Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[monkeybusiness]

Anyway, forget this van nonsense - show is some more pics of ace diggers Eddie! 

[LGP Eddie]

Just get a Unimog and use that magic legislation dissolving white diesel in it!?

 

This has taken some time, but finally Gregor McArthur and John Craig came together to install my new Mecanil SG280 Felling Head.

I’ve run someone else’s Mecanil for them on all sorts of carriers, and done a lot of work in getting tweaks/mods sorted, eventually getting them Factory done into this latest version for myself.

 

This setup is done so it runs through the SVAB Joysticks in the cab, no additional pedals or buttons are required to be installed, which transmits via radio remote to the head, allowing continuous 360 Operation.

 

It would of had a top quick hitch and the whole setup done through the Engcon Ec-Oil system so I didn’t even need to get out of the cab to install it, but experience has shown, you mainly leave the head on for long periods, the weight saving is essential on this carrier machine and it’s about the equivalent of changing a breaker on a JCB 3cx in terms of time, so no real hassle.

 

Hopefully this combined with the Engcon/TMK setup it already has, should make it a fair weapon.

 

 

 

Eddie.

[LGP Eddie]

Video from my friend Matt out in the USA, showing a comparison between his regular Flail and Fixed tooth Mulcher on his 5 tonne Kubota setup.

 

A really nice touch on the Fixed tooth Mulcher is an small Hydraulic Thimb setup on the back of it which is ideal for moving material about.

 

You can see the difference Fixed tooth brings in such applications, also the fact they show a lot more face to the material makes it easier to cut down tops or work your way into things like Rhodies.

One thing I always found, when you work your way down to what is generally the point of refusal, and then have to start taking stabs for the last bit, between allowing the rotor to spin up, go down lower and work upwards on the side of the material to reduce its diameter and then come down on it again.

This helps prevent the long strands splitting off as you’re working on something solid.

Again the larger face or opening door of the Fixed tooth type allow this, where a Flail you’re stuck with nibbling straight down.

 

 

https://youtu.be/9123UzXn6Es

 

 

 

Eddie.

[Gray git]

How much will the type of flail fitted affect the performance and finish as it looks like he has v typ as apposed to whale tail typ

[LGP Eddie]

On 04/04/2019 at 22:58, Gray git said:

How much will the type of flail fitted affect the performance and finish as it looks like he has v typ as apposed to whale tail typ

In that application you can’t beat having something fixed and preferably sharp.

I’ve always run sharps in preference to carbides, it’s the old saying you’d not try and cut wood with a hammer when you have an axe, and I suppose you could say you wanted that axe to have a good solid shaft, not broken with the head flopping about, hence Fixed tooth.

The closest I suppose you could get to a chipper on a machine is the Denis Cimaf type setup, but everything contacts something it shouldn’t at some time, and those really sharp teeth aren’t going to like it!

I found on my FAE I would get around 60 days on a set of the sharp teeth including reversing them. They give good performance throughout and then went on to cut any grass etc through the summer perfectly when absolutely blunt.

All this is based on Excavator with Mulcher Heads where you have limited power to play with and can come down on the material and minimise ground contact.

Carbides are essential in most other carriers due to the amount of ground engaging they do.

If he was running Y flails then yes they’ll be a lot less effective than some good heavy boot flails.

 

 

Eddie.

[Gray git]

In that application you can’t beat having something fixed and preferably sharp.
I’ve always run sharps in preference to carbides, it’s the old saying you’d not try and cut wood with a hammer when you have an axe, and I suppose you could say you wanted that axe to have a good solid shaft, not broken with the head flopping about, hence Fixed tooth.
The closest I suppose you could get to a chipper on a machine is the Denis Cimaf type setup, but everything contacts something it shouldn’t at some time, and those really sharp teeth aren’t going to like it!
I found on my FAE I would get around 60 days on a set of the sharp teeth including reversing them. They give good performance throughout and then went on to cut any grass etc through the summer perfectly when absolutely blunt.
All this is based on Excavator with Mulcher Heads where you have limited power to play with and can come down on the material and minimise ground contact.
Carbides are essential in most other carriers due to the amount of ground engaging they do.
If he was running Y flails then yes they’ll be a lot less effective than some good heavy boot flails.
 
 
Eddie.

I've run fixed carbide on tractor mounted mulchers but I've had a few people say and probably rightly that the size machine we are running won't cope with fixed teeth as takes a lot more power. If I was going 8ton class I'd definitely go solid but don't think a 2.6 will be up to it even going steady

[LGP Eddie]

Just now, Gray git said:

15 minutes ago, LGP Eddie said:

In that application you can’t beat having something fixed and preferably sharp.
I’ve always run sharps in preference to carbides, it’s the old saying you’d not try and cut wood with a hammer when you have an axe, and I suppose you could say you wanted that axe to have a good solid shaft, not broken with the head flopping about, hence Fixed tooth.
The closest I suppose you could get to a chipper on a machine is the Denis Cimaf type setup, but everything contacts something it shouldn’t at some time, and those really sharp teeth aren’t going to like it!
I found on my FAE I would get around 60 days on a set of the sharp teeth including reversing them. They give good performance throughout and then went on to cut any grass etc through the summer perfectly when absolutely blunt.
All this is based on Excavator with Mulcher Heads where you have limited power to play with and can come down on the material and minimise ground contact.
Carbides are essential in most other carriers due to the amount of ground engaging they do.
If he was running Y flails then yes they’ll be a lot less effective than some good heavy boot flails.
 
 
Eddie.

Read more  

I've run fixed carbide on tractor mounted mulchers but I've had a few people say and probably rightly that the size machine we are running won't cope with fixed teeth as takes a lot more power. If I was going 8ton class I'd definitely go solid but don't think a 2.6 will be up to it even going steady

The most essential thing these days I’d to try and spec a Variable Torque Motor.

I had a straightforward 30 percent increase in productivity when switching from standard, literally night and day.

 

 

Eddie.

[Stephen Blair]

Coukd you explain how a variable torque motor works and helps please Eddie.

cheers.

[LGP Eddie]

Simplest answer is the Variable Torque Motor is always trying to get the maximum from the flow available itself, no settings to make, just give it what you’ve got in terms of oil from the carrier machine.

The bit to be concerned with is it holds on an awful lot longer when in material by producing more torque, and this translates into the ability to almost eliminate a stall situation when operating.

However if you do pull the head speed right down, the recovery time is literally instantaneous, which all put together over the course of a shift make a huge difference.

I waited a couple of weeks to get my version and had to put a very good client who I was part way through a large Rhodie clearance on hold.

However once the new Head was Installed with VT Motor they came to me after around three days and said if we didn’t actually know you’d switched the head on the machine, we could accuse you of tossing it off on your last visit, such is the production increase!

 

This was actually install day, first time this had ever been done through Ec-Oil with no hoses or wires to connect.

It had doubters but went on and is still performing perfectly to this day.

The doors are controlled by the rollers in the Joysticks that normally do the Tilt and Rotate, with the actual Mulcher activated via a latching on/off button on the Joystick.

Its actually only being fed here from a tiny bit of flow that’s coming from the feeder valve for the Engcon unit to activate the door, but you can see/hear how crisp it is.

Totally different when you turn her up flat out and press the actual joystick  button for full flow, it really flew then!

Still be a good setup today.?

 

Playing for the camera!?

 

 

 

 

Eddie.

Edited April 6, 2019 by LGP Eddie

[LGP Eddie]

For those that haven’t seen the Denis Cimaf Head, what actual sharps can do, or see some great footage of how a VT Motor simply holds in longer and spins back up instantaneously, even on standard carrier machines, this is a great video.

The simple fact is it’s not going to like ploughing in the ground or smashing the back out of Rhodie roots you’ve turned over.

It is however the closest to having a chipper on the end as you’ll get.

 

We figured, one of these in first to clear the way to just above ground, making a very easy job for a Tracked Skidsteer following which hate standing trees, would be a really productive team.

 

The FAE, with sharps is as close as you can get whilst still able to do a reasonable amount of ground engagement for an all round machine.

 

Oh and that Petrol Grinder they give you!??

 

 

 

Eddie.