I recently purchased a new skid steer mulcher. I was bouncing between a FAE and Diamond Mower. I liked the idea that you could intermix the tooth design on the drum (carbide on the outside of the drum, chippers on the center for example) on the Diamond. I know FAE makes a great mulcher but I have had a high flow rotary mower from Diamond and really like it. I ended up with the Diamond. I have put about 20 hours on it. I left the chipper teeth on it across the drum, to knock everything down and will likely change the teeth out for carbides to mulch everything that is on the ground. Totally impressed with this mulcher. The production rate is excellent. The Rexroth pump recovers quickly, teeth are excellent for mulching standing trees. So far I don't think I could be happier with it. I have it on a CASE 450B high flow CTL. The machine handles it with ease. I was working at 6200 feet and it was 90-94 degrees over the last two days. The machine stayed mostly cool, got into the yellow on hyd. temp. a couple times. I clean off the air intake and blow out the rad. and it cools right down. A/C has no problem keeping the cab cool. The wood is cotton wood (which is what plugs my air intakes on the machine with the cotton balls). Aspen and Birch trees, so its all soft wood.
-
Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!
Diamond Mulcher
- Thread starter KSSS
- Start date
treemuncher
Senior Member
Have you ever noticed that chewing up cottonwood trees smells like horse sh!t?
And dogwoods smell like a wet dog on damp day?
And dogwoods smell like a wet dog on damp day?
treemuncher
Senior Member
That sure sounds better than the dead cow I once ran through the mulcher. It took a long time to want to smell a good burger after that incident! Even though it was mostly just bones & hide in the chill of February, it was still pungent punch to my olfactory intake. That kind of stink stays in your nose and about the machine for quite some time.
Mobilewrench
Senior Member
That is all pretty entertaining. But, I am going to hijack the thread from it's current olfactory theme.
I find diamond equipment to be seriously lacking in structural engineering.
I have one client with an eight foot rotary cutter mounted on a skid steer and another with a forestry head on an excavator. The amount of time that I have to spend on trying to keep them running is just stupid.
Idk, perhaps it is a soft wood vs. Hard wood problem. Everything mentioned above is a soft wood. But the rotary cutter is only cutting tall grass and operator error.
I find diamond equipment to be seriously lacking in structural engineering.
I have one client with an eight foot rotary cutter mounted on a skid steer and another with a forestry head on an excavator. The amount of time that I have to spend on trying to keep them running is just stupid.
Idk, perhaps it is a soft wood vs. Hard wood problem. Everything mentioned above is a soft wood. But the rotary cutter is only cutting tall grass and operator error.
southernman13
Senior Member
I have a 6’ Diamond rotary cutter that’s been incredible. I’ve cut some heavy chit with it. Definitely haven’t been easy on it. I do have a few cracks in the back corners but I’ve hung up on some stumps. They’re not bad and easily welded. For what I’ve done with it I’m impressed. I didn’t know they made and 8’ I’d like to have one mowing
Mobilewrench
Senior Member
I mistyped. My problem child is a 7 foot rotary. The client is mainly running it on a CAT 259D. They bought the CAT and the mower as a pair and the former owner did a poor job when they put the two together. The max flow of the machine is lower than the mower requires. Also, the weight of the mower is too much for the machine. Before I added counter weights to the carrier it would detrack about once a week. Hilly country here. Whenever the operator would stop suddenly on a down hill trek it would compress the recoil spring and pop a track off.
And those were the good old days.
Since then I have had to replace the gear box twice and first rebuild the hydraulic motor and then replace it. Not to mention having to re-engineer just about everything structural on it.
The client also runs another Deere 7 foot rotary on a different Deere tracked skid. (That skid has spent so much time at the dealer for warranty work that I have not even been able to commit its model number to my memory.).
I'm thinking...331?
That one has also destroyed a gear box and has had to have the tool holders welded back in a few times.
southernman13
Senior Member
Wow