Met one of these out on the highway this afternoon. http://www.raycomfg.com/media/blfa_files/C100_Tire_September_2015_1.pdf I thought maybe it was a baby hydroax or similar in the quick glance i got. As big as it looked on the tag trailer i was expecting more than 99hp.
Yes, that is the new rubber tire version of the C100 track machine. I have hundreds of hours in the seat of the steel track version. Don't let the HP fool you. These things can easily shred a 6"-8" diam. tree, depending on the type of wood. The Rayco machines are a super high maintenance machine. You almost need to have a fulltime mechanic and tool truck sitting right on the job. The A/C system and cab dust seals are a joke. I use a gas-powered leaf blower to clean out the cab about every 4 hours, in dusty conditions. You can also forget trying to operate these Rayco machines in temps over about 80 degrees. The cab temp. becomes unbearable, due to the poor A/C system and poor cab seals. Having said all this, the machine is quite impressive in it's capabilities. I have mulched as much as 3 acres/day, in thick trees and brush, in certain conditions. I have operated the 99HP machine, as well as the larger Rayco 140HP machine. I bet that wheeled machine rides rough. The track models are not too bad.
Rayco is an old company, but relatively new to self propelled machines with operator's seats. Sounds like they don't have the engineering quite up to snuff yet?
Well, they have been building machines with cabs and A/C since at least 2005, maybe before that. I really don't know why they can not get that part right.
Neither do I, plus other problems that have never been corrected.