoregon]

CBTURF,
I am in the process of getting ready to purchase an ftx 140 as well. I agree the gyrotrac demo is good, but in the woods and rubber tracks is a whole other story. Besides gyrotrac pricing is way steep. Can you give me any advice on the ftx 140. When I purchase one it will be the biggest fecon machine in oregon. However there are 2 gyrotrac gt25 running in this state.
Where are you located? Thanks

MulchOregon

 

[Gamma]

I got the same sales itch from Vermeer. I rented an RC 100 for two months and then bought a Fecon FTX 140. It is more than twice as productive as an RC 100 with any head. I have broken 8 fecon teeth in 6 weeks...imagine how many of those dainty litter Gyrotrac teeth I would have destroyed. Gyrotac is good for demos but put one in the woods and they are too soft for the constant pounding that 9-10 hours a day will put on your head. By the way after running both for several weeks I sugest you go for a steel track machine and dont mess with the skid steer machines. I was fired by a developer when I was running the ASV because it was way to slow. Same developer has paid me over $10,000 in the past two weeks and I have twenty more acres to clear. By the way those 20 will only take me about 6 days.

cbturf,

I was wondering if you switched from the RC100 to the Fecon FTX140 solely because of the developer firing you on that one job?

If he hadn't fired you, would you have stayed with the RC100?

It sounds like you do large acreage jobs, I can see where the FTX140 would be advantageous for those jobs over the RC100. But for someone starting a one man operation, do you think the RC100 would be the right machine for them to initially start with?

 

[Digdeep]

I agree with you Gamma. The RC100 would probably be more affordable for the "one man operation". I've seen the FTX go to town in a woodlot. Boy they are productive, and spendy. In a case of "the shoes on the other foot", my ASV salesman has sold two RC100s to ex FECON owners because of massive hydraulic leaks around 400-500 hours. He said one customer called the machine a "hydraulic sprinkler". I imagine they are just fine if a person maintains them like they should any machine.

 

[cbturf]

The RC 100 does a real good job on real small stuff. I have decided that the money that I want is in developments. They are usually under time constraints and are willing to pay more for the service. The FTX is so much more productive and tougher than the ASV that I do not think that two of them will take the place of one 140. It has been over 90 here the last week and I had no problems with overheating...the asv was starting to warm up when it gets much over 80. The point that I am trying to make is that a purpose built machine will almost always outperform an adapted machine.

 

[cbturf]

Did not read all of the posts before I submitted the last one still have a few questions to answer. Yes I had my feelings hurt real bad when I was fired and the owner of the development firm told me straight up he liked the grinding and if I had a biger machine he would be glad to use me. Since I already knew that he had over 100 acres under contract it was a no brainer. I would like to think that I am smart enough to realize that the RC100 was to small for what I wanted to do but I probably would not have realized it had I not gotten fired and I would have two machines by now. The RC100 has niche in the grinding market, if you are clearing blackberries and no larger that 3-4 inch stuff you can do it. But if you are clearing 100 acres and the grading crew will be there in 10 days and you had better have enough cleared for them to get started you will get fired just like me...I bet your feelings get hurt too. As far as a one man operation I think that machine choice is irrevelant, what you need to consider is truck and trailer size and the size of your jobs. Not to mention the size of the investment. I had to buy a 10 ton goose and an f-450 along with my new FTX cant pull that baby on the bumper of an f-250 with a 5.4L. I would suggest that you do what I did and try to get a good and big job lined up before you have your machine delivered, this requires the developer to trust you but a few good videos and a lunch or two will get the job done. I got my first job lined up and had the new FTX delivered directly to the job site. I did not buy the trailer until the first job was done and I got paid. Sounds a little cheap but I knew that I had six months payments line up before my machine left the dealer lot.

 

[jmfox]

Seems like a good business plan. As to my concerns about roots and stumps, I guess the grading crew can take care of that. In the old days (pre-grinder) I used a metal track hylift to dig everything out, pile it and burn it. This is only an option in the northeast these days where there is no real threat of forest fire.

jmf