Excavators

For the cab, I'd say to avoid to be assaulted by the limbs, the rain, the heat, the cold, the dust and the mosquitos Noise too. I didn't though of the mulching head ; for this one; it isn't just a comfort consideration.
 
In regard to my Gehl, I’d never choose a machine of its sort with an enclosed cab. I’m on and off way too much. But with an excavator I can see the comforts of it. Just be aware that you won’t be able to hear as well should someone be trying to get your attention.
 
A wonderful rule you need to teach everyone is to not even come close to the swing radius of your bucket without you waving them in, honking, or something like that to explicitly acknowledge them. Teach them to avoid the counterweight like the plague. Another good one no one thinks of is to honk before you track at all. That lets everyone know you are about to move and you will be focusing on other things than the boom. Always make sure if you are going to stop and talk to someone, get a drink, etc to place your bucket on the ground and lift the seat lockout bar. That ensures you won't accidentally bump a control, because a machine of that size won't even feel anything if you squish someone
 
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  • #108
How much do they weigh? My mulcher head is almost 1,000 lbs. Some folks use a 9-10K for that mulcher head. An attachment specialist recommended a minimum size for a 1000lb head to be a 12k machine. My original plan was to get a Takeuchi TB260...a 12,645lb machine. They were basically unavailable anytime soon. The TB370 we bought is a 15K machine...it should do fine with our head. You can talk to Scotty at National Attachments (800) 839-9981 That is where I bought my mulcher head...they were very responsive and had good follow through.
 
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  • #111
We asked for shatterproof...they said it is not available (at least not from Takeuchi). The sales guy or someone told me that some folks get their own lexan and put it over the factory glass.

How is yours set up? Did it come with ballistic front window?

In theory, my mulcher throws stuff to the side...but I assume ricochets could be a problem?
 
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  • #112
online lexan is about $300 per 4'x8' sheet. I figure my cab front is about 42" wide.

I'll have to research some to figure what thickness would be best.
 
The Lexan sustains the impacts because it "lets it run" and gives away a bit in front of the incoming object. So, I'm not sure that putting the lexan on the outside is a good idea. A stone / limb will push the lexan inside and therefore still break the glass. As you are behind the glass, you're likely be harmed by the shrapnels. Or at least, put some spacers between the lexan and the glass to make a cushion room.
An other thing is the lexan is easily scratched like all the plastics. Cleaning the debris, dust and mud will ends to "fog" the vision even if there isn't any major scratch by some grains of sand.
For these two reasons, I'd place the lexan inside the cab. It doesn't avoid to break the glass here, but you are well protected and it will endure less abuse.
 
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  • #114
Good input. I had figured to have it mounted in front of the factory glass about an inch or so... As I remember it there's a standoff it could be mounted to pretty easily. But I wondered about the scratching aspect of it also and the fog that would develop. One of Alex's firefighters is a glass specialist. Maybe he can get us a piece of shatterproof glass that we can mount in front of the factory glass we have now.
 
pantheraba said:
We asked for shatterproof...they said it is not available (at least not from Takeuchi). The sales guy or someone told me that some folks get their own lexan and put it over the factory glass.

How is yours set up? Did it come with ballistic front window?

In theory, my mulcher throws stuff to the side...but I assume ricochets could be a problem?
Click to expand...



Gary, the entire front windshield and low glass is Lexan on our TB290.
Our ASV RT120F also has Lexan front glass.
We installed Accurate Forestry window and cab guarding on the Komatsu PC138 we got this spring, but we have not gotten to run the Fecon head on that ex yet.

The second your mulcher head is tilted back 1 degree from level towards the cab, expect debris to blast into the windshield and front of your machine.
We have had rocks fly out of the head 90-180 degrees, and/or bounce off tree trunks, and break glass on a home 100ft+ away.
We also have had a rock break the side door glass on the TB290.

On top of safety reasons, I would advise to get the windshield replaced with Lexan vs. setting a Lexan pane on the existing glass so you don't lose the functionality of being able to flip up the window for non-mulching work.

Also if you are not familiar you will want to make sure you have an air compressor nearby to keep all of your filters and radiator fins cleaned daily, sometimes multiple times a day depending on your environment.
 
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  • #116
Great info there...thanks for passing that along. I'll hash it out with Alex.

I had wondered about ricochets off trees...sounds like it is a real thing. How is the Lexan holding up in terms of scratching and being hard to see through? 3/8" or 1/2"?

I was considering putting a Lexan shield several inches in front of the existing glass...not right on it. But I'll have to see how the front window tracks. I don't think it encroaches outside the cab as it goes up but I'll have to check.

By Accurate Forestry, do you mean these guys? I didn't see anything specifically called Accurate Forestry....
 
You definitely want the lexan on the outside, not the inside.

You can get Margard lexan which has a hard coating to reduce scratches.... it's definitely worth it in my experience. Dust will still be an issue as the lexan will attract it.

I'd go with 1/2".

You can install it on the stand offs, clearing the bottom of the roll up window shouldn't be an issue.

That is the company he got the cab guard from.
 
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  • #120
We picked up our excavator with the thumb now installed. They also mounted the TAG Quick Connect to the mulcher head and tuned the pressures for the head...showed us how to run it.

We did our first real work with it today...took it to a friend's house (our Boy Scoutmaster, friend from way back). We were there to help recover an old path thru the woods that has gotten grown over....a mulcher and bucket project. Before we could do that he had 4 other projects that just kind of appeared... :) First, we dug out a small island of floating grass that was starting up in their pond...good test for us since that is what we need to do at our farm pond soon. Then he wanted some stump/chunks moved...good thumb practice...and move a concrete culvert...more thumb. And some grading...the rain flow hits a spot and now turns the wrong way and run into the pond thru the emergency overflow. Alex took a few inches of hump out where the water goes both ways and we think it will now take a left into the woods instead of the pond.

We go back in the AM to actually do the original project of trail restoration with the mulcher head...learning curves today and again tomorrow. I got some decent video to help us get to see what we are doing and to work to find better ways as we learn.
 

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