Compact tractors & small mulchers

[RichardT]

Anyone used a small mulcher (eg Seppi Miniforst) in combination with a compact (more specifically mid-range reverse drive alpine type, +/-60hp)?

 

Plenty of YouTube footage to suggest the combo works ok, but I'd be interested in any experiences/opinions, what they can/ cannot realistically cope with, etc. Also suggestions on other manufacturers & suppliers.

 

I've lots of work in mind here - establishing rides through birch/spruce regen, opening access across oldish brash for quad/foot/pony traffic, hammering rhodi spread, etc - and I've previously hired in 360 + mulcher head, but there are access issues for these machines and the skidsteer/mulcher hire outfits I've spoken to seem pretty selective about where they'll put their machines, also costly for long hire.

 

ps very few used small mulchers around, so presumably resale values if bought new would be ok?

[treedweller]

Mulchers need lots of power!! I do some work for a guy who has a 2.4m mulcher and he used it at first with a 130hp ford which didn't have the grunt!! A few tractors later and he now runs it with a 300hp case magnum and he says the mulcher needs it. These small machines are very specialist and thats why their big money to hire and they don't come up second hand. To be fair I'd be dubious of how effective they actually are. 60hp might be the min hp rating but to use it effectivley it might really need 90-100hp If i was an estate owner i couldn't justify the tens of thousands of pounds to buy a rig just to put a few rides in. If it's too soft or too tight for a full size machine then why not invest in some man hrs to do it the old fashioned way lol

[RichardT]

Mulchers need lots of power!!

 

Well, that presumably depends on what's being mulched, and how fast. A 10t 360 running a hydro mulching head doesn't have all that much power. And I wonder why all these 1.3m-odd machines are made if they need a full-size tractor to drive them.....

 

The economics I can pretty much figure out myself, the old-fashioned way I'll leave to those a couple of decades younger, thanks anyway.

[arbwork]

Yes work well but as with all mulching the bigger the diameter the more power required. Resale values on good machinery is high, but look at the cost of new ! and you see why, if going for reverse drive check how easy it is to operate the hydraulic controls and or have remote levers to operate spool valves

[Treemon]

What horsepower is your tractor ?

[arbwork]

2 more from the same site clearing understory up to about 100mm dia. tractor hp is 85 big for its size! but good with chipper and flail!

Edited February 21, 2013 by arbwork

[RichardT]

Yes, that's pretty much my ideal rig right there. Let me know if it becomes surplus! Annoyingly I just missed out on a mint used BCS Volcan with Meri Crusher, minus loader and cab. Hens teeth, etc.

 

That's a Seppi, yes? Cutting width?

 

There seem to be a couple of cheaper Italian brands around that don't have proper UK distribution, maybe not contractor grade but I don't really need that. I may explore a direct buy.

[treedweller]

2 more from the same site clearing understory up to about 100mm dia. tractor hp is 85 big for its size! but good with chipper and flail!

 

Well like i said it's prob a 1.5m flail and it's running off close to 90hp tractor:001_smile:

Could you describe the terrain in more detail and why it's an alpine in perticular that that your looking for? I like alpines i do the fact that you can get a 95hp 4wd tractor with artic steer that has the same foot print as a conventional 50hp tractor is amazing.

But there are guys on this very forum that will testify that they sold their alpines because they couldn't justify having them and not working. I have looked into them with a view to going the small scale low impact route but it's a very small martket and thats all they do.

Having said that if it was used as a daily grafter on an estate aswell as running the flail etc then i suppose it's down to personal choice.

[RichardT]

if it was used as a daily grafter

 

That's the plan, we're talking Hardscrabble Farm not Buccleugh Estates!

 

Present workhorse is a Goldoni 70hp conventional compact w/ loader (pic in profile), handy but I've had to max the tread for slopes, and no reverse drive: I like to be able to get out of trouble as fast as I got into it (viz Donald Sutherland's Sherman) and spending the day mulching with my head turned 180* does not appeal...

[mendiplogs]

2 more from the same site clearing understory up to about 100mm dia. tractor hp is 85 big for its size! but good with chipper and flail!

 

HI ARB nice kit there mate well done mate jon