I just wanted to post an update for another job for next week. I will be renting the Cat299D and the Vail rotary mulcher again. Kubota doesnt have a machine with protective glass to rent. Deere wont rent me a machine they dont rent units for mulching. Takehchi doesnt have any machines available for rent they cant get them and have sold everything they had. Bobcat is renting me the mulcher head but doesnt rent 870s only 770s and I dont want to be low on power/flow with a mulcher head and fighting that. I havent rented a bobcat in all fairness due to feedback here with cab comfort and size so probably should do that but wouldnt want a 770 so dont really see the point. Been trying to find a rotary mulcher head of another brand to test but no one around has any. I can only rent drum mulchers OR the vail from bobcat. I loved the vail on my last job so no issues with it. I saw a video/ad on the Quick Attach folks out of minnesota with their rotary mulcher so thot maybe I could find one of those to try/demo but havent found a place with one. Id like to demo a deere sometime, been running a 95-2 kubota with a Legacy Iron 84inch cutter on it with wheel kit cutting modest CRP brush and it does ok but definitely not a mulcher. The kubota would not be a first choice compared to the Cat. Way more noisy/dusty in cab in comparison and the AC is no where comparable. The cooling system on the kubota runs warmer as a whole also. Have to manage your machine loading and power to keep temps down even on a 75degree day vs 95 which i havent ran in that hot of a day yet. The Cat so far is the machine of choice for me. Still woudl like to test the Deere and Bobcat just for comparison. Any of you have any feedback on them for mulching ? Cabs, Comfort, Noise, Dust? I know the TAKs are rockstars for all around work/dirt/grading and big cabs like the Kubota but how are they mulching? Thanks, Robert
Have you considered Positrack. IMO they are far better in the way they have set up the hydraulic system. They have 5 ports when the others only have 3. The other functions don't interfere with the hiflow at all.
No I have not they do not have good dealer support here. I have driven an older RC85 I believe it was, it was the 85 back in about 06 or 08 my cousin had one. It was fine for grading and doing some tree pulling. I was experimenting with it at the time for a couple days doing some work on a place that was overgrown. The machine was fine for that kind of work but a lot has changed on machines in nearly 20yrs. I cannot rent one for test running on a mulcher either no one has them for rent.
The latest posi are now up to 135 hp and some say are very close to a dedicated mulcher in their ability. The previous model RT120 is good to but not without backup.
you mean a guy would need to keep two machines as they have more down time and less dealer support or issues with getting parts when they break? I have been running the cat today and its a couple yrs older maybe a 2018, its a D2 not a D3 and its got different looking gauges on teh display with about 1450 hours. Does not have the fan on demand/reversing button like the 2020 did. Its not as tight as the 2020 i rented last time. The biggest complaint I have is maneuvering on hilly ground like I am on you have to work very slow as it doesnt want to move very fast and loads the machine a lot when turning or going uphill. Outside of that its great, quiet, clean, ac works great, seat is comfy, this one doesnt have a radio so tomorrow will be sporting one earbud and an extra phone battery I love to listen to Bott Christian Radio programs while I work. It was the same with the 2020 and neither were/are the XP machine w/or w/out the extra cooling on the roof. I am working in the timber with lots of overhanging brush/limbs. I still would like to at least try a deere 333G, TL12 , the only HF machine I can get is a bobcat 770 they dont rent the 870. I would like to try them all before purchasing one for my own if I keep doing this when I retire.
Don't give up on the 770. I am running a 2011 T770 with the teir 3 Kubota engine with a Cimaf DAF150D head. It has been reliable and runs good. However I have heard others have problems with the Dosan engine. So it could go either way