Hi all, I am looking to open a second compost site with a larger machine than what I use now. Currently I use a JD CT 332 which is a compact track machine. Very powerful, with a 2 yard bucket on it. I can turn a 70 ft long windrow in about an hour. I'd like to upgrade to a wheel loader with a 4 yard bucket at least OR an excavator with the bucket turned the other way around for scooping. Imagine that each windrow of compost is about 18 ft wide, 6 ft tall and 70 ft long. There are about 8 of these windrows all next to each other, parallel. You have about 1000 cubic yards in total. When its time to turn all the windrows, you start at the last windrow and put it into a large storage pile (because its finished). You then move on to the 2nd to last windrow which goes onto the empty slot where the last windrow was. The 3rd to last windrow goes where the 2nd to last windrow was, and so on... I could see an excavator being able to start in between a pile and an empty slot, then just scoop, swivel and dump. This seems faster than using a wheel loader. Plus easier on the ground because of less driving. However my gut tells me that a wheel loader is still the right choice. A few concerns... -I will have difficulty scooping the bottom of the windrow that is near the ground. I will end up scooping up dirt which overtime could ruin the grade of the site. -For the price of a used wheel loader with a 4yd bucket (50k?), can I find an excavator with a bucket big enough to be faster than that wheel loader? -Mud, I need to operate year round. How will a wheel loader do on soft ground? Its not clays like in the south east, i'm in new england and this ground is fill that has been compacted. Compost can be up to 1500lbs per yard FYI. Thanks all
Every site i have seen thats composts to make potting soil not sure what you do with your compost but thats thennorm down here they ussually have 1 excavator to load the grinders if they have a grinder and several wheel loaders for everything else
The cities use wheel loaders. Composters use specialized turners if they can. I would think that you'd save the most money in fewer turnings to get the desired result. I've never known excavators or wheel loaders to be good for mixing at all. I wasn't gonna say anything but then I saw your Dodge mixer and had to wonder why you wouldn't build your own turner?
Delmer is correct as far as I know. I have a couple of customer that do composting and they have windrow turners. The small one has a 15ft. head with a auger screw to turn. But they have windrows about 1/4 mile long.
monster76 - The sites I've seen that have an excavator also have wheel loaders. I'm wondering if I can get by with just an excavator. There are some things about it that would be awkward, but if the turning time is much faster, then it might be worth it. For example, lets say I had to move 10 scoops of material from one end of the site to the other, is that bad to be driving an excavator back and forth across the site to do that? I feel like they are made to be stationary. What about plowing snow if it had a tall wide V blade on the front. Is that dumb? Delmer and jjimbo - Yes the turners are pretty efficient. Those only usually make sense for operations with 7000 yards of material or more. We've not trying to be a volume business. I've had no problem mixing with the skid steer bucket. Yes the mixer wagon does a much better job spreading out the moisture. Yes we've built some stuff, if anything i'd buy a used turner and modify it to be taller. But then you need to own a substantial sized tractor, 60-80hp. I compost foodscraps and wood shavings by the way. No grinders, no debris. I guess my question is how effective could an excavator with a reversed bucket be at shifting/reforming a windrow 20 ft to the right (or left) of where it is. How much more effective than a 4yd wheel loader. i think I could turn a pile 18ft wide, 6 ft tall, and 70 ft long with a wheel loader in 45 minutes.
We compost and turn our windrows with a SCAT turner. When it breaks down we use a John Deere 724K loader with a 5 CY bucket. I can't imagine using a excavator to move windrows because of the very reasons you mentioned.
Hi Trash man, thanks for the reply. Thats a good size machine. Couple questions... ... about how much fuel do you burn an hour? ... do you find that you lose traction when driving over wet ground. For example when moving a pile, the ground beneath the old pile is pretty moist? ... do you roll the piles over or do you scoop, drive to the new pile, dump, repeat? Thanks
It burns about 8 gallons an hour. Traction is usually no problem if you keep good tires on the machine. We scoop and dump, it is the fastest way as well as provides a good distribution of moisture through out the pile.
I think for your application a wheel loader would be the right machine. For a Compost yard, having your only large machine being an excavator I think would be a mistake. For your application a wheel loader would be the right machine. If you cleaned this up a little, this would be a great machine for your application http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=10576553
My cousin has a compost/manure business too. Has a Liebherr L 110 in the jard and also a wheeled excavator. He turns his compost with this: https://www.google.pt/url?sa=t&sour..._kc8h1JvJNmAZjFPw&sig2=VKSSZt2sp-IRc_wgrlSkbA