The Forestry Forum

It's time to spend some money, and I have been looking at 2 different specific excavators.  One is a new Kubota 57-4, a 12,000 machine, and the other is a 2 year old KX80 that has been fleet maintained with 750 hours and is a 20,000 lb machine.   I could get the larger but used KX80 for about $10,000 less than than the new 57.  Neither are DEF machines.  I have not eyeballed the KX80 yet, it is awaiting delivery back to the dealer, which is the same dealer who would sell me the KX57. 

The 57 come with a 2 year warranty and would do what I need on the farm, and the 80 would do more than I need, but normally, bigger is better.  I would fit each with a cutter or mulcher of some sort, but be doing lots of stump and tree removal on the farm as well.

I have heard that the reliability of both of these machines is very good, and my dealer said they would go over the 80 from top to bottom to make sure it is in good shape.  The previous owner had a house construction company and has a fleet of machines that contains 3 of these 80's and he trades them back in every 2 years, no matter the hours.  This one would have 350 hours per year for 2 years of digging and excavating for house and subdivision construction.

What do you think?

To me a backhoe is more versatile in this size range.

My Kobelco weighs 52,000 lbs and I have never once wished it was smaller. Digging ponds I have wished it was bigger however.

Putting a mulching head on you want everything to be bigger. Pump, cooling, pins, bushing, etc.

Think LT 15 vs HD 40. 

I will disagree with Tule Peak on that. I would never trade my mini & skid loader for a backhoe. 

The main determining factor for me would be do you have a way to easily haul the larger machine, or will you not need to move it after it's at the farm? The 80 should have more hydraulic flow for the mulcher.

Are they both long stick machines? The 80 should also give you more reach unless it's a short stick. 

As long as the 80 has seen a grease gun I would probably lean that way, especially if it comes with a couple buckets. When it comes to stumps bigger is always better. Every size you go up drastically increases efficiency. I have not ran either machine you are talking about but have time on a Kubota 121-3 & 161-3. The 161 (12k lb) is much better with stumps then the 121 (10K lb)

Yellowhammer you know better 😂. You would be disappointed with a cutter head on that little machine.  The 80 would be way more versatile

Bigger is better if you're doing any stump removal or stacking large logs. Not just in the weight, but also in the overall footprint for stability. Having more track length and blade helps to brace yourself, and not be up on your "tip toes". 

I know you value your time.  Get the bigger one.  You will do more in less time.

Hmmm...So I should get the smaller one?   :D :D  OK, I get it, yes bigger is better, and I guess the warranty isn't worth the tradeoff.

The current owner has a maintenance fleet truck on site for all his equipment, and has a reputation for taking very good care of them, especially with grease.

Is the 80 a -4 machine? (KX80-4) they have improved hydraulics  from what I've heard. That would be my first choice, for what I do. 

Fun! I have a hard time affording my backhoe but there are a lot of things around the yard that I'd love to also have an excavator for. 

My assumption is that with the used one they've worked out any bugs that you'd need a warranty for anyway. New would be cool but I don't think at the expense of 4 tons of a$$.

I would get a rock bottom quote on a new one from your buddy. Might not be that terrible to get in the new one since you got everything else there. 

A backhoe is like the Swiss army knife of construction equipment and if you were only to have one machine to do a variety of jobs that would be the one but if have other gear for moving dirt around it would not be my first choice for digging or mulching.

There is a guy in Nova Scotia that runs mulching heads on a variety of smaller excavators mostly Kubota and Sany, he has a bunch of videos on youtube that might give you some insight.

UCkE1wPmBvuaUI6dCh_j-OwQ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkE1wPmBvuaUI6dCh_j-OwQ)

KX80 with a hydraulic thumb would be my advice.

I think the used one is a KX80-4, I need to check on that.  I did some reading after you mentioned it and yes, the -4 has some upgrades.  

I can get a new KX57 with all the options including thumb and 6 way blade for $85K, which is about $4K under anywhere else I talked to.  

A new KX-80 with all the options, such as the tilt front blade, thumb, and stuff is $125K.
The used KX-80 with all the options I can get into for $73K, a difference of $52K, which is huge.  I think my buddy is selling it to me for about what he traded for it, because he said if I didn't buy it, he would easily sell it for $85K plus.  I looked online and saw several of similar hours, and they all were $100K give or take.

It's my understanding these machines are pretty reliable out to 5,000 hours, and then they can keep going.  

I'm thinking that the KX-80 only has 350 hours per year, and that seems very lightly used.  I've only have my CTL for a few months and already have about half that, 150 hours.  

I have also been checking into hammer flails instead of true mulchers.  They used 4 lb swinging hammers like a grinder and can chew through pretty big stuff, and are a crossover between bladed rotary cutters and fixed blade mulchers.    

That is a huge difference! I would definitely get that one. I would get a knife mulcher. It will take bigger trees down and mow with sharp knives. The Diamond brush cutter for excavators is another option. The  mulcher is going to drop some bigger limbs up high then chew them up with the skid or hit them on the ground with the ex. This shouldn't be a problem with you but if your tracking at the same time you won't be able to cut as good. Not enough hydraulic flow. That's why a CAT 309 is popular is it has two pumps so tracking and mowing or mulching is no problem. A friend that has a mulching business said his 80 has done well. He has a bite limiter knife head on it. I'm sure you heard of V Belt and sons on U tube. They got a new Mecalac excavator and kept their Kubota 80 excavator. I think you would be pretty happy! Looking forward to pictures. I understand on looking for a alternative for the mulching heads! They are expensive!!

https://info.diamondmowers.com/hubfs/Diamond%20Mowers%20-%20Excavator%20Rotary%20Mower%20-%20Brochure.pdf (https://info.diamondmowers.com/hubfs/Diamond%20Mowers%20-%20Excavator%20Rotary%20Mower%20-%20Brochure.pdf)

If you want to see what your Kubota 80 excavator can do to have a idea here you go.
Record setting White Oak. 12,500lb. He also has several other videos of his Kubota 80 in action on some big stuff. I remembered this guy because he just got a new 2220 Timberking. 

https://youtu.be/W6s3A6jaV7M (https://youtu.be/W6s3A6jaV7M)

Does the rotary three bladed cutter vibrate much and may be hard on the boom and pins?

What is a knife bite limiter, a drum mulcher?

What about hammer flails?  Have you heard of them, good or bad?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZFHj0gvxU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZFHj0gvxU)

What type of head to get comes down to how you plan on using it. If you intention is just cleaning up small saplings, brush, and small branches the flail head would work fine. If you plan on mulching larger trees and stumps below grade then a true mulching head is the way to go. 

Here is a few things to look into and a comment on a similar setup. https://www.bushmasterequipment.com/ (https://www.bushmasterequipment.com/)

https://www.torrentmulchers.com/ (https://www.torrentmulchers.com/)

A bite limiter on a knife head limits the bite of the knife so it helps keeps maximum speed and power. 

Not even going to go there but I have a feeling a  bite limiter mulching head is more money than you want to spend 


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/07137F4E-695F-4CDC-AC4B-AF6FB9AB367F.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1662672506)
 

There is the one of the bite limiter ones you want if you decide. Guaranteed you would be  happy with it. I know those guys.  
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The thumb goes on the back of unit

I talked to my Kubota guy and the 5 series units are going to be coming out and they are going to be pretty nice.  digital control screens, adjustable controls and so on. The 4 units were around 100k out the door and he said now I would probably be around 115k out the door

Here is a good walk around and explanation on your 80 machine of how the hydraulics on your machine and the FAE Bite limiter head. There is another video of the difference in two popular heads BL and regular.  You don't have to have the couplers they show. Some guys like them but if your changing your head out you don't want them

https://youtu.be/NPmOio3TMoU (https://youtu.be/NPmOio3TMoU)

Have you made any decisions yet Yellowhammer on what your plans are on the excavators

I've been waiting for the KX80 to come in, supposedly this next week.  I've sat in the 57-5 and it has more room than the kx80-4.  

I'm waffling between cutters.  Most likely I will go with a bladed rotary cutter or a flail hammer mulcher.  I just don't want to spend $25k on a true mulcher.  With all the rocks around here I'm thinking the rotary 3 blade style will work well because there will be less blades to dull and sharpen. I also want to cut down some big limbs 8" to 10" diameter.

I'm hoping that the machine will be strong enough to just reach up and break a lot of the limbs off.  

Yellow, I see a 2015 KX080-4R3A in an add up here (Pa) 4610hrs for $58500. Low hrs is a big plus.

I have a Kubota R420S  wheel loader and would love to find another with low hrs.

I'm hoping to get in one with low hours.  I saw some the other day that were beat up pretty bad.  

I keep looking at cutters, I see lots of road crews using the bladed rotary cutters, and I guess it must be for a reason.

  

YH
Check out Baumalight the make some nice mulcher/frail combo units
They are built tough

We have a KX057 we bought new in 2014. We upgraded from a KX121 because we maxed out the weight capacity with rocks and logs more than 75% of the time.  The KX057 works great and is easily moveable with the truck and trailer we had.  With that said I think the KX080 would do everything better, but we didn't want to pay somebody to haul it.  If stumps are on your list I'd recommend the KX080.  

We run a FAE muncher head on ours.  After loggers came through to fulfill the land management plan we wanted to clean up the sugarbush and come trails.  The video above is from the dealer we have used for the last 15 years or so.  There are times I wonder how the KX080 would run the mulched we have regarding hydraulic flow.  Like stumps, just a little more time.  

The mulcher was used, maybe 20 hours, and had steel teeth.  We ordered carbide teeth since our area has a lot of rocks.  The steel teeth work great and is what I prefer when rocks are not an issue or you want a nicer cut (not a phrase used with many mulchers).  The carbide teeth work well and I have had several contacts with rocks and no issues.  I use a M18 grinder to sharpen the steel teeth and notice the cut quality and efficiency improves.  

Mike

I have a 2022 Komatsu PC138 coming in this week. I'm not getting a mulcher. It will have a 36" bucket and a hyd. thumb. I don't really have a use for the mulcher on my property. I can either break the limbs or dig the tree/stump. Also have some plans to dig a pond. Will let y'all know how it works.

Sounds pretty nice 👍

Yep, Jake is going big time.  It's going to be a sweet machine.

What Jake says has me thinking, at what horsepower and weight point does an excavator not need a mulcher, simply reach up and break off the limbs or dig up or push over the trees?  

If a mini excavator mulcher can "only" handle 4" to 6" trees, is it more time economical to just push them over?  I assume even a smaller KX57 but certainly the larger KX80 I'm looking at would be able to knock over or even just pull put out of the ground, a 6" diameter tree or reach up and break off a 6" diameter limb?

So is an excavator mulcher more to clean up the debris and not leave holes everywhere?  Or the other way around, what size tree can a KX57 or KX80 pluck out of the ground?

I will need to get an excavator mower for general dam and slope mowing around the farm, but there is a 2X or 3X difference in price between a good excavator flail mower and an excavator mulcher, and a mower will leave a better finish in the grass around my pond bank than a mulcher.

Yes indeed he isn't playing around 💪. Look at it this way. A mulcher or mower is going to clean up the area. Depends on what you want. Sure you can rip limbs down and pick up and pile. And jack around when they don't come off. But your not going to get the results of a mulcher. Piles, piles. Mulching one and done. 

My mini ex experience is limited to one machine. I think it was a Wacker-Nueson, I don't remember the model (it's been a while) it was around #10,000. I was very impressed with the digging ability of that little machine. I grew up helping my Grandpa doing skeptics and such, he had a John Deere 410 backhoe. The little excavator would dig as well as that 410.

This guy I know down in Texas has a 138 and has been very happy with it doing everything. Here is a video of it mulching. That's what a good mulching job looks like with knives. 

https://www.facebook.com/225106991201068/posts/1447954845582937/ (https://www.facebook.com/225106991201068/posts/1447954845582937/)



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That's impressive.  What he is doing is what I see myself doing, about with the same size trees.

en you say mulching with knives, it's a flail cutter with the "Y" shaped blades?  Since he's doing it for money, I assume he prefers this style over fixed cutters and knives better overall than hammers?  What brand cutter is he using?

There are many brands of knife flails that I have seen in my searches, Bruno suggests Baumalight, and they seem pretty nice, is there a couple other brands that stick out above the rest?  Then I'll call my dealership and see what he can get.

Here is the same head on Kubota 55 excavator. It's a Prinoth 450e bite limiter. Needs no case drain.

https://youtu.be/7yyw6ChoQnM (https://youtu.be/7yyw6ChoQnM)



https://www.prinoth.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/PRINOTH-VM-Excavator-mulcher-EN-web_2020.pdf (https://www.prinoth.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/PRINOTH-VM-Excavator-mulcher-EN-web_2020.pdf)

That's how clean a disc mulcher can cut a big tree down
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Was supposed to go under Skidsteers 😂

What sized mulching head could I put on this excavator?

Komatsu micro shovel PC01 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WImK4jfbXxU)

I'd be embarrassed to run that while being filmed.....

Aww come on, that thing would be awesome for anyone under the age of 9.

Seems like you could put it in your pocket.

When I first saw it, I thought it needed laces so you could wear a pair of them.  The bucket is measured in quarts instead of cubic yards.

Works better than a shovel.
But I have to use a shovel. Just because a shovel is cheaper.

Quote from: thecfarm on September 25, 2022, 08:50:59 PM
Works better than a shovel.
But I have to use a shovel. Just because a shovel is cheaper.

I dunno, if someone were to bet me I couldn't out dig that thing, I'd be inclined to take that bet provided I got to pick my shovel, boots and sports drink.

Kinda like splitting wood by hand against a wood splitter.
I betcha the machine will last longer.
Looks like it was digging dirt that was hauled in. 
No easy digging like that at my place.

I wonder how that thing would do in hard, dry red clay.  I have a job coming up in a 1798 basement with 6'6" of head room.   I thought the 010 that you guys had shown in the skid steer thread would be the ticket, but this smaller one would be even better if it can break out the dry red clay.

According to Komatsu the PC01 puts out 3.5 hp, has a 3.5' max digging depth, and weighs 840 pounds. Used for construction, pipe laying (utilities) and gardening (landscaping). 
Where the micro size mini's shine is being able to be hauled into an urban area on a small truck, and then drive through a gate or doorway to get into a confined jobsite. They're also used on demo jobs where they an be lifted by crane onto a upper story or flat roof, or lowered into a trench. The advantage being they can get the job done quicker, and not have to pay for an extra laborer.

This is the Kubota 010 I showed in the other thread.  It looks like a monster compared to that one.  You can see me in the reflection of the doorway, and it's made enter doors and rip up stuff.


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I like that the operator is wearing a hard hat and its about as the same size as the bucket.

The 450E is more than I want to spend, it's $23K.  I haven't seen any decent disk mulchers similar to the in Walnut shows on the skid steer, except made by Rut, and they look pretty cheesy.   

I got the excavator attachment for my 277c track loader.  It can dig 9 feet.  it was about 14 K 8 years ago.  who knows now.  but you stay in the seat of the track loader, and the hydraulic controls tip into the front door.

Quote from: Tom King on September 25, 2022, 09:27:27 PM
I wonder how that thing would do in hard, dry red clay.  I have a job coming up in a 1798 basement with 6'6" of head room.   I thought the 010 that you guys had shown in the skid steer thread would be the ticket, but this smaller one would be even better if it can break out the dry red clay.

If you have the access to get something that size into the basement call some rental places and see if they have an electric mini available, most around here do. We have one at work and it gets used a lot more then you would think. It's small enough it sits on a skid that you can fit in the back of a truck and can track trough a 3-0 door. Plugs in to a 220v outlet. It's our go to inside office buildings were we can't have any fumes, break it loose with the electric mini and suck out the spoils with a vac truck.

Like the skid there are many
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 attachments for the mini 

Thanks.  I didn't know about electric ones either.  Electric would be ideal.  A Bobcat e10e is 7'3" tall, but I won't mind taking the rollbar off under there.  No rental places anywhere near me, but I have leased stuff from the Bobcat dealer before, and like dealing with them.

The plan is to dig low footings for posts to transfer the weight of the house onto, and then dig continuous footings over those for a replacement stone foundation.

YH talked to my Kubota guy and he said that 57 excavator is a good one. The 22 is going to be the 5 with the digital screen and adjustable controls. 

Quote from: Tom King on September 26, 2022, 05:36:46 PM
Thanks.  I didn't know about electric ones either.  Electric would be ideal.  A Bobcat e10e is 7'3" tall, but I won't mind taking the rollbar off under there.  No rental places anywhere near me, but I have leased stuff from the Bobcat dealer before, and like dealing with them.

Ours at work has a folding ROPS bar, I'm not sure what brand it is. Your bigger rental places like Sunbelt will have access to them for sure. My mini is an old Yanmar that I got from work, it has had the ROPS taken off several times to fit under things.
YH - To answer your earlier question, a larger excavator with a thumb is never going to do as clean of a job as a mulching/mowing head. You'll always have piles of slash to burn, or for the wildlife. I'm sure you have a good relationship with your Kubota dealer, I get that. If it's an option you might want to look at Yanmar also. A couple locals are real happy with their SV100's. A couple of site guys are all Deere on the larger end, but run SV100's as their small machines. Pretty much all of the local rental fleets are Yanmar in the 3-6 ton range. 

The Yanmar SV 100 I have heard nothing but good things about it. Actually all the sizes the guys are happy with. When I was real close to getting a CAT 309 until they ticked me off. The Yanmar 100 was my next choice. Now if I get one it's the first choice. It would be pretty close in running a mulcher as the 309. For thousands less. Just was checking on that unit yesterday. Good luck getting one. Dealer in Texas said they have been waiting two years on the 100 of two that they have on order. Said they were 108-110 then but he couldn't guess what the price is until they get the invoice on them. Same thing from a Florida dealer,

Flail mower on 6 ton Yanmar
https://youtu.be/p4Mag9JVTZM (https://youtu.be/p4Mag9JVTZM)

^ That seems way slower than a skid steer with a disc mulcher?

My parents had 1/2 acre of privet cleared by a guy with a CAT ~100hp something and a 60" disc mulcher with the bigger trees of ~4 dozen over Ø4" left behind.  It only took him 25 minutes with working around (and not damaging) the trees that were left.  In the thinner stuff, he held the back edge about a foot off the ground with the leading edge a little over a foot higher allowing him to advance between 2-3mph steadily for the first pass.  Lowered for the second pass was just a little quicker.

While they are similar tools they excel at different jobs. The guy in the video could have done that project quicker and more efficiently with a track loader instead of the mini. A track loader with mulching head will excel at ground level work, a mini with mulching head will excel at upper level trimming and reaching over slopes inaccessible with a track loader. Most guys would not use a mini for the work shown, unless that's all they had.

WB - I don't disagree with you at all. Now is not the time I would want to be buying any equipment unless I had too. I think it's going to take another 2-4 years for prices and availability to get back even close to normal. But if you need something to make money with, or have the cash and the use getting what's available (new or used) make sense some times regardless of cost.

I agree Tom! Some of these guys are doing stuff on ground you could get a skid on but maybe it was for the cameras. Just giving YH a idea of the flail mower on a smaller unit

That's good point, don't forget I have a pretty decent cutter mulcher for my track loader.  From the videos I've watched, an excavator mulcher or mower is much slower than my skid steer, which also has a 12" tree capacity vs 4" capacity on an excavator mulcher. However, the excavator with mower is better at bank and steep slope mowing, slopes steep enough for my track loader not to me able to climb and will not destroy my turf as bad.   

So I'm trying to balance the capabilities of the two machines.

A new twist happened today, I talked to my dealer about the used KX80 and he was not a happy camper.  The guy who was going to sell it backed out of the deal, so now I won't be able to buy it.   I'm not a happy camper either.  Par for the course.  

I don't know what the ground is like around your pond bank and other places you want to mow but if your looking to have some sort of finished lawn I don't think a heavy machine like a excavator is going to be the right tool, it's going to tear up anything soft at all unless you can go in and out a straight line. Some operators are pretty good at not messing things up but just the width of one track turning makes it hard not to.

FYI I got mine in today and it is pretty awesome. Still some learning to do before I get good at it but we are starting to mesh. In my flat mostly sandy land I feel like I can clear a place faster than I can with the bush hog type mower on the CTL. Keep in mind that I haven't run that mower more than about 15 hours as I don't like the wear it seems to put on the loader.

I've had different backhoes over the years so it seems natural to just set this machine up with backhoe controls. It's a easy flick of a switch to change from one to the other. Wondering if there is any disadvantages in doing this?
I learned last night that I can break/cut hardwoods in half easier than our SYP. I wasn't expecting that and found it interesting.

Pattern selectors are there to be used, use whichever patter your comfortable with. 

I prefer Deere controls myself. If I jump in something that has CAT controls I'm lost and its dangerous to be around me, that's why the selectors are there. You don't want an operator re-learning control patterns on a job site next to guys in a trench. 

Pattern selectors are pretty much standard on all mini & full size excavators now. On all of the mini's I've ran it's been a selector valve under the seat. I ran a new Deere 50G for a bit last year, I didn't notice if that was a lever under the seat or a button since it was already set to Deere controls.

That's the way I look at it but have a friend that says it has stronger digging ability with the cat/excavator controls. I don't see how but that's the rumor.

As I'm looking at excavator mulchers to purchase, I have a 20 gpm flow rate on the mini.

I'm calling these companies and investigating these models but are there any I'm missing?

Prinoth M450e
FAE
Baumalight
Torrent EX28
Indeco IMH15
Rockhound
Solaris

I'm calling bs on more digging power. It's just a different route for the hoses for the pilot controls. 

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 30, 2022, 08:20:08 AM
As I'm looking at excavator mulchers to purchase, I have a 20 gpm flow rate on the mini.

I'm calling these companies and investigating these models but are there any I'm missing?

Prinoth M450e
FAE
Baumalight
Torrent EX28
Indeco IMH15
Rockhound
Solaris

See post #24 on the lumber dropping thread if you're really interested in the Prinoth M450e

Big block that's not a good deal on that Prinoth with that many hours. You can buy a new one for 21,500. 

Yellowhammer the Prinoth doesn't require a case drain on the excavator one.  That's the same make of the head I'm getting. German made! 

Quote from: Walnut Beast on September 30, 2022, 01:02:09 PM
Big block that's not a good deal on that Prinoth with that many hours. You can buy a new one for 21,500.

I wasn't sure, I only know that it's available right now and for too many things, that's rare.

Quote from: YellowHammer on September 30, 2022, 08:20:08 AM
As I'm looking at excavator mulchers to purchase, I have a 20 gpm flow rate on the mini.

I'm calling these companies and investigating these models but are there any I'm missing?

Prinoth M450e
FAE
Baumalight
Torrent EX28
Indeco IMH15
Rockhound
Solaris

The first two would be on my list. Prinoth and FAE along with Shearex, Denis Cimaf. Actually those are the only ones I would get and that goes for the skid and bigger carrier heads. Those four heads are the best out there....  

You could throw Fecon in the mix also

Yellowhammer these guys are good guys. They would be able to take care of you or get your dealer to get one from them. Family business that used to be loggers. They might have a demo unit. Ask for Ryan.
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The only way the digging power would be different was if hoses were switched around to circuits that had a lower relief setting. On an electronic control pattern changer I don't see how the digging power could be different.

Quote from: customsawyer on September 27, 2022, 08:22:10 PM
FYI I got mine in today and it is pretty awesome. Still some learning to do before I get good at it but we are starting to mesh. In my flat mostly sandy land I feel like I can clear a place faster than I can with the bush hog type mower on the CTL. Keep in mind that I haven't run that mower more than about 15 hours as I don't like the wear it seems to put on the loader.

Let's see some pictures when you get a chance

Well here she is on the truck and a few pictures after some work. The front blade is coming in this week and will add more stability. I've cleared over a acre, removed the stumps and have it down to dirt in about 2 hours on the meter. I will have some more work to do to burn off the trash but it should go fast with some of the other rolling stock, once I get some moisture around here.  I had my friend come over and I think I showed him that the strength of the machine is the same. Only the controls are different. All of the hoses are the same size on each of the cylinders regardless which joystick you are using.


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That is really nice!!! Glad your liking it! That should serve you very well 💪💪. Great pictures 👍

Jake's machine showed up about an hour to two after we left, so I couldn't drive it.  Actually, we passed it on the the highway and said "I winder if that's his?"  It looks nice!

So I've been calling several of the mulcher head companies, and even talked to Ryan (Thanks  @Walnut Beast (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=49695) for the contact info) and what is confusing me is the difference between a $16,000 Indeco and a $23,000 Prinoth or similar.  They use about the same teeth, whether steel or carbide, some of both use piston motors so don't need a case drain, and they are all essentially cutting shafts with two greasable bearings?  They all weigh about the same, too, within a few hundred pounds, anyway.  

So what am I missing?  Better shaft materials, better bearings?  

What's going in the clearing Jake?

YH maybe some of the other makes that you mention might be fine. They could use same or similar parts or not. Bearings, pumps, steel material, design, longevity, spool up time, balancing, just to mention a few things. I'm on five different Facebook mulching sites and you see and hear it all. The ones I mentioned are what most guys run that have one skid to guys that have millions in equipment. You sometimes hear of somebody running a off make head and then getting one of the five mentioned and can't believe the difference. Take for instance the Prinoth head I'm getting it makes a finer mulch and has a better vacuum at picking up wood than the other ones mentioned but some guys  don't like how many teeth it has because of cost and sharpening from the bottom. They do have ones now to sharpen from the top. They have skinny teeth that really cut but they don't have the vacuum affect as the wider ones. Many variables on all aspects. Most generally there are reasons of cheaper vs more expensive. 

Here is another company you could look at that makes good stuff and is partnered with ASV on promoting their  mulchers. The excavator page

https://www.loftness.com/product/battle-ax-20-series/ (https://www.loftness.com/product/battle-ax-20-series/)

SS the plan is to clear the area right behind the mill shed and place the dirt from the pond I'm digging. This will increase my working space and give me some where to put the dirt. I also want to have a pile of dirt to fill the holes that seem to develop in a log yard. They say it's just dirt but when you start having to buy it by the truck load it isn't fun. I would hate to add up how much I have spent in fill dirt, top soil and rocks for my yard. It would be nice to have a pile of fill and another of top soil that I can just use out of instead of using a check. I also have always wanted a pond on my own place so we're going to fix that too.

Sounds awesome. Try some Geotek fiber under your final surfacing on the mill yard and driveway. Makes all the difference in the world. 

Jake
A good friend started a small dirt work company 30 years ago.
He started with a Komatsu excavator. 
He's now one of the biggest local contractors around. A fleet of Komatsu equipment. His fleet has some of the largest excavators around .
Komatsu has treated him well. 

Threads like this keep me going.
It sets goals for me as to keep at it.
That way I can add some more equipment. 

Jake's plan is a good one.....let's see...get on a big Tonka Toy, dig a humongous hole, move the dirt to increase his usable acreage, let the hole fill with water, put some fish in it, and increase his land value at the same time.  Then after a day of sawing, go out to the pond, throw some dynamite in, net some floating fish, have a fish fry and relax.  What could possibly be more fun than that?  (I added in the throw the dynamite thing, but I bet it wouldn't take much to get Jake to sign up for that) 

Meanwhile, I'm waiting her in the wings for my smaller Tonka Toy to show up with my Tree O Matic super duper log grinder.

  

Quote from: YellowHammer on October 02, 2022, 08:42:15 AM
...................
Meanwhile, I'm waiting her in the wings for my smaller Tonka Toy to show up with my Tree O Matic super duper log grinder.

Gezz, I love when you big dogs use all the fancy technical terms! I seldom understand it but still feel empowered knowing guys like y'all. ;D :D

Quote from: YellowHammer on October 02, 2022, 08:42:15 AM
Jake's plan is a good one.....let's see...get on a big Tonka Toy, dig a humongous hole, move the dirt to increase his usable acreage, let the hole fill with water, put some fish in it, and increase his land value at the same time.  Then after a day of sawing, go out to the pond, throw some dynamite in, net some floating fish, have a fish fry and relax.  What could possibly be more fun than that?  (I added in the throw the dynamite thing, but I bet it wouldn't take much to get Jake to sign up for that)

Meanwhile, I'm waiting her in the wings for my smaller Tonka Toy to show up with my Tree O Matic super duper log grinder.

 

So what did you get coming in for a grinder or is that going to be a little surprise of finding out till you get the new toy in. That's ok ! 

I like everything except the dynamite thing. All the neighbors will be over here wanting some. 

That's funny!

Since I am on the waiting list for the KX-057, there's not a whole lot I can do except wait and spend time investigating the mulchers.  

I'm still pretty bummed out about the used KX80 deal falling through, and I priced out a new one at $120K.  So a new KX-57 is $80K, and the difference is $40K which is a pretty big difference for a machine used on a farm.  I like the heavier weight of the 080 but also like that I can trailer the -57 at 13,000+ pounds, if I ever need to.  My daughter has already asked to bring it to her place when it comes in.  I have noticed that with equipment like this, friends and relatives have jobs to do, which is fine.  The larger machine would be locked to the farm, as I wouldn't have any way to trailer it.  

I'm looking at some of the more professional mulchers and still have some calls out, to all the companies that are listed. 

Either model excavator I buy, I would need to get a cutter, so I'm thinking of the KX57 with a higher end mulcher and it would easily accomplish my primary goal of grinding trees to ground level faster and trim back branches, although slower digging up stumps.

Either one would build my dream trout pond, which I have always wanted to do on this farm.  I have lots of springs and some of the cleanest and cold water in the area, the same aquifer that Jack Daniel's uses to make whiskey, and I've got one beautiful valley that would be perfect for a private, spring fed trout pond.  Wouldn't that be cool?

Another big issue is that I've sat in both models at the dealer, and the smaller 57-5 has lots of upgrades over the KX80-4 series including a much bigger and more comfortable cab with modern seat and hand control adjustments.  Since I'm 6'4" tall, leg room is essential and the KX57-5 is huge inside the cab and the old model KX80-4 is actually kind of cramped.  It also KX57-5 has an updated control station with dedicated selector buttons and electric control of the aux hydraulic functions whereas the larger but older -4 version in the KX-80 has less interior room, the aux hydros must be switched manually under the hood with a hand valve, and doesn't have nearly the interior ergonomics.  Old school best describes it.   I'm sure Kubota is coming out with a KX80-5 version sometime, but it's not out yet.  Interestingly enough, my wife has given me the green light for either model, even with the increased cost, so it's a difficult decision.      

I've got a couple options downselcted on the mulchers with two finalists so far. The Prinoth that Ryan has is pretty nice and he has one on stock that would fit either machine, for about $23K and Indeco has two models that will fit and have a lead time of less than a month.  I haven't called the Loftess company yet, they have a nice one, but it requires a case drain and has a double cutting head to reduce chip size which seems to me would take more power and may be not what I want.

        

You do realize that you will have to bring the machine to the project and demo the Jelly Donut mulching technique while Jake does the smash and grab technique.  :D

Quote from: customsawyer on October 02, 2022, 09:01:02 PM.... All the neighbors will be over here wanting some.

Dynamite or fish?

 Both!

It's the South!  Hey Ya'll, toss in another stick of dynamite, I saw something still moving over there on the far side of the pond, and while yer at it, pass me a couple more hunks of fried catfish.

Best of both worlds.

Also, the Torret/Solaris commercial mulchers are using round teeth.  I received a bid on one of them, about $25K, but only about 400 pounds so can trim high limbs at full boom reach.  They have super strong titanium shafts and are apparently also sold as the mulcher of choice for Caterpillar excavators.    

Actually the CAT branded mulchers are FAE units. With sharp teeth you are able to mow grass also on that mulcher head. I'll get you the owners personal number of Tennessee Valley Equipment. He might have something for you. He has FAE, Prinoth, Shearex, He knows his stuff and is a good guy. He's the guy I mentioned earlier with the two Timberpro units and all the big equipment. 

If memory serves my excavator will be close to 36,000 pounds when the blade is added. This means for me to move it I will have to hire it done. So if any friends want me to come use it on their place they are the ones that have to pay that fee. I've learned that if I can move it myself then they all think I should do the work for free. If they have to pay for moving it then I don't get near as many request for free work. ;D If it is a job worth doing than the haul bill is part of the job.

I've made a good deal on a Solaris mulcher yesterday, and I believe it's the best choice for me.  It's got a solid titanium rotor so is relatively lightweight which means I can mulch fully extended and won't cause the excavator to be unstable, and it has a unique style tooth that is very resistant to rocks, and my ground is covered with them.  It took a decent amount of negotiation, but they beat my best price, and were very responsive.  

It comes with an extra set of teeth and Kubota Quick Attach coupler, and best of all, it is in stock.  The manufacturer will machine and install the quick attach plate in the next week or so, then ship the whole thing.  I'll carry it to the dealer and get it installed and running. 

Here are a couple videos on it, one with it eating a rock to show how durable the teeth are, and another mounted to a Kubota 57, like the one that I'm getting shortly.

Solaris Torrent Mulcher EX30 - YouTube (https://youtu.be/Nrt3sXiWL1A)

28" Shark on Kubota KX057 - YouTube (https://youtu.be/W7T388RCk0Q)

Let the big dog eat!

In the second video I would recommend that he turn the machine around so he is working off of the Idler sprocket of the tracks. From what I have learned that is better for a excavator. I only watched a few min of the video so he might have later.

Hoo boy! That thing really does it! It hurts my heart a bit to see it plow into that rock, but I guess it shows what's up.

Congratulations YH! Looks like you'll be having some fun with that stuff!

What happens if the rock don't move? 

Yell "Fire in the hole" and squeeze the clacker three times.  :D

The ability to take a rock hit is important.  I set my other mulcher head down on a hidden rock and wham! $1,000 of new carbide teeth and I was back up and running.  Ouch!

Quote from: customsawyer on October 04, 2022, 03:43:07 AM
If memory serves my excavator will be close to 36,000 pounds when the blade is added. This means for me to move it I will have to hire it done. So if any friends want me to come use it on their place they are the ones that have to pay that fee. I've learned that if I can move it myself then they all think I should do the work for free. If they have to pay for moving it then I don't get near as many request for free work. ;D If it is a job worth doing than the haul bill is part of the job.

You should talk to this guy advertising out of Vass, NC then.  Wonder if that truck is leased?

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Holy cow.  When I see that, all that I can visualize is that little bitty hitch in the truck bed, held on with a few bolts.

I hope he's got his safety chains hooked up.  Not.   ;D

It's not so much the "going", but the "whoaing" that will get you into trouble with a load like that.

I doubt he's rolling around where eyes will be on him. DOT would have fun

"Don't dug over your drivers!", yes it is better by far to let the idler sprockets bear the load of digging forces.

Mulching a truck 😳. Yellowhammer I know your new head your getting will eat rock so don't get any more ideas of mulching someone's truck or a power pack for your new 57 😂.

https://youtu.be/Q9k9bvhHGpQ (https://youtu.be/Q9k9bvhHGpQ)

Actually my friend that had the ASV dealership had a friend and customer that also had a garage door business and how he handled the garage doors that were replaced and in a big pile ? You guessed it. ASV with Fecon head with carbides and chewed the doors up. 

I may just drive around and mulch random things up out of a way to release some tension.  Right now I'm wondering if it's ever going to show up.....

You don't think a 12-13k machine can take stumps out, think again. Took about a hour for this guy to do it. And yes a machine that size and smaller are digging full basements out. Might take awhile but many guys are doing it with smaller machines
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Alot of it is the operator.
When I was building and showed up the first day on a new build and seen who was excavating sometimes I wanted to turn around and leave.
Nothing worse than a bad equipment operation. 
Some guys move the dirt so much they wear it out and have to bring in new dirt   :D

Am I the only one that would have liked to see a screen on the windows of the guy chewing up that truck? That is sweet but watching that thing throw an alternator through a window would be scary!

I bet he has some kind of bullet proof glass on that machine.

Quote from: YellowHammer on October 08, 2022, 03:41:48 PM
Holy cow.  When I see that, all that I can visualize is that little bitty hitch in the truck bed, held on with a few bolts.

I hope he's got his safety chains hooked up.  Not.   ;D

if thats the ford factory hitch you dont have a thing to worry about. i put one in my truck there is plenty of steel in it along with plenty of bolts

Quote from: customsawyer on October 01, 2022, 04:18:50 AM
Well here she is on the truck and a few pictures after some work. The front blade is coming in this week and will add more stability. I've cleared over a acre, removed the stumps and have it down to dirt in about 2 hours on the meter. I will have some more work to do to burn off the trash but it should go fast with some of the other rolling stock, once I get some moisture around here.  I had my friend come over and I think I showed him that the strength of the machine is the same. Only the controls are different. All of the hoses are the same size on each of the cylinders regardless which joystick you are using.


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Happy Birthday! Did you get your blade on your unit yet and have you started or had time to start digging your pond ? 

Oh yeah the blade is on. I'm clearing the area where the dirt will go before I start on the pond. Also I want to get enough of the area cleared to pick the best place for the pond. Picking the right spot will make the pond as easy as possible and minimize how much dirt must be moved. Thanks for the birthday wish. I don't feel a day over 90

Well, @customsawyer (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=1861) Happy Birthday, you may feel like 90 but you don't look a day over 85! :D :D

Take the day off and spend some time yanking trees out of the ground!  That sounds like fun!

After digging some trees the last few days, I have learned I may have to put the pond closer or further from the mill than I wanted. I don't have much change in elevation from the mill site to the run of the creek. The creek has always just kind of spread out like a delta in that area, then comes back more to a creek/channel after. I think this is due to a farmer way back digging a watering hole for the cows beside the creek. The cows and time just made it a mostly flat low spot. Still have lots of trees to remove before a final decision is made. I don't really want the pond closer as I would like to get the water away from the mill so the ground doesn't stay saturated. Yet I have to maintain some grade to get the water to run off to the creek. Going to have some challenges moving forward. Wasn't expecting stress in my dirt. I can read it in a log but this is new territory. :D

Ain't nothing easy.  We had something very similar at out old place were we built our house on the edge of a swamp that would flood up to our garage in the winter.  We knew we had to do something the day we had fish swimming in the driveway.  The kids loved it....me not so much.  

We hired a heavy equipment guy who shot our grades and we came up with a drainage plan and it worked great.  No more flooding.  The only flaw was that he had rented a transit that was out of calibration, and I used a $20 handheld laser level one night to check his grades and they were way off.  So then I bought my own calibrated transit and reshot the grades and got them right.

Interestingly enough, when we dug our new pond at this property in New Market, a different pond excavation company shot the grades with his transit and again, he was WAY off, like 6 feet from one end to the other.  So I pulled out my trusty transit from retirement and reshot his grades and everything worked out OK.

Looking back, it amazing how many dirt work jobs those guys must have done with out of whack transits!  

So as part of my excavator machine purchase, I had determined that I needed to move to some more modern technology for fun, and I'm investing in a commercial grade rotating 500 yard laser level to replace my old transit.  Unfortunately, the first laser level I bought was a Bosch, and it's a "No Bueno" piece of equipment that didn't make the cut.  So it's back in the box waiting an Amazon return pickup.  It will pass the newly ordered Spectra Precision 300 in the mail, and it's dust and rainproof, where the Bosch has exposed optics.  It should get here this week.

So now I've got pretty much everything on order, just waiting for things to show up.  A new excavator, a new $23K high tech excavator mulcher with a titanium rotor, and a new rotating laser level.  I'm just sitting here waiting....and waiting...and waiting....  

Auto leveling laser transit is the way to go, it doesn't take much to throw a tripod mounted manual leveling laser off. Just be sitting down for the price if you buy a commercial grade one. :o

Topcon. I graded behind one if the cheapest Topcon units for years, I think that model is the RL-3C now. We would run grades down to .5% slope(that's not enough imo but that's another story) We would pave the lots andpart of my job was to make sure that it drained, with no "birdbaths". So I got to water test all of those grades, and that Topcon never had an issue. If I was doing any grading that is the one I would buy.

In auto leveling rotating lasers, it's like everything else, you get what you pay for. We've run Topcon, Spectra, and Leica. They're all good as long as you're careful and don't end up with knock-off versions. The good stuff, has better batteries, levels faster, better laser strength, fewer false readings (sunlight reflection) and has settings for sensitivity re: wind and the like. Most will so slope, but some won't. I bought a new Leica last year I keep around the place. If you have one around, it's amazing how much use you get out of them. A good choice YH

I've had and my dozer friend runs Spectra. Good stuff.

Well, good.  It's made by Trimble and I've used some of their equipment before, so I'm glad it gets some positive nods.  I'm glad to see there are so many dirt movers here, I hope you guys are ready to answer some questions.  I'm a dirt hack at best.  

Are you looking at at this with a GL422

Spectra Precision LR30W-MM LR30W Wireless Laser Receiver w/ RD20 Remote Display, MM-1 Magnetic Mount & NiMH Batteries

Quote from: customsawyer on October 17, 2022, 06:56:16 AM
After digging some trees the last few days, I have learned I may have to put the pond closer or further from the mill than I wanted. I don't have much change in elevation from the mill site to the run of the creek. The creek has always just kind of spread out like a delta in that area, then comes back more to a creek/channel after. I think this is due to a farmer way back digging a watering hole for the cows beside the creek. The cows and time just made it a mostly flat low spot. Still have lots of trees to remove before a final decision is made. I don't really want the pond closer as I would like to get the water away from the mill so the ground doesn't stay saturated. Yet I have to maintain some grade to get the water to run off to the creek. Going to have some challenges moving forward. Wasn't expecting stress in my dirt. I can read it in a log but this is new territory. :D

Maybe put some risers in with tile that will drain into pond

That's probably a great idea. However I don't even qualify as a dirt hack yet but I'm learning fast. ;D

We run one older Trimble R8 GPS and 2 new Spectra GPS units at the office for the survey crew. With the price of Trimble, I'm not sure how people can justify them. Hard to do a comparison between two different units that do the same thing, one costs $25k, the other costs $35k. The surveyor in the office tried to justify the higher cost for the Trimble, I called BS and we ended up with 2 Spectra GPS units and everyone has been thrilled.

After the Bosch incident where I bought the whole kit and the laser was garbage, I figured I'd skip all the accessories and spend a little more on the head.  It sure wasn't $25 grand! It was from Amazon.  I already have a good tripod and several grade sticks so didn't even buy them, only the laser and detector.  I was thinking I might not need a tripod anyway, this laser might work fine sitting on the bed of my four wheeler or truck if I parked on a fairly level spot. 

The biggest issue I've had with my old school optical transit was the inconvenience of the whole setup. Plus it takes two people, but it was always very accurate.  I'm hoping this will be much more convenient where I can set it up, have it automatically level, and I can take all the readings myself.  

It's one off those things that dig my ditches by eye, sometimes too steep so they erode and wash out, sometimes too flat so they silt in or don't flow. I'm hoping to get it right with this thing.

I bought this cool little level for my track loader the other day, another Amazon thing, and it works fine. $20 bucks or so. 
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I would just get in the habit of always using the tripod. As soon as you sit it in the back of something you will need to move it, or you will forgot and take off and the laser will be bouncing around in the bed until it falls off......not like I have done that before.

That should be a good laser that should serve you well, way better then a transit. We run quite a few Spectra laser's of different types and they have served us well. 

 :D :D
That is "real world" advice that I listen to.  Lesson 1 - No laser in the truck bed unless it is attached by duct tape. :D :D

Last time I helped my friend move some equipment and drove his truck 😂😂. If they are in the case they can get thrown around pretty good. The Dozer friend of mine makes me shake my head laughing. Imagine a brand new crew cab heavy duty Chevy truck less than a year old leather interior loaded. Greasy hand prints all over the head liner, tools and laser piled in the back seat area, dog food dish on front console with water one to, back of truck with fuel tank and piles of chains, tools, another laser and tripods. Some people know how to use a new truck 😂😂

My brother in laws trucks are worth more when he trades them in because of all the grease and diesel they squeeze out of the interior.    :D

Another post in the forestry section reminded me of this question but I didn't want to hijack that post so I'm putting it over here.
In the manual for my Komatsu it says to grease the turn table every 2000 hours. No that is not a typo unless it is in the book. I have no desire to run anything for 2000 hours before I put grease in it. For those of you with experience with this type of turn tables be it log loaders or excavators what is your advice on hours to put grease? 

2000 hours. The bogeys on the Ponsse machines call for the grease in the main bearing to be replaced at a long interval, I don't remember the hours but it was basically one year. The reason was it was semi-sealed, you removed a couple if grease caps and then filled all of the fittings with a grease gun in a certain order. The old grease is pushed out of the caps, basically you are "changing" the grease as it stays in the bearing. So it wasn't like greasing a pin, where the grease migrates out and you have to replenish it.

The new Kuhn disc mowers have "never" as the oil change interval for the cutter bar gear assembly. Yea, not sure how my comfort level would be with that. 

It's difficult for us old school guys. The only place I'm used to  to much grease was in the grease gun.

2,000 hours, who would have thought?

I got the laser level out today for the the first outdoor use and I have to say, unlike the Bosch, I am impressed.  I set it up the other night in the kitchen to see how it worked and it was pretty anticlimactic.  I put the batteries in, turned it on and it self leveled pretty quick.  I put the batteries in the detector, tuned it on, and that was pretty much the whole learning curve.  I was almost disappointed it wasn't more complicated. :D

Today, I took it out to the field where I had been building a couple hundred yard pond road and slight swale to get excess field run off water to the pond.  I saw I had a little hump, but my eyeballs still said the whole grade was still slightly downhill, even with the little 30 yard long hump.

When I set the level up, it turns out that the hump actually went negative grade, to level, then to uphill.  Oops.  So my water wouldn't have drained.  I'll fix it.

Too easy!  I don't say that about many tools but this one worked out well.

I appreciate the input from you guys about the Spectra being a good one, it sure surpassed my expectations and it's perfect for a dirt hack like me.

What is the optimum slope for Alabama clay? 1%? 2%?  

No word on my excavator yet, but the mulcher attachment plate is supposed to be done next week and they expect to ship it then.  We will see.  

Honestly, when I started out in the Euro CTL equipment, I had to learn to dial the grease WAY back. I grew up around excavation equipment, and you greased it daily. So that's what I was doing in the forwarder I was running. I was also cleaning grease off of my windshield daily. Every 40 hours is what the maintenance schedule called for on main machine and crane pivots, and over the 12 years I did it I found that to be a good number. Any more than that, grease is globbing out and all over everything. 

 I don't know what is different on them, other than a cleaner environment and they use a lot of spherical bearings and bronze bushings. 

 Harvester heads are greased daily, as much for inspection as the grease.

Hultdins Super Grip grapples have a 2500 hour grease interval. I'll concede that one made me scratch my head. The bushings are nylon, so they don't require much grease...but at 2500 hours, why bother?🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

YH, I would go at least 1% slope. I had a few jobs I had to grade where the main drainage was .5%. .5% is completely doable, but any settling you may have will cause low spots that hold water. That may not be an issue for your yard, but it was on a paved parking lot. 

The solvent (oil) evaporates out of the grease degrading it over time, so a sealed bearing doesn't "breathe" like an open pin and bushing and therefore lasts longer.
(I'm not a mechanic, just going by what I've heard). ;D

Quote from: customsawyer on October 23, 2022, 12:19:33 PM
Another post in the forestry section reminded me of this question but I didn't want to hijack that post so I'm putting it over here.
In the manual for my Komatsu it says to grease the turn table every 2000 hours. No that is not a typo unless it is in the book. I have no desire to run anything for 2000 hours before I put grease in it. For those of you with experience with this type of turn tables be it log loaders or excavators what is your advice on hours to put grease?  

Dear customsawyer:

I have a Komatsu PC300LC-5.  The turntable (or slew bearing) have a tub of grease that the pinion gear runs in and pushes grease into the slew bearing.  On my excavator, there is a bolted access cover that can be removed and a 12 inch long ruler inserted to measure the depth on the grease.  You only add grease up to a certain depth, adding more grease will only cause the seal to be blown out of the bottom of the slew bearing.  My excavator also has a bolted access cover on the bottom of the slew bearing tub (located under the turn table) that allows water to be drained from the grease tub.  I check the grease level and drain the water once a year.

Hope this helps.

Thanks guys. I just found the 2000 hours a long time not to grease on a part that carries all of the weight and is spinning, but I also have never worked on one or seen the insides of it. It didn't boost my confidence when the service manager didn't have a good answer for me either. I will look further in the manual to see how much to grease it. It will be interesting I'm sure. So what is the best kind/type of grease to use on these machines?

The turntable (slewing bearing)should be greased every 250h on excavators, that whats my volvo service manual says. just 5-6pumps each nipple then turn the excavator 90 degrees and repeat. i overgreased in the past and had the seal starting to drop grease and got damaged, had to change out the seal, was my error 

Just think Jake -   with that long of a grease interval your guys won't be tossing empty grease guns into the trash nearly as often.   :D

Is that really something that any employer has to be concerned over?

Customsawyer,I worked at a Komatsu dealership for many years and excavators were kind of my specialty.The pan full of grease others are talking about is to grease swing gear and swingbox pinion gear.Grease stays in pan and shouldn't need replenished.csmall61 is correct.Cover should be removed and grease depth checked probably every 2000 hrs.Fittings on outside of swing turntable bearing grease bearing and 250 hrs sounds about right as teakwood said.

Also there should be a lube chart somewhere on machine showing type of grease and correct intervals for greasing ,oil changes ect.Don't think grease is anything special.

Is this the same as would be in my "soon maybe to show up" Kubota KX57 Mini?  

I have to admit, I am an "over greaser" so this is very interesting to me.  

YellowHammer, I'm not sure on a Kabota as I have never worked on one but I would think it would be basically the same.The smallest Komatsu that I ever replaced turntable bearing on was a pc60 and it was set up same as larger machines.On Komatsu grease pan is used on excavators up to a pc1250 which is a large machine.All the ones bigger than that use a auto greaser that pumps open gear grease on gear at preset intervals and bearing is auto lubed off chassis grease system.

Quote from: bigblockyeti on October 24, 2022, 11:20:25 AM
Is that really something that any employer has to be concerned over?

I had a new 19 year old employ one time and I was having to fix something on the mill. I handed the kid the grease gun and asked him to grease the backhoe. I had to show him how to drive the gun first and then showed him how to look for the grease points. 5 minutes later he comes back asking for a new grease gun. I asked what happened to the one he had. Well it was empty so he threw it away. :D :D I took it as a teaching moment but it's still funny and SS likes to pick on folks.

Oh, I like to pick on folks?  :D

Quote from: YellowHammer on October 23, 2022, 08:22:02 PMI appreciate the input from you guys about the Spectra being a good one, it sure surpassed my expectations and it's perfect for a dirt hack like me.

So on my local online auction (BidRL), there was a complete Spectra set.  My property is so steep, I don't need a laser level to tell me that!  The disclaimer on the auction site says assume it is broken unless you preview.  It closed for $534 plus 13% seller fee and tax.  I just couldn't justify that purchase.

There are many different models. So without knowing that really how good a deal it was and the condition it was in. Obviously nobody else was to excited 

Lasers also need to be sent out and checked/calibrated every so often. They can work but not be accurate. That one may have been a $600 paper weight.

It was a gl622n.  Amazon sells the kit for $2800.  It did say it has a 5 year warranty.  I was burned on a solar controller not too long ago.

Well I messed up the new excavator pretty bad. Wish one of y'all would have warned me. With having the boom on the right side I got in the habit of doing most of my work and swinging left as I can see a little better. Well lots of times it was easier or shorter to just keep swinging to the left to get the next load. You guessed it. I unscrewed the top right off of that thing. ;D

Ya know... There's some work going on across the street and they have a pretty big excavator on site and I was wondering if unscrewing was an issue. 

I can't tell, CS, if you are kidding or not. Can you go infinitely in circles in one of those things? 

I have a guy that works for me who could unscrew one I am certain.

Ha! Righty-Tighty, Lefty-Loosey!  :D

I assume the nut is metric.  Amazon sells a 3,048mm wrench for that.  It's also got an orange painted handle so it won't be easy to misplace.  

Well, I've had the misfortune of using one of those 3,048mm wrenches. It's a bear to crawl in under there and find enough swing room for that big orange handle, WHAT a chore! 😂😉😂

Usually the loose nut is in the operator's seat. ;)

I'm glad y'all took that in the good nature humor it was intended. I was in it yesterday afternoon and kept going around to the left time and time again. Well the thought hit me that I hope I don't unscrew this off the top. It was probably funner to me at the moment then it was to the rest of you but I couldn't help myself. ;D

Jake, everyone know they use a big nylox nut on those! :D :D :D

Hey, Hey, Hey!  The mulcher showed up today.  It looks mean, it's even got a picture of a shark on it, that ought to make it worth the $22.5K I spent on it.  It's surprisingly light with it's titanium rotor, and the round teeth look especially dangerous.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/B9476DF1-50F3-4E32-8070-9669DABAD6D4.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1667525157)
 

Also, my excavator is at the dealer as of yesterday.  So Monday, I carry the mulcher there and let them do the install, make hoses, etc and hopefully get back this next  week.  

Gosh those things don't look like $22.5K worth. I'm sure it will do a great job for you though, that's the important part👍

Like a kid in a candy store 😂. Congratulations! Glad it's all coming together! Man that's going to be a sweet universal setup for many different tasks!!! Looking forward to more pictures and updates 💪

Quote from: barbender on November 03, 2022, 10:47:09 PM
Gosh those things don't look like $22.5K worth. I'm sure it will do a great job for you though, that's the important part👍

Tell me about it!  I was looking at it and saying the exact same thing!  Thing is the whole rotor is solid titanium, I can only imagine how much that cost to produce and machine.  The cool thing about it is that  will spin up very quickly, about 2 seconds.
We looked at many different professional brands and models, and they were all $20K plus, most $25K to $30K. ??? This one started at $25K and we worked the deal up until 9:00 at night because they said there was only one of these in the country, and if I closed immediately, they would cut the price little.  I couldn't even get some of the other top brands for months.  So we worked this until we got it.  Special teeth, special rotors, a little magic and and stuff.  It's supposed to eat trees 24/7 for years so we will see.  It is painfully expensive, but not as much as the excavator.   :D  

I also paid $17K for the mulcher on my CTL, but this is supposed to be even better.  We will see. 

I'd like to do a ride along with you sometime, just to watch you spend money! 😁😂

Sure, come along!  It can get exciting.   

Of course the current economy isn't making things less expensive, but it works both ways.   Like with this machine, when the word got out that some crazy fool in Alabama was looking for a professional mulcher, the big guys started calling.  Like most things these days, it was hard to find cutters in stock so if we could settle on a deal NOW, they could get paid and buy groceries.  They were motivated sellers and I was the one with the money so I knew it would get fun. 

Walnut Beast helped me a lot, he gave me the name of the top cutter manufactures in his world, and so I was able to weed out some of the second tier units.  It culminated when and I had two manufacturers bidding against each other.  As they were sending me specs I didn't understand, I was texting Walnut with questions, who filled in the details and I would use that information real time, for the most part.  It came down to who had what in stock, what flow rates they had, weight on the boom (stability at full extension), what motors they could put on, even down to the price of the fittings.  I ended up having two manufacturers going head to head and it finally ended about 9:00 at night, us all texting, and finally Solaris/Torrent asked what would it take to close the deal that night, and I said the other company wanted $23K for their top tier machine, and if the Torrent guys would do $22.5K, with an extra set of teeth, I'd lock in the deal and everyone could go to bed.  I'd write a business check right then, send them a picture that night from my phone, and call it ball game.  So they bit, and the deal was done.  The next day after the smoke had cleared and we caught up with the paperwork, the sales guy said his Managment said it was one of the more exciting wheeling and dealing they'd done in awhile, and the reason the deal had to conclude that night, unknown to me, was that another customer at another dealer said he wanted the cutter also, but said he'd need a day to think about it, which was that day. So since I paid first, I got the one in stock, the dealer I was working with got the commission, and it was win win for us all.  Except the other guy and his dealer, who had to wait for the next production run.  He snoozed, they lost.  

Just another day at Hobby Hardwood.  

I glad it's all coming together for you. It will be extra helpful that it is coming together before the end of the year.
That thing looks like that ole dog that used to take a bite out of crime, only you're going to be taking a bite out of some trees.

Quote from: barbender on November 04, 2022, 12:02:04 AM
I'd like to do a ride along with you sometime, just to watch you spend money! 😁😂

BB, I suspect it would be even more 'severe' than when I ride along with my Friend Bill, who buys a lot of stuff, but not the newest and greatest most of the time. A lot of the time it is clapped out but running stuff that has value to him, such as the big forwarder he got that runs and works but would not hold up in production conditions. He uses it to move logs on his property and grab the occasional dropped tree. 
 He sometimes calls me to ride along when he looks at stuff that is more in my wheelhouse than his, such as the 120KW NG generator he bought last year. This summer we went to Booneville together and I had a hard time keeping up with him. He bought a Forestry mulcher brand new ($27k?, I forget) and thank goodness I had Robert's (YH) phone number and he could spare some time for a few calls to work through the particulars. BTW, Bill took delivery on that 2 months ago and has already had it out a time or two now. Before the weekend was over, he also bought a new OWB to heat his complex ($50K), dropped a bunch of cash on WM for several boxes of blades and parts, and had handshake agreements on a few other things I lost track of.
 Often I show up to work at his place in the morning and find 'new stuff' sitting there. Anything from UTV's to 40' box trailers or a school bus. This week it was a 2015 F250 that just appeared.
 Riding with Robert when he is shopping could be quite the ride!

Hahaha if management thinks it's an exciting session of wheeling and dealing, that's saying something! 

My wife would be quick to point out that I am plenty good at spending money myself😁

The titanium rotor being able spin up quickly seems nice, the lack of inertia when plowing through a tree I suspect will be the opposite if it's being pushed by anything under 200hp.  I know having the whole thing lighter will make easier handling for the machine but with what penalty?  I guess corrosion resistance could be a minor consideration if it's left outside and not used for extended periods of time, beyond that titanium looks like marketing tool like (insert your favorite ego stroking adjective here) plastered on the tailgate of a micro bed pickup truck.

Lack of nertia is a concern for me too.  The issue with several of the others was that they couldn't be extended full stroke without getting tippy on the tracks, and I have some full extension cutting to do.  They are built for 100 series excavators and not optimized for ones like mine and weigh in at over 1,000 lbs full extension.    

I guess we will have to see.

I expect it's a necessary compromise.  No fun being controlled by what's on the end of the arm.

Yeah, it's something I learned with my current mulcher.  When it gets tippy, then the head needs to be put onto ground to stabilize things, generally at full revs.  When I did that, with all the limestone rocks on my ground, wham! instant ruined $1,000 set of teeth.  The other makes and models are very heavy, and even the distributers said I couldn't shouldn't do full stick extension or I'd have to ground brace occasionally.  I asked them what would happen if a set down on a rock and they said, you get to buy new teeth. :D

With this unit, it is slightly smaller, and significantly lighter and is specifically designed for the 40 series mini excavators. Since mine is a larger 57 size, it will have excess power than required for the rotor which also gives me another advantage.  I will have excess flow rate to use on my tracks.  So with the other units, I can mulch and move the stick, but can't track, such is required for mulching roads and fencelines.  With this unit, I should be able to mulch, stick, and crawl, at least a little, all at the same time.  So this cutter is really optimized for my machine where the others, while having more cutting inertia, are actually less useful.  

Also, this mulcher has a very unique set of rock teeth, circular faced, that can take some real rock hits, as I showed in the other video.  So this cutter is a good fit for my machine and provides more capability and stability, as well as more maneuverability.  We will see how all this works out, but that is the plan anyway.    

He played hard to get, but they had him at titanium😁😂

Like most things for everything you gain then there's something you lose. I think it will be just fine. Might be a little slower than a larger machine but who cares. You'll be working on your own property. At this point it isn't about production or acres per hour. It's about getting the job done right and enjoying the time on your property as you watch it improve.

Well, everything has finally come in, and the verdict is....  I LOVE IT!

Mindful I've only got a couple hours on it, but it's doing exactly what I hoped I could.

Here is the unit ready to grind...with the mulcher head on it.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/68980495082__CDAEB3B7-9506-4DBB-99B9-912D53A28CC7.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1668298410)
 

I decided I'd just jump in and start grinding and it seems to do real well, and it has zero vibration.  I had to lean over and look at the head to even see if it is spinning.  It's that smooth.  Before long, I was grinding a stump and Wharf!! right on a hidden rock.  Just like last time with my skid steer mulcher, I hit a rock hidden under the leaves.  However, unlike last time where I did $832 worth of damage to the teeth, with this mulcher - zero damage.  Yahoo!  So that worked! Goal #1 successful.  Actually goal #1 and #2.  Grind a stump and don't do excessive damage when hitting rock.

Here's a picture of the rock and the stump.  The stump wasn't that big, but the rock was a keeper.  You can see where the mulcher teeth impacted the top of the rock and kicked it out of its hole.  


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/68981116234__55AC63AF-8D66-49A1-8298-0DD8B6B43B78.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1668298321)
 

So then I started trimming limbs and was having a lot of issues hitting my target limbs with the mulcher up in 3D space, 20 feet in the air.  I looked like drunk boxer, I was punching and swinging, but wasn't hitting anything.

So last night, I loaded an excavator app on my iPad, (yes, they have them) and started playing with both ISO and SAE patterns and decided I liked the SAE backhoe best.  With the ISO pattern I didn't really like the stick and bucket curl on the same joystick, because with the mulcher, the bucket curl is used to set the orientation of the head to the branch or tree.  So it's a touchy and delicate kind of maneuver, critical to get the mulcher oriented correctly, and I didn't have the touch in the ISO pattern.  This morning I switched patterns in the excavator, and magic happened, it felt great and I was making it do what I want.  Instant  "Yeah baby" this felt good.  So I started delimbing some trees.  Here is a hickory, and I was able to mulch the branch all the way back to the trunk and nothing but chips hit the ground, so goal #3 is successful.  Way up there, maybe 15 or 20? feet or so.  Easy.

So then I started doing some stretching exercises, and I can extend full out horizontal, boom and stick horizontal way out, and spin, and because the cutter only weighs 500 lbs, it's super stable.  Goal #4 is successful.

Here is the hickory with one of the limbs trimmed off, way up in the tree.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_4784.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1668300201)
 

It's a pretty decent sized branch maybe close to 4 inches and I can trim it right until I bottom the trunk against the mulcher housing.  So this is exactly what I was hoping for.  Nothing but chips hitting the ground like snow, and the branch basically disappears.  I went and mulched some vertical trees, and vaporized them all the way to the ground.  I was a happy camper.  

So I didn't get to play with it much more today, we had to open for business and make some money to pay this whole thing off.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_4787.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1668301173)
 

I really appreciate all the input and help on this whole thing from all you guys, and I am very happy.  I still need to figure a few things out, but this thing is great and super smooth.

Can I borrow it??  :D 

That sir will cut. ;D
Reminds me of over in the forestry and logging area "treemuncher" would post picks of his shredding machines for chipping entire trees.

Very nice - so did you get to play more when the pesky customers left? 

Sure, come on down. 

No, unfortunately as soon as the customers left, we went to the house to watch the Bama game.  I'll put some hours in it tomorrow.  The trees better be worried.

Well you're not THAT much in love with it then.  :D I texted Jake one evening and his response was "don't you know I am working?" To which I replied "playing on the excavator isn't work", he came back with "how did you know?"  :D

Absolutely fantastic!! Always great when things come together and meet your expectations and then some!!

I'm glad you got yours in. Now maybe you'll quit interrupting me on mine.  :D :D :D
You're probably going to get done a lot faster than you think. Next time we see a video of your place there won't be a tree left.

As I look at the weather thermometer and it reads 28° there is no doubt that being in a heated cab grinding trees on the driveway is more fun sounding than running a sawmill out in the cold!  Let me rephrase that - it's 28° and I'm DanG sure not running the sawmill today!

I may just drive it around the property, and if I see a tree stand on my property, just reach up there and grind it off the tree, leaving nothing but a bunch of aluminum fragments laying on the ground.  

I'm going to have fun with this thing.  

I don't like the seat, I think I may get an air ride upgrade for $800.

A casual observer might just see some equipment changes at a successful business. As in: "huh, Robert bought himself a new toy."
But,
These ten pages of banter, tech details and shared experience show the huge investment most of us have in "setup". That research, shared experience and figuring out what works in your neck of the woods is key to a 'win' or a 'lose'.
Spending that much time and energy on setup is such a big part of  smart spending. 
The reward is a grin on the face and many hours of vaporizing cull trees, well done Yellowhammer!

Any time you pull out something new customers arrive.

Here is a video of me going to the dealer to deliver the mulcher to them so they could install it, with a segment with a closeup of the teeth, and me using the skid steer 4 way bucket at the sawmill to clean up sawdust without breaking a sweat.  These machines really help me doing stuff on the property, "Taking Steps to Save Steps."

Mini Excavator Sharks and Sawmill Cleanup! (Easiest Way to Do It!) - YouTube (https://youtu.be/hqEqWvZzLWs)

I've been doing a lot of stump digging and such with the machine now, trying to get a handle of it.  What I've seen so far is that it is doing well for what I need, but I have really rocky ground here, and although I was aware of how far our tree's taproots go into the ground, I wasn't expecting that they are seemingly drilled into the rocks and chert going down yards, with an iron grip.  I can grab a sapling and pull it straight up and the roots won't realease, I can literally pull the tree in half and then still have to dig up the remaining stob.

The biggest stump I've dug so far was a pretty big hickory, and it's size can be seen scaled against the 3 foot bucket.   The clay is super sticky, it just stays attached to the root ball, and this root ball has a column of clay and grapefruit sized rocks attached in a column of material several feet down, encompassing the taproot.  I'm not sure how to deal with this, how to reach under the root ball and scrape the clay off before removing the stump and to gain access to to the taproot.  On everyone else's digging videos I see them pulling the stump and all the dirt just falls off. Not this stuff, it's like glue.  So getting under the stump to strip some of the dirt is a problem.  I was initially using a one foot bucket for stumping, but switched to a 3 footer so I could try to stick the side overhang of the bucket under the stump and undercut the dirt with the shoulder.  However, using a 3 for bucket to dig stumps results in lots of swimming pool sized holes.  Lots of dirt pulled out with each scoop, even when digging small trees.  

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_4853_2.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1669383649)<br


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/69050556900__FDD7279D-EA5B-4808-B248-247746BC14F3_2.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1669384443)
 

So I went back and bought a 2 foot bucket, which seems to be a good compromise, so far.  I'm not having any issues tearing the roots out, at least the ones I've come against so far, just looking for a way to remove the column of tons of clay sticking to the root ball to make rolling the stump out easier.  

Here is the new 2 foot bucket with the quick change system, it is amazingly easy.  Pull a pin, uncurl and drop the old bucket, then swing to the new bucket, drop the carrier into the ear, curl up and the bucket is on.  Slide the safety pin and and back to work.  No hydraulics, just easy and fast.  I like it.
 

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/69081675894__FC1C724B-60EF-4F2B-8BEE-414239764A60.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1669384285)
 

Here is a typical taproot I'm dealing with, the stump and taproot are almost the same size, they look like mirror images of each other.  The good news is that I haven't met a stump yet I couldn't dig out with my vast experience of all of 18 total hours on the machine :D, but always looking for a better way to undercut the stumps and sever the taproot.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/69084238641__8E214A6C-E4F1-437A-84BD-FAB1254B2852.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1669384761)


I'm contemplating getting a root ripper, which has a narrow shank for cutting side roots, but I don't see how it would help to sever taproots this big.  Any ideas?

Great video YH, as usual, very informational with all the small and larger details around your sawmill operation. It gives all of us an understanding of how to adjust to our own location, business style and abilities. Thanks for putting up with the time and aggravation that comes with video production. 
As per the tap roots, I've done a few last summer, maybe an acres worth. So, I work with what I've got, or borrow a digging bucket from a neighbour. It's messy and hard on hydraulics and pins, a laborious chore. For part time clearing, you've got a great 'toolbox' to choose from now.
.
If you have miles and miles of fence row to clear out, perhaps a Cat D6 with two ripper shanks on the back ?

I have been clearing land with my really small Kubota BX25, but I have been getting the job done.  I deal with the clay all the time and all I can say is good luck with that! >:(

Pulling a tree straight up is doing it the hard way.    You need to pull it from the side and expose the roots, then cut the roots as far away from the trunk as you can.  I try to hook a root with the bucket and pull it up like if you were trying to pull a cable up.  You just might have to get out of the cab and do some manual work.

What I do with stumps like the one pictured is gnaw at it.  I try to work a tooth under there to just grab a bit of a root and tear at it.  Sometimes I get down in the hole and swing an axe.  A sawzall is amazingly effective and going through one of those blades doesn't really get you down.  

I have chainsawed  vertically through a stump and used the bucket to rip off pieces to remove the overhanging crown.  I push on it, pull on it to try to loosen it up, get clay to fall off and to locate roots.  Hard on the machine and hard on me.

I usually try to push stumps out of the way a bit with the bottoms up so that rain can wash the clay away to make them lighter.  

I dug out a twin stem cottonwood stump.  Had to roll it up a dirt ramp to load it in the 5-yard bed of my 1976 state truck.  it sat up on the rails of the bed.  went left around a corner and thought it might tip (pulled up on the left leaf spring).  weight net was 12K.   :o :o :o   I have burned stumps to reclaim the dirt and add ashes to my compost piles.  

Dear Robert:

Instead of using a standard dirt bucket to dig stumps, you really need a stump bucket, especially in red clay.

A rockland rhino stump bucket for your size machine would be 15" wide by 36" long.  The longer bucket will increase the curl power of your machine and the sharp teeth will help cut roots.

see attached *.pdf

ripper tooth
this tooth is for the smaller 8,000 pound bobcat 331
i used the bobcat e80, 18,000 pound to remove the big stump
the root diameter was bigger that my leg

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/Bobcat_331_ripper_tooth.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1615684212)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/IMG_0150.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1616659390)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/IMG_8007.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1524085130)
 

Guess you need a bigger machine. You should have done the "Baker Demo", get the shop foreman to say "they didn't drive here to look at small stumps, get the big one" as a hush falls over the crowd and everyone stands around with baited breath.  :D

Only suggestion I can offer is to peruse the letsdig18 videos. He does a lot of stumping and puts a lot of his work on video.

letsdig18 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/letsdig18/videos)

Topnotch author of interesting and informative video when it comes to dirt work.

A sample with the root bucket at 7:00
Its A Victory! No More Stumping! - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDP9to6ZlUs)

Nice video. You have a digger and that's what it's for. On the bigger ones you need to keep digging around and cut through all side roots and keep getting the dirt away and push it over to get at the underneath. Get stump out and fill back in. Since your looking at rippers. Here is one. 

https://www.digrock.com/v-raptor-bucket-fixed/ (https://www.digrock.com/v-raptor-bucket-fixed/)

Also have you been extended out away from it to with the machine and angling down in it and curling chewing at the roots underneath 

If I have an excavator, I'll be darned if I'm getting in the hole with an axe and Sawzall to help it out😊

Yellowhammer, you mean to tell me you don't have some water gel or RDX "left over" from a work project? Small hole, on the side and under the stump, suddenly, no more stump!  :D

as an experiment we added 3 triangle teeth on the backside of the 331 tooth to help with sawing through the roots. it did not work.

we did not do it to the E80 tooth

we found that using the point of the tooth to break through the root works much better.
work on the stump on its 4 sides, then move the stump back and forth to loosen its grip


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/Bobcat_331_ripper_tooth_a.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1669425802)
 

A ripper tooth is well worth getting, will slice through roots faster than digging, and can be used for concrete demo or picking at hard clay, shale. etc. (We have something called "frost" in the ground here up in the glaciated north.) ;D
If the shark attachment is like stump grinders (or asphalt milling machines) I've seen run, turning or changing cutters will be a ongoing process. Keep the spares and tools to do so handy in the machine. smiley_thumbsup

Quote from: Resonator on November 25, 2022, 08:55:22 PM,,,,,,,,,Keep the spares and tools to do so handy in the machine. smiley_thumbsup

i do in all 6
2 ex
2 tractor
1 sawmill
1 firewood processor

I initially cut much of the fence lines with a D6 and 6 way blade, and it is a machine.  However, I'm more trying to do some 20 year fenceline and trimming maintenance, because its had a long time to grow back.  So the heavy lifting has been done, I'm wanting to do some surgery.   

For example, one fence line looks like this.  Low hanging branches and some trees that are too close to the fence and need to be dug back.


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The mulcher has been incredible, it trims trees high and clean, and is very fast.  I did our driveway in very short order, about half the time I expected it to take and there was virtually no branches to pick up, just mostly chips and mulch.  So the mulcher is a success.  What I'm looking to do now is to remove these types of encroaching tress, like the ones I've circled.  This will open the fence lines back up and raise the canopy at the same time.  

Here is what it should look like when I'm done.

 


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The ripper tooth looks good, however, isn't it kind of a one trick pony?  Since some of these fence lines are miles away from home base, and the excavator crawls at about 0.0001 miles per hour, is there a hybrid bucket that is pretty good as a ripper and also allows me to move a little dirt to dress the stump holes back in, and do a little bit of grading cleanup?  

Good advice to keep the mulcher tools in the toolbox ready for action.

As far as a do all bucket others would probably know better than me. I hear you about not wanting to track back and forth to retrieve buckets that just doesn't make sense especially long distances. 
What I've done when two buckets/attachments are needed is moved the one that isn't attached along with me as I go with the excavator. For instance I did a job cleaning up and widening the edge long drive way. Wasn't much for hard digging, more of a cleanup rough grading type job but there was some stumps and rocks that needed plucking. Started at one end with the wide cleanup bucket as one section was finished reached back grabbed the digging bucket track forward set it down and continue. Come to a stump or boulder, spin around swap buckets and do what was needed then switch back. 
Really wasn't any wasted time at all worked well. 

Do you have a hydraulic quick coupler on that unit? If so just carry the smaller attachment in the bigger bucket

Barbender we had the same thought. I don't have all these problems Robert so I'm not much help. ;D
I've been picking on Robert to get a machine bigger than mine, but think I'm getting voted down by his Bride. I've been telling him what works for me and none of that seems to be helping him. We're not sure if it is the extra weight of my machine or the fact that his outside bucket teeth are at a bit of a angle. With mine I can use the bucket teeth, which are strait, to cut a stump or a tree in half to make it easier to move or dig but his doesn't seem to work as well. Of course my hours of running my backhoe are also helping me I'm sure. About the time Robert gets finished with his property he should be starting to get the hang of the machine. 

When it comes to popping roots the most power is in the bucket.

I will get the teeth under a root and curl the bucket up while lowering the boom and moving the stick out, this motion will look like rolling the bucket on its back if the bucket was off the machine if that makes any sense. As you lift or break the root a bit you can un roll the bucket and move the stick in moving the bucket towards you, this will get the root up the bucket more and increase your leverage by getting the root closer to the pivot point on the bucket. 

By doing it this way you are not trying to lift the other end of the machine or drag it across the ground so it is easier on the ground and does not bounce you around as much in the cab.

I am definitely suffering for a lack of experience, but hey, I'm never to to proud to admit I'm a learner!  Customsawyer was having to put up with me texting him picture of the mulcher grinding trees and limbs to the ground almost too fast and easy, where I even said I was going to run out of trees too fast!

I will try the bucket roll technique tonight.  I have been using the curl but not a lot of stick or boom manipulations at the same time.  

The machine digs dirt very well, and sinks a 3 foot bucket into the ground and pulls out heaping loads all day long, so I'm real happy with that.

Since it digs so well, I kind of expanded it's role to something I hadn't considered, and that's actually reshaping both sides of our fencelines.

I need to post a picture of where I'm working, but the reason I want to reshape the fence lines is that some are on such a sideslope that even a 4 wheeler will almost slide sideways into the barb wire fence if the leaves are slick.  A significant side grade in many places, along with about the same downslope or upslope.  Not flat ground, by any means, a true compound slope.  Steep enough where I had to quickly learn how to use the boom and bucket to push me back up the hill because my tracks were slipping.  So I can't hold on the sideslope and dig crossways down the incline to remove trees without sliding downhill and sideways at the same time, into the fence, which I did a couple days ago.  So after unclenching my rear end from the seat, I adopted a "new strategy" which is don't do that again. :o    

So last week I decided to go the whole way, and remove trees and reshape the fencelines at the same time.  Use the digging power of the excavator to dig 3 or 4 feet into the sidehill to flatten, widen and level it, and then use the wider level ground I had just built to remove any trees in the way of the next bit, and then do it again. It's still uphill or down hill pretty steep bit I can level and anchor myself with the front dozer blade. Since I have trails on either side of the fence, I started taking the dirt form the high side of the fenceline, lift the bucket over the fence and place it on the low side, so I'm leveling both side of the fence at the same time.  So I need to move dirt and remove trees at the same time.

It's just the stumping thing I'm not optimized for, if I can call anything I'm doing optimized.  For example, last night, I was working on a big elm tree to me, maybe 18 inches at most, and there was a 6 inch side root that went down about a foot, then doglegged out to the left side under my "road".  The 2 foot bucket could not pull and cut through the root about a foot under the ground, but I'm sure a ripper would have sliced right thorough it.  So I did what I learned on YouTube and just backed off the stump and grabbed another bite of the root where the root was smaller, and again instead of the 2 foot bucket cutting through the root, it pulled about 6 to 8 feet of it out of the ground most all of the way across the trail, which cratered it :D.  Oops.  So I had enough power to rip the root out of the ground but not enough to cut it while it was in the ground.  My bucket has two 5/8" flat steel side edges, no sharp edge cutters of any kind. Dull as a brick.  The rest of the elm cam out easy, no tap root to speak of, dig around it, push it over, used the thumb to lift the root ball out of the ground and shake it off.  Then I slid the root ball back up into the woods and looked back and said wow, I had done quite a bit of damage that I now needed to fix. :D  It's all good because I didn't take long to regrade.  Once the tree was out of the way, I used the bucket to backcut the high side of the hill and lift and put the dirt over the fence to the low side and Voila! a short but new stretch of road on both sides if the fence where only a narrow fencline 4 wheeler trail used to be.  Only 3 more miles to go.

Remember, I'm not in a hurry to do this, it's been 20 years with me never having done these improvements before, and I wasn't really expecting to do this anyway, so I'm in no rush.  

I think I need a "do all" bucket, maybe one with sharp side cutters on the side of the bucket like my skid steer root ripper, which has a Ginsu looking serrated and sharpened edge which just slices through roots, but with enough capacity to move dirt from one side of the fence to another.  Since I already have spent $6,000 on buckets, I believe I need to find a way to retrofit my existing ones, like put a cutting edge on the ones I already have, all the way up the side.  Maybe a bolt on edge side edge of some kind.  As Jake says, I'm also thinking of upgrading my teeth from basic thick general purpose teeth I have to something sharper and more aggressive for cutting and slicing roots, that won't dull too much with all the rocks in in.  I wonder if an 18 inch long, bolt on plowshare edge would work on the bucket sides?  

If people are wondering why I picked this section of relatively difficult compound sloped fenceline to work on first when I have zero experience with an excavator, its because it's close to the house, it's deer season and I don't want to work on the fences where I do my hunting and spook the deer, and it's also because if I get into trouble, (like sliding sideways down a hill) I'm in eyeshot of Martha and not out in the middle of the woods somewhere.  Why not not learn on the hard stuff so the easy stuff is really easy?

Anyway, I figure Forum members would enjoy the ups and downs of my learning curve.    

View of one on my fence lines. 
Down the hill and up the other side out of the top of the frame of the picture. Pretty steep. You can see where there are a few trees that need to be removed to open the line a little. 

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With the excavator, you can probably "make" a road/path for the excavator to travel on as you go along. Look forward to the pics of your progress. 
Would love to have such a machine to play on in my woods. But will make do with what I have, at the moment. Glad to ride along with YH for now. 8)

if not a ripper tooth then the smallest bucket with sharp teeth

take a tractor, add a grapple bucket or a pallet fork to move cut brush or logs
put a trailer behind the tractor to carry attachments, cooler with food and water, and so on

i have removed over 200 stumps with the ripper tooth
about 15 with the bucket before the tooth. zero with the bucket after the tooth

put the point of the tooth at the middle of the root, break through. then repeat with the rest of the root
do that for all 4 sides of the stump.
when you cut down the tree leave about 2 feet for the stump height. this becomes a lever to wiggle the stump out after the 4 sides

also the ripper tooth can help cut in the road. then excavator blade to make the road

pallet fork explained.
i added 2 extra forks so i have a total of 4. i call it my tractor pitchfork

also build a wooden project box
you can see the 4 forks

i have added 2 handles on each end. tried one handle, it was bad.

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Quote from: DDW_OR on November 26, 2022, 01:56:28 PMi have removed over 200 stumps with the ripper tooth
about 15 with the bucket before the tooth. zero with the bucket after the tooth

What brand of ripper are you using, I couldn't tell from the picture. Is it bobcat?  

Beenthere, You bet, I agree, I watch Chris on Letsdeg a lot.  He's one of the reasons I started looking at minis, he has one of about the same Hp as mine, and he's moved mountains with it.  Of course, his skill level is very high, but at least I know what the machine should be able to do.  

WalnutBeast, I looked the pdf, they look good but are a little too big.

I need to look hard at rippers, when everyone says get one, that's pretty strong advice, and I'm always open to advice.  Now I need to find a ripper that seems best.  

Chris of letsdig18 just posted him digging with what he refers to as the "stumper".
Getting Ready For The Next Rainy Day Fire - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fHo2uak2go)

His comments are good, talks what he is thinking.

At 22:15, shows his dozer pushing up the stumps.

For the record Robert, elms are some of the toughest I find to dig up. I think it is because of all the lateral roots but not sure. They never seem to have much of a tap. Any time I get stuck and am going to use a winch I always look for a elm to hook to.

Quote from: Walnut Beast on November 25, 2022, 04:43:13 PM
Nice video. You have a digger and that's what it's for. On the bigger ones you need to keep digging around and cut through all side roots and keep getting the dirt away and push it over to get at the underneath. Get stump out and fill back in. Since your looking at rippers. Here is one.

https://www.digrock.com/v-raptor-bucket-fixed/ (https://www.digrock.com/v-raptor-bucket-fixed/)

i like the look of this ripper-bucket
Pros:
all force is to the single point. just like the frost tooth
back of bucket is wide to prevent sinking into the earth. the frost tooth does sink into the earth when i try to rock the stump out
Cons:
maybe price
maybe getting the wet dirt out of the bucket
my rippers are all bobcat

Quote from: customsawyer on November 26, 2022, 05:58:51 PM
For the record Robert, elms are some of the toughest I find to dig up. I think it is because of all the lateral roots but not sure. They never seem to have much of a tap. Any time I get stuck and am going to use a winch I always look for a elm to hook to.

that is why i cut through those roots on the 4 sides of the stump

we have Tamarack trees ( looks like a fir or pine but loose their needles during wall winter)
Long tap root and lateral roots. in a high wind these trees snap, very few up-root
primary used for firewood. the lateral grain twists. about 1/4 turn per 2 feet

A bit late to the conversation on this one and I don't have nearly the experience that it sounds like DDW_OR has but what I'm reading sounds like the experience I've had with the backhoe. If a quick attach was available for my backhoe at the low, low cost of free I'd be on a ripper tooth very quickly. I've dug a fair amount of stumps out and have what sounds like similar experience as YH, big, big holes and lots of stuck dirt on the stump. I had an ash tree that was probably about 2' across and the hole for the stump ended up probably 12-15 feet wide and about 10 feet deep to get access to the whole thing and rip it out. I may consider sharpening a tooth on the hoe bucket to see if that would help. 

The best solution, if you have time and the ability, is what DDW said about cutting the trunk up as high as you can to use the stump/trunk as leverage and push the whole thing over, some folks will dig out one side of the stump/trunk and kind of push in that direction. I've got a handful of broken off trees in the yard while I await root rot or degradation so I can just push them over. 

I called and inquired about various rippers and have found some but all have extended delivery times, none of the Kubota dealers near me have them in stock, and to order will takes a couple weeks or more.  Some of the ones on the web look good, but I need them to have them equipped with Kubota Quick Attach coupler.  So I'm still investigating.  

The tapered bucket looks interesting.  

I figured why not ruin one of the buckets I have already?  The flat, general purpose teeth are pinned on, so if I'm going to replace them with a more aggressive style, why not experiment with their shape before I decide which type to buy?

So yesterday, I took a cutting torch and put an average tooth point on my flat teeth and dug up a couple medium sized, under 12" trunk, taproot hickories yesterday and the teeth made a noticeable difference in shredding roots.  So that worked enough for me to keep experimenting. After it got dark, I went back to the shop and then torched a long cutting bevel on the side of the bucket, much like the cutting bevel on the bottom of the bucket, and increased the point angle on the teeth.

I'll give it a try today, I would think it will significantly increases the edge forces on the root to break or cut them.  As a last experiment, I may copy the alligator serrated and sharpened style edge bucket  tooth pattern that is on my skid steer root ripper bucket, it has proven to be very effective.

Here's what I have now.  My 12" narrow trenching bucket modified with more aggressive teeth, and about a 3/16" cutting edge  on the bucket, most of the way up the side.  If nothing else, it should be pretty effective if I ever run into a horde of zombies.  


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I suspect it will work, but in a day I would imagine those teeth will blunt over without being hardened. 

Is your bucket bevel torch cut or ground? I'm very interested and I think I could do that with just the bottom inch or two of my backhoe bucket without causing any problems. 

Man, am I jealous of quick attach implements. I've never changed the bucket on the backhoe but it seems like it'd be quite the ordeal. I'd imagine if I had quick attach I'd likely be broke from buying too many attachments. 

I did my best to not lose temper by overheating them. I've done it before on other teeth, basically do the initial cut which will leave a heat affected zone, then come back and turn the acetylene way down, or pretty much off, and that way there is no heat coming form the preheaters in the torch tip and the oxygen cuts the steel like butter with almost no "glow" almost like a plasma torch.  But I may be wrong....and as I said, I've ruined more expensive stuff than this before... :D :D  If they don't work, I'll buy and pin on some pointy new ones.  

I torch cut the bevel last night, it goes pretty fast, and have about an inch and inch and a half of bevel.  The actual edge liner on the bucket appears to by 5/8" x 5" deep steel, so I figured what the heck, there is still plenty of metal left, if I ever needed to repair it, I could weld an aftermarket cutting edge back on.

The quick change bucket system is pretty sweet, no hydraulics or anything.  Here is a video I found on the Tube that helped convince me.  Click on the black screen and it will play.  Turns out, yes, it's that easy......

Kubota Quick Attach - YouTube (https://youtu.be/l0mHB72KTq4)

That is fast, I KNOW I would bend that pin somehow.  If I didn't I have a guy that works for me who could with nothing more than a rubber mallet.   :D

Quote from: Southside on November 28, 2022, 10:36:59 AM
I suspect it will work, but in a day I would imagine those teeth will blunt over without being hardened.

I was thinking the same thing but for a proof of concept, roll with it.  If it cuts well then bust out the hardfacing rods and go to work.

My question got answered on the quick attach. It looks handy but it's not like a hydraulic one. If you were changing buckets and other non hydraulic attachments you would love the hydraulic. But attachments you need to get out anyway on connecting and disconnecting hoses. Remember another attachment that works great on that is a post hole digger. For posts, concrete footings, planting trees just to name a few.

Check EBay on some various rippers if you want one now.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175240570915 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/175240570915)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175500430719 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/175500430719)

This is an interesting looking one:

https://www.digrock.com/the-stumpiranhastump-remover-fixed/#1554248576272-3e8afe97-e3a2

Hmm... OK, I guess a search for quick attach backhoe system won't hurt that bad. I don't know if there is such a thing but someone has to have come up with it, I'm sure I just haven't dug in deep enough. I'd love to swap buckets or a ripper tooth like that or some forks or who knows what else? 

Quote from: Tom King on November 28, 2022, 02:38:41 PM
This is an interesting looking one:

https://www.digrock.com/the-stumpiranhastump-remover-fixed/#1554248576272-3e8afe97-e3a2

That's the same company that I give YH a link to. They make several interesting variations Tom. But they probably have a long lead time

why not frost teeth???

Kubota offers two types of quick couplers, one hydraulic and one with the pin.  Since I was getting a mulcher, I would still have to get off the machine to hook up the hydraulic lines, so putting in a pin only takes another second or two.

There are advanbtagouas and disadvantageous to both, the biggest disadvantage of the hydraulic quick disconnect is that it adds weight and is spaced a little out past the existing pins so causes the machine to lose breakout force.

The pin quick disconnect require getting out of the cab, but is designed to not lengthen the pivot points and maintains the stock breakout force.

I decided on the pin quick disconnect because of those reasons.  Almost the entire load of the bucket is being held on the the bucket and mount cutouts, and the pin carries very little, (none that I have seen, I put some grease on it and didn't see any real contact shine) and just pulls out by hand, which surprised me.  It's actually a really good design.

I remember years ago watching a guy with a backhoe change buckets to cut in our water line and it was quite a process, and although he had done it a lot, still involved a little cussing.  For a newbe like me, even this manual quick disconnect is a breeze.  

 

Frost teeth or a Frost Ripper?  We don't have any frost here and none of my nearby Kubota dealers carry one anyway.  I called up a couple rental businesses yesterday and their first questions were "why would you want one and no we don't have them" then "Why don't you just use a trenching bucket?" so I gave up on that route.  Broken record kind of thing.    

So I'm just doing some research on ripper shapes, some have very sharp leading edges which I think will be better, some have a very pronounced hook which I believe is designed to reach over a stump and come up behind the root ball and under it to help sever the tap roots fry behind, some have serrated front edges, some even have serrated saw blade rear edges.  Some are dozer rippers and some look designed for ripping roots, some for ripping shale, some for ripping frost.  Lots of options, nobody here uses them because according to my dealer "they are one trick ponies" so he's got no real advice other than "I can order you one" which is about all I can ask.  Actually, he's kind of getting into this also, he uses me as an "off the wall research tool" and follows what I do to help his otters customers.  So if I order one through him, he may actually start carrying them.  He's basically doing the same with my mulcher.  

I see them being very useful, but I want to get the one optimized for a 57 mini not a cat 300 or so.  

Trust me when I say I read everything people post and go do the research on it.  I look at everything I can and I make lots of phone calls based on what information people provide. 

I would think frost teeth on a narrower bucket might be a decent choice after hearing you talk of that rock ridden hardpan clay you're dealing with. Frost is incredibly hard to dig, think scratching at the middle of concrete slab with your bucket. Maybe a call to a northern dealer might provide some better information for you? I'm sure some guys on here will have advice too. Sounds like you have a dealer that's good to work with which is huge. I personally like when a salesman will admit when something is outside their wheelhouse, rather than trying to sell something they know nothing about. 
Don't take this the wrong way but I do feel as you get more seat time your efficiency with what you already have will improve. Something to consider with the cost of everything these days. 

I didn't know putting the cutting torch to the new goods was an option, YH is just showing off now!😁 

Personally, I think if instead of that beveled edge on the side of the bucket you cut a scalloped or serrated edge it will do better. Try cutting a stick with a hand held knife sometime. A straight blade, and then a serrated one. Same thing with rope, and a lot of times roots are more like rope.

Take a look at the skid steer stump buckets, they have the serrated edge for cutting roots. In fact, don't you have one for the front of your tractor? I thought I remembered one.

Roots are about 10x easier to roll out with the attached prybar if you don't cut it off first (tree😊).

DIY Root Ripper on Kubota KX040 Mini Excavator


one of the ways is to take a scrap 57 bucket and modify it

Building a Mini Excavator Ripper Tooth / Root Ripper UNDER 0 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PogDsuMY1Us&t=0s)

DIY Root Ripper on Kubota KX040 Mini Excavator - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AIevkG6efk)

if you build one then the plate can also be used for
rotating grapple
trailer mover
other ??

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You REALLY should have made a video of the bucket modification.  I can see the title now "I took a torch to my BRAND NEW excavator bucket", have a thumbnail of you you there with 3' of cutting flame coming out of the torch, gas can 5' away and Chip looking over his shoulder as he ran off, Martha behind you pulling on her hair and you with a big grin.  That might go viral!!  :D

To add to DDW_OR, I've watched a few other You Tube guys build their own rippers. With a mounting bracket / ears from a bucket, some plate steel cut to shape, a tooth, and a good welder.
A lot of the guys that do excavation full time will build a collection of different size and type buckets, and attachments for different applications. They'll pick them up used / at auction and modify them themselves or have a machine shop / welder do so. These open up opportunities for jobs (billable hours) on may different applications.

"Martha's gonna leave me, I cut up my BRAND NEW excavator bucket!"

I watch those videos and learn stuff, but the one thing that really sticks out is "Where do they get that soft, peat moss, sandy stuff they call dirt????     

Here in Alabama we have manly man DIRT!  Rock hard clay with limestone rock and small pieces of chert, sticky as old mashed potatoes and as hard as concrete.

You guys will laugh, but you are right...I considered bringing out the GoPro when I was shaving that bucket edge with the torch.  It was night time, I had the flame dialed up to hard blue knowing I was going to cut deep into the steel, and yes, Chip did run back to the house when I lit things up and started dropping a molten river of slag onto the ground.   :D :D 

Modifying and potentially ruining stuff is always on the table.  I have to do that sort of surgery before I become emotionally attached to it. :D :D

I may put some serrations on the bucket, too, I might as well, I don't think I will be able to get a refund on this one even though it's practically brand new!

Nothing wrong with giving it the custom touch ! Options the factory should have offered 😂

QuoteChip did run back to the house when I lit things up and started dropping a molten river of slag onto the ground.

...dog covers his eyes with his paws, Rutt-Row! running-doggy

Limestone...I wish, try basalt, granite and quartz.

I see chert is about the same hardness as granite so I'll cut you a little slack. ;D

Quote from: YellowHammer on November 29, 2022, 04:28:57 PM
I watch those videos and learn stuff, but the one thing that really sticks out is "Where do they get that soft, peat moss, sandy stuff they call dirt????    

Here in Alabama we have manly man DIRT!  Rock hard clay with limestone rock and small pieces of chert, sticky as old mashed potatoes and as hard as concrete.

You guys will laugh, but you are right...I considered bringing out the GoPro when I was shaving that bucket edge with the torch.  It was night time, I had the flame dialed up to hard blue knowing I was going to cut deep into the steel, and yes, Chip did run back to the house when I lit things up and started dropping a molten river of slag onto the ground.   :D :D

Modifying and potentially ruining stuff is always on the table.  I have to do that sort of surgery before I become emotionally attached to it. :D :D

I may put some serrations on the bucket, too, I might as well, I don't think I will be able to get a refund on this one even though it's practically brand new!

If you really want to keep customizing you could try this to keep the sticky clay from sticking 😂.
Weld chains in the bucket and hook the other ends to the boom so when you extend the bucket to dump, the chains come tight and pull the mud out. Not perfect but better.
Or cut some holes in the bucket to get air or weld some short chains in it. 
Just giving some good thoughts to keep you busy customizing 😂

I had a ripper for the backhoe made by the local trade school, the instructor was glad to have a heavy duty project to cut and burn a lot of rods on. I used a large pointy excavator tooth for the end.

I don't use it much once every 10 years.

the most complicated part is the connection to the excavator.
that is why some use a busted/scrap bucket.
the other option is a CNC plasma table to cut the parts.

in the far future i plan to get a CNC table to cut up plywood into u-build kits.
and some smaller 2'x2' CNC for making the scraps into stuff

This is would be pretty cool if they made a version like this for the mini. Jake could put one on his unit. That's about the entry size they start and go up from there. I know a guy that runs these and sells them and he said they were a game changer on clearing and removing stumps. Your splitting the stumps and grubbing them. 
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That would be cool, too bad they don't make them for minis.

I've only put about a handful of hours on the modified bucket so far, but I noticed an immediate increase in ease of stumping.  Cutting though root and less tearing out of the ground.

However, we are getting some rain and the sticky clay is becoming a problem.  What was the technique for using chains to clear the mud out of the bucket?  I've looked and not seen an videos on it.

I am finally getting to the point where I'm starting to not have to think about the control movements.  I'm still twitchy, but it's getting smoother.  

I was working at night the other day and was trying to crawl background but there are basically no lights on the back of the excavator.  Great lights to the front, nothing to the back.  Pitch dark.  I was grumbling about it to myself, saying "Why in the world would they put so many lights on the front not put lights on the back?"  Then it hit me....hey stupid, just turn the house around and drive backward. :D :D :D Still green....   

there will be times when you cannot turn the house.
so, time for a light upgrade

also add a WiFi backup camera to the stick. sometimes you will need to see what you cannot see
get the one that you can connect to with your cell phone

search eBay for   WiFi Wireless Phone Car Rear View Cam Backup
runs off of 12v. so hook it to the light.
then use the phone to look for the WiFi signal

this is what i plan to do to my two excavators, pickup rv trailer, other??

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/IMG_3431.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1670098789)

the chain should be welded to the front of the bucket with slack enough to go to the back contour of the bucker when curled and digging, and when dumping and extended, should pull the chain tight and out of the bucket.  you will have to experiment with the attachment to the boom/stick.  may get tangled in the roots and junk.  I would make it detachable.  my brother always welded beads in the bucket and said this would make stuff stick less.  could even drill a couple holes to break any suction.  keep it clean, and could spray oil in the bucket to help for a while.

Doc explained pretty good. Instead of welding make some quick hook points or short pieces of chain then a little Clevis attached to the chain or chains plus it gives you some adjustability. Like I said in the earlier thread I posted on making some holes or short pieces of chain welded in the bucket. If you do that then you could use that to anchor to for the other chain method. Since your having that much trouble with the Sticky clay I would definitely take the time to rig up something with the chains. Think creative! 

 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/C6450279-A15A-42D7-B420-D75CF9B96565.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1670116152)
 Another handy option is to make some heavy duty receivers for various attachments

WB
Does that rigging work good for you?  Any pics of using it?

Don't currently have a excavator now. That's just what works for other people 

Robert, do you know any engineers?   :) :D :P

I know one or two engineers, most of them are a little crazy. :D :D  Sometimes I look around, and I think I'm the only "normal" one around.  At least that's what I keep telling myself. :D

I looked up some bucket chaining techniques on the Tube and some just weld some spare slack chain in the bucket so the weight of the chain flops the dirt out but the chain never leaves and is self contained in the bucket.  It's cool, I've never even heard of it, then I look and there are videos.  You guys know a lot, it shows how little I know about this stuff. But don't get the big head.... :D :D :D

I was looking at the rear of the machine yesterday after reading posts and between customers, there are several mounting points and pass throughs already set up and blanked off.  I see some lights in my near future.


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YH these are the lights that I replaced front and rear on my ASV. There LED lights that he has are fantastic never had any trouble with anything from RV replacement LED to off-road lights. Good information on the site and nice guy that you could ask questions if you had them.And fast shipping!  

https://m4products.com/round-and-square-lights-big-and-small/ (https://m4products.com/round-and-square-lights-big-and-small/)

Nice, I will check them out.  I need to see if I can rig them up.  

I was doing some digging today, and I wasn't breaking roots, I was slicing them.  Here are a few, one was nearly 5 inches in diameter.  Whole different ball game.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_4948.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1670205194)
 

Yep

i was trying to remove several 20+ inch stumps with the 331 for the pole barn build
had very hard time, even with the frost tooth. got out of the cab to check something.
put my hand on the boom cylinder and found it very warm.

said that is it.
went to Oregon and got the E80 with its frost tooth
result, 2 stumps out with the 331 after 2 days
12 out with the E80 in 8 hours


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/bobcat_331_drawing.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1536647728)

Here is a carrier for a post hole digger that can have a Skidsteer one pinned on it. This was for a John Deere mini I had. To give you a idea what it looks like if you get one and the simple two wire LED lights
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/58419955-FBEF-4C7E-B857-4F97FA342AD9.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1670208369)
 
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YH, that bucket looks like some of the tools the executioner used on Braveheart😬😂

I buy a lot of LED lights on Amazon. Nilight is a brand that seems to have decent quality. The ones in WB's link look like they are probably made alongside the Nilights, and about 3x the cost.

Limited-time deal: Nilight LED Light Bar 2PCS 60W 4 Inch Flood Spot Combo LED Work Light Pods Triple Row Work Driving Lamp with 12 ft Wiring Harness kit - 2 Leads,2 Year Warranty https://a.co/d/g4YAilw

Quote from: barbender on December 04, 2022, 11:41:05 PM
YH, that bucket looks like some of the tools the executioner used on Braveheart😬😂

I buy a lot of LED lights on Amazon. Nilight is a brand that seems to have decent quality. The ones in WB's link look like they are probably made alongside the Nilights, and about 3x the cost.

I looked at their site and the 26 dollar lights you mentioned and they are not the same at all. The 100 dollar lights they have that are comparable still don't spec out as good.  Big difference in LED lights out there! 

I completely acknowledge there's a wide array of quality in LED lights, WB. How are you telling the difference? I'm not being snarky, either. I've seen some of the name brand LEDs at the farm and fleet, and auto parts stores, and they look like the exact same lights that I am getting on Amazon. Just a lot more money. So I'm just wondering what specs you're comparing 

 On the opposite end of the spectrum, I could just run to Ponsse and buy some of their LEDs. They are at least $200 each, but I never had one go bad in 8000 hours on the forwarder🤷‍♂️

 :P

The company you mentioned has a comparable light of that size and it's less lumens and more expensive 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/10080B1F-906B-4990-B2F3-AF97C3458449.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1670295370)
 
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I've been doing a little more experimenting and am starting to get the hang of it better.  Most every evening after milling, I climb in it and do a little digging and stumping.  I've got a whole bunch of stumps that have been sticking out of the ground and now I use them for practice.  I also made a bunch of new ones with the mulcher that I can now use as target practice, also.  With the modified sharpened bucket and teeth I'm getting much better penetration down into the taproot and having better success cutting and detaching it.  This as a hickory that came up pretty easy.  No taproot to speak of but had a side root that was going under the fence and I was able to sever it and pull the stump without damaging the fence.  After dark, as always.



(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_4981.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1670552266)
 


I was at the dealership today and saw these little beasties.  Rock rippers and they told me people love them for root rippers, also.  $20 each and before I knew it, they followed me home and mounted themselves to the 12" bucket.

I'll try them out, they look pretty mean.  The sharpened bucket edge seems to holding up pretty well so far, you can see it's edge in the photo.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_4987.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1670553070)
 

Wow, if those work that's a steal for $20.  You can't get a chicken meal for that today. 

It looks like you're having a terrible time, YH, slaving at the mill all day then having to go dig stumps til bedtime😊

Looking good YH! Barbender hit it! Jumping in that shiny orange mini is way more fun than cruising around town in a shiny red corvette any day! 

Looks like you have it under control almost as good as sawing.
I say almost,because you are a newbie with the digging.

I agree, I've been able to get rid of stumps that have been staring at me for years and I didn't want to mulch below ground because of the rocks.  Not to mention the miles of fenceline I have yet to clear, plus the one I need to repair when I dropped a tree across it and broke the top 3 wires.  Ooops.....

I originally got this to run the mulch head, but that thing is so bad to the bone, it's kind of a non event.

The digging is letting me get my eye hand coordination up, and keeps me from going inside and watching TV when it gets dark at 5 o'clock.

I never consider myself "experienced" at anything until I've worn out a machine or destroyed it!  Once I have to pay for something twice, then I definitely have have gained "experience" good or bad.

I figure if I get my area cleared without breaking any glass out of my machine than I will have done good.

I'm starting to get into some bigger (for me) trees.  The snake fang teeth are amazing and the sharpened edge on the bucket is slicing roots like a paper cutter.  The mini is visible behind the trees, between the buildings.


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KX57 vs Oak Tree - YouTube (https://youtube.com/shorts/g0XrfdSX8EQ)

Good news about the bucket mods. 
Pushing them over after compromising the stump is a great way to have gravity do some work.
Mill-able oak 4x4's in there? 

Oh, I don't know, I cut this one up and it's on the burn pile.  I've got 50 hours on it already, and am cutting in my roads and fencelines, I try to run it a little every day after quitting time, get my hand and eye muscle memory going.

Here's a road I cut in, using the bucket and the blade. It took maybe 30 minutes, it went a little too fast.  The little spring is my minnow bait pond.  I dug it out a few years ago and put some shiners and crappie minnows in there and they breed and maintain by themselves.  The racoons get to eat for free, and any time I want to go to the pond or need some minners to go crappie fishing, I dip a net into the bait pond and I have enough to go fishing.  



  
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Here is one of the fence lines I cleared already.  Its only had enough room to drive a 4 wheeler, but now I have plenty of room. All the disturbed areas are removed trees.  The fenceline looks great now.  Only another 3 miles or so to go.


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Our woods are hardwoods and fairly open, with not much underbrush.  So all I need to do is get rid of soem trees and instant open trails and roads.  

 

i have 166 acres in Oregon you can work on

oh, wait. i am selling it in the next 2 to 3 years, when the market comes back

Looking fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing!!

I'm loving these snake teeth.  They are brutal.  
Snake Teeth on Kubota Mini Excavator Rips Tree Apart #Shorts - YouTube (https://youtube.com/shorts/UUCRF9WPnkU)

Looks like you should add fuel stabilizer to your chainsaw gas. 

Nice video! You said it! The snake teeth are indeed nasty!!!!

Rather than start a new post I figured I would chunk this in here since it has so much of everything else in it.
Last Dec. I got one of the 6-way dozer blades for the front of my skidsteer. It is made by Blue Diamond and 8 or 9 ft. long. When it first got here it would only move one set of cylinders. I got on the phone and talked with Blue Diamond for a lot longer than I should have and they finally said they was going to talk to the higher up folks and see if they were going to send me a whole new blade or a new diverter valve. I asked since they were talking about sending out new parts if they minded if I did some adjustments on it to see if I could get it to work. The guy said to give it a try but don't get my hopes up as he's looking at 6 more on the bench that have came in. I grabbed some wrenches and backed the adjustment screw out half a turn and it all went to work. Needless to say he was pretty excited when he called back.
Now on to the blade. I'm not overly impressed with it yet as the machine doesn't have enough weight to push very much and easily spins the tracks. Also every time I change the angle of the blade, the way it pivots, changes the depth of the outer edges. It has little skid shoes on it to help keep you from going to deep but they only work on the firmer ground. I'm sure I will get better with it once I have used it more but right now I think I would be faster with my big blade I have for behind my tractor. Any way here is a picture of it.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11861/20230120_150529.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1674407336)

Well, that's a little disappointing.  Will it roll dirt to the uphill side like for cutting ditchs and swales?

An 8' (or 9') blade on a sub-20Klb machine that won't move dirt well is of very little surprise to me.  Skid-steers are great if operated within their limitations, unfortunately trying to use one as a dozer isn't within their limitations.  I did some work for a guy who made the same mistake, it was tried unsucessfully for 2 days then returned and he bought a mid-70's D3 that did the job effortlessly.

 You see the skid steer dozer blades sell for about 25% of new with 5 hours on them quite often, because they are NOT easy to use. It will never turn your skid into a dozer. However, with a good bit of patience I think you will find it to be useful, I use mine all the time. 

 I have a Grouser brand blade, I find that the selector valve always leaks a little flow to the other function as well, so you have to be very deliberate when switching between the two.

 Jake, you answered one of my questions. I run mine on a Case 1845C. If I have my steel OTT's on, it's a little over 7000#. I think the blade weighs around 1200#. You can't push a full blade of material, so fine grading pushing a head of material like a dozer I'd out. I wondered if one of the bigger track machines would have enough snot. Guess not😊 Even if the machine could push it, the attachment puts the blade too far out in front in relation to the length of your track frame/ wheelbase to really carry a grade. 

 

Quote from: customsawyer on January 22, 2023, 12:26:09 PM
Rather than start a new post I figured I would chunk this in here since it has so much of everything else in it.
Last Dec. I got one of the 6-way dozer blades for the front of my skidsteer. It is made by Blue Diamond and 8 or 9 ft. long. When it first got here it would only move one set of cylinders. I got on the phone and talked with Blue Diamond for a lot longer than I should have and they finally said they was going to talk to the higher up folks and see if they were going to send me a whole new blade or a new diverter valve. I asked since they were talking about sending out new parts if they minded if I did some adjustments on it to see if I could get it to work. The guy said to give it a try but don't get my hopes up as he's looking at 6 more on the bench that have came in. I grabbed some wrenches and backed the adjustment screw out half a turn and it all went to work. Needless to say he was pretty excited when he called back.
Now on to the blade. I'm not overly impressed with it yet as the machine doesn't have enough weight to push very much and easily spins the tracks. Also every time I change the angle of the blade, the way it pivots, changes the depth of the outer edges. It has little skid shoes on it to help keep you from going to deep but they only work on the firmer ground. I'm sure I will get better with it once I have used it more but right now I think I would be faster with my big blade I have for behind my tractor. Any way here is a picture of it.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11861/20230120_150529.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1674407336)

If your not satisfied I would let them know about it for sure and get it sent back for a refund, exchange on another piece of equipment or a discount. You might be out the shipping to send it back but if it's not going to work the way you expected and you have a bad taste in your mouth now.

It doesn't seem you should have that much trouble with the big machine you have. If you ever ran a big dozer you know if you don't feather the blade up and down you can have the same problems

Now that I'm looking at that something didn't seem or look right. The blade is way to wide in my opinion! That's like running a D6 dozer with a blade way wider than the unit. See if you can exchange that unit for the smaller unit.

The one you have seems pretty good and heavy duty. Get it exchanged for the 72" or 84" they offer. You would be much happier!!

This is the 6 way dozer blade I had. Very heavy duty and worked very good. Narrow and high blade height the one I had
https://erskineattachments.com/products/6-way-dozer-blade-grader-leveler/ (https://erskineattachments.com/products/6-way-dozer-blade-grader-leveler/)

https://erskineattachments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2022-Erskine-6-Way-Dozer-Blade-Grader-Leveler-Catalog-Pages-109-110-05182022. (https://erskineattachments.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2022-Erskine-6-Way-Dozer-Blade-Grader-Leveler-Catalog-Pages-109-110-05182022.pdf)

I'm not one to quit on a piece of equipment just because it doesn't work perfect for me right off the bat. I fully expect there to be a learning curve on any new equipment. I wouldn't feel comfortable returning a piece of equipment that functions the way it is supposed to. If I wouldn't have been able to fix it then I would have returned it. Please keep in mind that we have been getting rain on a regular basis so it isn't really a good time to be playing in the dirt, but if I wait until it's dry enough then the equipment might rust up solid. As to the width of the blade. I went that wide so I could have it full angled and still be wider than my tracks.

I'm sure you will get the hang of it. You have plenty of machine and with the six way angle you can really do some amazing things. Especially getting everything leveled out where you are tearing all the trees out. I looked at the unit you have online and it looks pretty nice! 

The way my 84" 4 way bucket shears baseball sized rocks in half and too easily overflows the back of the bucket in hard Alabama clay in the summer, I bet it's a wet, slippery, sandy clay traction issue more than anything.  Jake used to own a dozer, so knows how to drive a blade.  As slippery and rainy as it's been here in Alabama, I'm not sure I could get enough traction to even fill up a bucket with mud right now.

I don't know much about dozer blades for CTL's, I was waiting to see how Jake's turns out before I get one, or decide which one to get.  We've been talking about this for awhile, having a 6 way dozer would be a good way to cut and clear ditches and stuff like that.

In this area with construction developments going up everywhere in this area, D3 dozers are almost a thing of the past just like backhoes, and we almost never see them anymore.  If it can't be done with a 100hp CTL, then they bring in a D6, which is about the smallest dozer we see here on the construction sites.  

As I drive by about a dozen of construction sites here, it's like they all have the same setup.  Two to three CTL's, two 200 or 300 or above excavators, a couple mini excavators, a couple rock trucks and a few road legal dump trucks.  Always a telehandler to unload trucks.  Some will have a pan or two for moving dirt, and then the bigger excavation sites will start seeing the above D6 to D10's.  Land development is huge here, from Amazon putting in huge buildings that could eat the Grand Canyon, to housing developments that are sections or miles wide.  I kind of use these construction sites as a blueprint of what kind of equipment I might want next.  It's like window shopping for Tonka Toys.  

Backhoes, smaller dozers, and wheeled skid steers seem to be getting more scare on these construction sites from what I'm seeing.

The 100 hp tracked machines absolutely can perform. Lots of talk what they can't do but when own or have owned one with different attachments then you know.

Quote from: DDW_OR on December 16, 2022, 12:36:04 AM
i have 166 acres in Oregon you can work on

oh, wait. i am selling it in the next 2 to 3 years, when the market comes back

guess what.
we are moving back to the Oregon Property. had it with Montana's ice and snow and postage stamp lot, 1.5 acres
this is the third or fifth move back
AND THE FINAL MOVE
so i think

Weyerhaeuser shot 50% of the property border when they sold their land.
RR is on 40 % of the remainder
so i just have to mark 10%
one of my Oregon neighbors is a retired county surveyor. i can hire him to train me on how to servey with my TOPCON GTS-802A total station

then do like YellowHammer and work some each day to clear a road along the border
first just 15 feet wide, later a full 50 ft

Nice!  

I tell you what, I know these mini excavators are not big, but the little beastie has done everything I've wanted of it, and in a timely manner.  A little here, a little there, and you look up and there's a road, or four.  Add in the mulcher, which is almost no fun because it's too fast, and these things are land clearing, slow moving, dirt moving machines.  What I've found is that with a 3 foot bucket it will takes full scoops with ease, and that's a good bit of dirt.  We discussed it before, these machines have more power than weight, which is a whole lot different than say a farm tractor with front end loader where they limit the lifting capability of the hydraulic system.  These are the opposite, the hydros are at full strength and only limited by the physical weight of the machine.    

It's also got a real nice soundproofing system, and even a real nice, 120 watt triple cone Bluetooth stereo system.  However, the spring adjust seat was hard on my old rear end, it felt like sitting on high school bleachers watching a football game.  So this week, I had my new $1,000 air ride excavator seat delivered and installed. It is nice!  Here are the service guys putting it in.  It is very, very comfortable.  

As "rough" and loud as the cab of the skid steer is, these minis are the exact opposite.  They are very quiet and extremely comfortable.    


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/D215BAD7-A941-429D-8615-BC007962A1CB.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1674532537)

The combine has a seat like that - makes all the difference in the world. 

That's Awesome! You should really like that! Glad you were able to get that done. Keep us posted on it. I wouldn't be surprised if that gets offered down the road. And your the guy that started the request 👍

Yellowhammer, i think your Ex is 11,000 pound
i have an 8,000 pound Bobcat 331
and a 18,000 pound Bobcat E80.
my fence line is a mix of
35% flat and level
40% gentle slopes
and 25% of o-hell-no slopes
and thick forest that all need a thinning

so to re-cap your Excavator journey
stump removal = small bucket with sharp edge and sharp snake teeth
mulcher Solaris
anything else??


in the future make the fence line clearing wider for a fire break

I think he needs drainage ditches more than a fire break about now.

I've widened them out a since the pictures.

Let's see.. the big takeaways...
The KX 57-5, is a 13,000 machine with blade and cab and is as comfortable as my Chevy or Ford truck, and along with the air ride seat, makes time fly.

I installed inclinometers on both pitch and yaw axis to measure the angles of the cab, like in my CTL.

The power to weight is very high and for most of the time, half to 3/4 throttle is more than enough root or digging power.  Sometimes it doesn't hurt to go wide open, though.

The 1 foot bucket with snake teeth is just plain vicious, it just shreds roots.  It doesn't do a lot of earth moving so is slow there, when it's needed for filling in holes while,removing stumps.

The 2 foot bucket is sweet also, a little harder to get through roots, buy can carry more dirt.  

The sides of the bucket need to be sharpened, so they will scissors roots and limbs.

The Solaris mulcher is light enough to do full side extends and not get tippy.

The blades will take a few rock hits.

It's Solaris a beast for its size, and by grinding into the side of the tree, can take town 12 inchers.  

Good to know. it is always good to get first-hand-knowledge from someone you trust.

in 2024 or 2025 i will be using the Arbro 400 stroke harvester. as of now i have only used it for less than 2 hours

any key features to look for when getting the inclinometers

The inclinometers are very simple BB in an arc of transparent material in mineral oil type of thing, like used on boats and ships.  They simply have an adhesive strip that permanently sticks to metal or glass and shows the angle.  They are very handy to have, no more guessing and are very accurate.  I checked them against my inclinometer app on my Iphone and they matched up.





 

What is the purpose of the inclinometer? I understand what they are but why do you use it? 

My built in inclinometer puckers up a bit when I get into sketchy spots on the backhoe or tractor...

Guess what 

We are NOT moving to Oregon 

Dad did some thinking last night 

In Montana
All vehicles and trailers have permanent plates
Insurance is much cheaper 
And we have 5 large lakes within 30 miles of the house 

And it will cost more to get the Oregon property up and running 
Fencing alone till be about $50,000

Montana on the other hand will be way under that

Sounds like you're having one heck of an internal conflict on what makes the most sense.  Postage stamp lots do have their benefits, I can take my wife to Italy for a couple weeks and the neighbors keep an eye on the house, $50 to have the grass cut once if it's growing.  I have a few acres up the road if I need to escape into the woods but it's less than 1/2 hour away, nothing like driving between MT and OR.  SC trailers under 2500lbs cost nothing, over and it's $20 if you're looking for inexpensive.

I use the inclinometers in both machines for several reasons, one is is to keep my rear end calibrated when things get dicey, and the other is for an in the seat transit when cutting in slopes, pads and ditches.  For example, my CTL has an angle of departure of 37° and I've exceeded that once and it was not fun.  However, I have lots of slopes and hit 30+° pretty often.  Also, when side sloping and moving dirt, the inclinometer lets me keep a constant angle, for example form the top of our dam to the bottom toe when I putting in fill and shaping the slope.  For a ditch, the best slope is 2% to maybe 4% at most, or the ditch will flow too slow and stagnate, or too fast and erode.  The inclinometer lets me shape the slope or ditch and constantly check grade while making it.  Over long runs, it's pretty easy for me to miss eyeball a perfect 2% slope to a not good 0% slope to an even worse -2% slope.  Such small changes are very difficult for me to eyeball but easy to shape with the inclinometer.  

Same thing with the mini ex, I can set my roads to slope sideways with 2% so the water will always sheet off the off side instead of a slight negative slope which causes the uphill side of the road to ditch erode.  I've done them before like that and it's always bad a year later, and I have to re slope the road or cut.

Here's what they look like mounted.  Surprisingly effective.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_5440~0.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1674872134)
  

   

We've got one in our road grader for the town like that. The newer machines have fancy displays, ours is just old enough for the old bubble. It is a whole lot more precise than me running the machine!  I'm getting there, maybe in another 5 or 10 years I'll consider myself "good" in it

Sometimes it's just the little things that make the difference.  

Nice explanation YH, thanks.

I know this thread has been gone a little while, and all I can say is I really, really like the Kubota. I'm getting much better with it, and took a video of me mulching and mowing the dam a week or two ago.  Remember, this dam has a 37° back slope, and even my track loader slides down it.  I've never been able to mow it in one process or it's entirely, in 21 years.  Everything I've tried has failed at some point, whether it be weedeaters, brush cutters, bushhogs, skid steers, and even controlled burns, but now I can mow it all from water line to base of the dam with the mini and Torret mulcher while listening to the radio.  

https://youtu.be/eVMaKtwRroI?feature=shared (https://youtu.be/eVMaKtwRroI?feature=shared)

Pretty cool, YH! Can I come over to play at your house sometime?

That is one fancy weed eater. ;D

I like that!!!!

To say that mulcher is impressive would be a serious understatement.  :o

I have the same challenge with the pond, etc. at the Cabin/farm. 

Barbender, heck yeah, sure, anyone who wants to run it come and hop on, the only thing better than running a mulcher is someone else running it and watching the smile on their face as they vaporize things.

I have a new video coming out shortly where I grind about 3/8 mile of fence line small trees and saplings, some from up to 20 foot tall feet down to the top of the fence.  Kind of like trimming a real long, thick, overgrown hedge.  I figured it would take a couple days and got it done in one afternoon, starting after lunch.

These things are like driving real life Tonka Toys, it's just fun.  

Great video!! Happy for you the equipment has exceeded expectations!! Videos and personal experiences like this are great!! 

Very nice, ;)

Quote from: YellowHammer on October 22, 2023, 11:14:36 PM
.....a video of me mulching and mowing the dam a week or two ago.  Remember, this dam has a 37° back slope, and .......

https://youtu.be/eVMaKtwRroI?feature=shared (https://youtu.be/eVMaKtwRroI?feature=shared)

Good. 
One idea, mulch so the cuttings do not go into the water.

and more importantly, what do you have in the water. anything big enough to catch and cook?

.


YellowHammer,   Complements on your pond.  It looks very inviting and the best part is that I don't see any buildings in the background.    Was it already in place when you guys moved in?

I am told that the wider the dam, the better.  And that not only will critters dig thru causing blow outs,  Tree roots will cause blow outs as the roots allow water to seep along the edge of the root and slowly erode until the dam leaks and washes away.  30 feet wide is on the small side as being the width (thickness) of a dam.  Please don't ask me how I learned this.

Thanks for the video of your toys.  Walnut Beast is correct in that videos are worth thousands of sales pitches.  

Did you buy or are you renting yours as you need it once in a while?


.

We had the pond built about 20 years ago, and it has about an average slope of 25 to 30 degrees so is more than a hundred feet though at the base of the dam.  

We are having lots of trouble with amadillos recently, they are invasive and seem to just want to dig to China.  We are being over run by them, I've shot 3 out of my front door in the last week.  

Tree roots are a problem also, but the contractor cut a boundary trench all the way around the dam, a decent distance away from the foot, and severed everything for a long way down, about 10 feet below ground.  However, I have noticed pencil root penetrating from two trees this summer, and both have been taken down with the mini excavator.

I love the mini and bought it outright.  I figured if I didn't like it, I could resell it easy, but that aint gonna happen.  I am shocked at how fast it will dig, and how precise it is, not to mention taking down trees, mulching, pulling and setting fence posts, and just general farm work.  

Just this week we were having concrete poured and the guy needed about an inch sheared off the grade, up in the corner of a building, and after I was able to just barely squeeze the mini in th door, I was able to cut with amazing precision, using a tilting grading bucket.  Our skid steer is great, but the mini excavator is like a pocket multitool, it can pretty much do everything with the right attachment.  I mean with the tilting bucket, I was carving dirt to within an inch of the metal building frame, from the inside, and never dented it once.  

I use it all the time.  Many times once a day for some odd job or another.  Yesterday, I tore down an old livestock shed with it.  A couple days ago, I was moving logs, a few days before, loading sawdust into a customer'
s trailer.

  

Excavators are handy to have around for sure.

The size of excavator you have seems to be the perfect size for a little bit of everything. Is that the same size you would go if you ever got another one

there are two paths

First. just small enough for you to trailer it to a friends place

Second. big-enough so you cannot trailer it to a friends place

You know, I think about the size of it all the time.  I'm used to slightly bigger and more HP on most equipment, but by the same token, this is big enough to have done everything I've asked of it, and sometimes it does things I never expected to use it for.  It's nimble, fast and strong, and it will dig a 3 foot bucket of dirt without any problem.    

For example to show how versatile it is and how much we use it, we popped a frost proof water line this weekend, and I used the mini ex to remove the hydrant which was encased in about 6 inches thick of 10 year old concrete slab by breaking a chunk with the rock teeth, and then lifting the entire slab up with the thumb and toted it off to the bury pit.  Then I dug up the old water line and reset the bottom of the trench to flat grade by using the trenching bucket.  This afternoon I reinstalled a new hydrant, and used the 4 way blade on the front of the mini to scrape up some gravel like a skid steer would do, and picked the piled gravel up in the bucket and carried it back to fill the hydrant drainage hole.  Then I poured some bags of quickcrete into the excavator bucket, mixed in some water, sloshed it all around and proceeded to dump the wet mix into the hole to bring the new concrete slab up to grade.  Ten bags later, I was smoothing the quickcrete with a trowel.   Then I hosed the bucket out with the water line that was now working and parked the mini and probably didn't use 2 gallons of diesel for the whole thing.  OK, maybe three gallons.  

Anyway, take a look at this hunk of concrete it easily lifted and removed.  You can see the old hydrant sticking through it.  The second picture is the new hydrant back in, being supported by a couple spiral lumber stickers.  Anyway, I love my skid steer, but for this job, it got to just sit by and watch.    

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_7722.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1699320807)
 


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_7738.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1699320785)
 


 

Yellowhammer your a bad influence  :D. After explaining just a few of the many uses of the excavator and knowing all the jobs I need to do you have me and probably many others wanting one!!

it is VERY handy to have.

next is rent or buy.

for me i buy
Bobcat 331 - 8,000 pound
auger with 2 bits
flail mower head. wish i had gotten the one YellowHammer has
Saw head, wish i had not gotten
3 buckets
Frost Ripper Tooth

Bobcat E80 - 18,000 pound
Jackhammer
Arbro 400 stroke harvester head. 16 inch Max, only have used it 2 hours in 5 years
3 buckets
Frost Ripper Tooth

and a rotating grapple that i got for the 331. i use it on the E80 because it has the connections and the reach
i have to remember it is way undersized for the E80

for the grapple
thumb is secured in the open position
then the grapple open close are connected to the the thumb lines

each of the bucket cylinder lines have a 3 way manual selector valve with one quick connect on each valve
the rotator is connected to the valves
add flow restriction to slow the rotation. this is not needed for normal bucket use
 

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27421/bobcat_331_drawing.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1536647728)
 

Quote from: Walnut Beast on November 07, 2023, 12:47:55 PM
Yellowhammer your a bad influence  :D. After explaining just a few of the many uses of the excavator and knowing all the jobs I need to do you have me and probably many others wanting one!!

Yes, you need one :D Ripping trees right out of the ground is life changing! Get the bigger one :-X

The -5 model I have has programmable valves with a secondary drain.  During a recent conversation I had with the mulcher manufacturer, he asked me if I had opened my electric return line "dump valve" and if I was operating one way jackhammer mode? I was ????? What?  I said I'm hooked to the thumb lines and have a case drain.  He said my particular model has an electronic dump valve that was opened via computer when I selected one way, jackhammer mode and would make my mulcher become a "different animal."  I had been using two way thumb mode with full pressure and flow rate.  

So scrolled through the mode selecting menu and sure nuff, there was one way mode, with a symbol of a jackhammer.  I reprogrammed that with the icon of a rotary mulcher. Locked it in as configuration 3, and hit the button and wow, that mulcher got even meaner than it was before.   

I'll tell you what, I'm not much of a stereo guy, but this things got a better sound system than my truck.  Not some tinny el cheap radio, but full up, 120W, quality quad speaker,  Bluetooth, hands free, playing Toby Keith ripping trees out of the ground stereo and phone system.  

And one of the first things I did was put an air ride seat in it, and that makes a huge difference as well.  

I can see why every construction site I ever see has a least one of these on the grounds, they are that good.  I'm up to about 300 hours already, and zero malfunctions or problems.     

I know that for digging dirt, like at a quarry or land fill, bigger is better, but I actually don't spend a lot of time purely digging, and even then it's pretty fast.  Where it shines is doing all the other stuff.  Talk about a machine to press fence line "T" posts into the ground! It'll do one in about 5 seconds.  

Approximately what weight of log will that size machine load/unload from a truck?

All the talk on here got me thinking about how handy.  Yesterday driving down the highway where a construction outfit was burying lines along the ditch and had a pull behind pickup dump trailer full of rock and the mini excavator was dipping in the trailer and putting the rock in the trench.

Quote from: stavebuyer on November 08, 2023, 02:58:11 AM
Approximately what weight of log will that size machine load/unload from a truck?

I don't know the exact specs for his unit, but most that size have a maximum lift of around 5k pounds with a full reach capacity of around 2400 lbs. The max. reach along the ground would be in the 18' range, with a reach height around 14'. There are some variable in terms of counterweights, arm length, and how you measure that affect those numbers. Most listed reach ranges are to the end of the bucket teeth.

Loading and unloading a log truck with a smaller unit like these would be very time consuming.

I completely agree with Yellowhammer, they are great to have around. Mine is an older, smaller unit, but it wont leave anytime soon.

Yeah, it's not the best for onloading logs from a log trailer because it doesn't have a swivel grapple, but I can lift most any "normal" log I can grab with the bucket and pinch with the thumb.  It's about the same as unloading a trailer with a backhoe.  The hydraulics are very strong, the problem comes down to stability, and most high capacity movements must be over the front blade, and close to the cab, as the blade acts like a big outrigger.  It'll lift much more than it is stable with.  I've unloaded enough trailers by now to know where to park everything to get a fairly efficient unload, but I can only do just one log at a time.  With forks on my CTL, I can do multiple logs at one, so is faster.  However, the mini excavator is really handy when doing "one log at a time" things, such as when I'm bucking logs, I can lift them up, buck them and swing to a pile, and stack them without tracking, especially with two people.  Very fast for that.  Or when a farmer or city slicker brings a few logs on a shiny gooseneck or flatbed, I prefer to unload them with the mini, because it's very precise and I don't want to scratch the paint on a customer trailer.  Also, when knocking down trees and lifting and moving them and their logs in the woods, really fast, much faster than even my track loader with twice the HP.  Not to mention ripping limbs off felled trees, we've been doing a good bit of lot clearing lately, and I've "raced" against another guy limbing trees with a chainsaw, and it's not even a contest.  It's to the point where last time, he was limbing for a while, and I was doing other things, and when I drove up, he put the chainsaw down and just said "you do it" because with the mini and thumb I can break the big limbs into easy to haul off 6 or 8 foot sections with the bucket and thumb, kind of just snap and fold them up like a blade of grass, and then snap them off at the trunk and put them in my dump trailer.  Zero effort and really fast.      

The two equipment that are a MUST HAVE
in order.

35 HP or Bigger tractor with a FEL that has skidsteer quick attachment
and rear hydraulics

8,000 or bigger excavator with hydraulic thumb.