-
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!
Land clearing Hire/Rent
- Thread starter AllDodge
- Start date
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I think expanded metal could be used in addition to the thick plexiglass to stop larger pieces.
treemuncher
Senior Member
Plexiglass is NEVER an option with mulching equipment. Just like it has "glass" in its name, it will break into sharp pieces and can cause severe injuries, or worse.
Lexan (Polycarbonate) is totally different. You can slam it with sledge hammers and never break it. Lexan with a hard coating is the standard for any mulching equipment. It is extremely expensive so treat it with care and never use any chemical cleaners on it. The only chemical that I do use on it is Novus plastic cleaner with a 3 stage process that will usually pull out minor scratches.
Metal guarding in front of the Lexan will help it last longer and prevent some scratches but don't let it touch and keep it wider at the bottom so debris can self flush. I usually use a 2"x2" to 4"x4" cage on most of my equipment. Expanded metal is difficult to see through and has never been a viable option for anything I have used. Goat panels from TSC built up my last set of side guards. They are not very tough but they do deflect a lot of the side hits on the doors and reduce the accumulation of deep scratches. My front guards usually use thicker rods that don't deflect easily. Cedar trees are one of the worst for jumping into the guards front or side and they scratch it up fast. Most any tree can get you killed if you don't pay attention.
The only thing that I still run glass on without anything more that a heavy screen cage is my excavators, and that is still risky. When mulching, I always wear a hard hat and safety glasses in these machines because chips/chunks fly into the skylight and occasionally, I break the front glass. This has only happened in extremely rocky ground (once) and when a rope with a hook at the end (once) was wound up into the cutterhead and flung the hook through the cage and right into my cab glass as the rope whipped the corner and broke the hook off. In the past, I've seen 6 lb hammers fly off of my cutterhead to who knows where at near full speed. I'm damn careful where my head is pointed and I don't use flail heads anymore.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
That's good info to know. Oddly hockey arena's use 1/2" and 5/8" plexiglass because it has better optical properties than Lexan and is also available in an abrasion resistant version.
Tones
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2009
- Messages
- 3,100
- Location
- Ubique
- Occupation
- Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
It's not about abrasion resistance, it's about impact resistance and plexiglass doesn't cut the mustard.
Anyone who fitted the wrong type of screen could be in a world of pain after the legal eagles clean them out
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I realize that. I just posted plexiglass comes in an abrasion resistant version for hockey arena's. Pucks at 100 MPH are a pretty good impact and I wondered why they use plexiglass.
Tones
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2009
- Messages
- 3,100
- Location
- Ubique
- Occupation
- Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
A number of years ago a operator using CTL and mulcher was lifting it to high. A tooth broke off and went through the lexan screen and killed him. At the inquest the family said that a 1/2in lexan screen was not good enough and said it should be 1 inch thick. The **** that can happen with mulchers and newbies makes a hockey game look like a Sunday picnic.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
I'm not arguing. There's not usually 15,000+ innocent bystanders when you're mulching either. People have been killed and seriously injured by hockey pucks. That's why they put mesh up to rafters now. Stripping shovels used 5 inch thick bulletproof glass for the windshield. All kinds of bizarre accidents happen in all types of equipment. Have heard of covers for water and gas valves going through the side of a house when using large snow blowers for loading trucks. If someone doesn't follow the correct operating procedures and safety warnings, all bets are off no matter what type of windshield or safety devices are in place.
aighead
Senior Member
Welp, after reading this I don't think I'll ever do any mulching other than maybe the old grinder into the back of a dump truck variety! This all sounds terrifying!
Tones
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2009
- Messages
- 3,100
- Location
- Ubique
- Occupation
- Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
It all comes down to the ability of the operator and there understanding of the task. Some should have their fingers removed at the elbows so they can't unlock the door.
The first mulcher CTL combo I purchased ,had never seen one working in the flesh,never even sat in a CTL but had done many thousands of hours on equipment and for the most part having to figure how to operate them. Although I have never had safety issues I did have failures due to my inexperience which burned my pocket. If you can accept that can happen to you then go for it but don't winge if it goes pear shaped.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
Usually a perfectionist will want to do the work themselves. On the other hand I've done work for people who have wanted me to be a miracle worker and no matter what I did it would never be good enough. Nobody would be able to please them. They wanted it done in record time and planned on complaining from the get go to try and get the price lowered. I was always leery when a potential customer wanted a whole lot of work done.